The roots of the oaks
Immediately after an acorn has germinated, the gardener can notice that small, strong roots develop at the lower end of the fruit, which sink downwards. These are the so-called tap roots. Small runners form on the sides of these taproots that look like small hairs.
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The taproot provides the oak with all the necessary nutrients and water. The oak's root system is so strong that it penetrates even compacted soil layers.
The upper small roots reach the same dimensions as the tree top just below the surface of the earth.
Oak trees are stormproof
Due to their root system, oaks are considered to be particularly storm-proof, because the long tap roots grow many meters deep into the ground. They give the tree a high level of stability.
The tree is not uprooted even in strong storms. At most, the branches break off or the trunk divides.
Be careful when transplanting
Because of their root system, you should only transplant oak trees when they are still young. As soon as the trees have reached a height of two meters, it hardly ever works.
This is because with older oaks it is almost impossible to dig the long taproots out of the ground undamaged.
If the tap roots are kinked or even torn off, this usually leads to the tree's death.
Tips & Tricks
Thanks to their long tap roots, oaks can extract nutrients and water from very deep layers of the earth. It is therefore not necessary to fertilize or water older oak trees in the garden.
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