There are hundreds of varieties of oak but it is the English Oak that is, perhaps, our most iconic tree, it is the one almost everyone recognises. It is also among the most useful, providing timbers for ships, housebuilding, whisky barrels, furniture, bowls and many other items. In the New Forest pigs are still fattened in the autumn on acorns.
How long do oak trees live?
Oak trees mature at about 250 years but can live for 1000 years. There are many mature oaks across London especially on Hampstead Heath but the oldest are at Whipps Cross in Leytonstone at the western end of Epping Forest.
Oak tree care
Oaks are large trees with a wide crown and they benefit from regular maintenance by a qualified tree surgeon. Young oaks should be pruned during the winter or early spring to allow them to recover before the leaves open. Pruning allows the tree to develop the correct shape and size for the space it occupies. This is especially important in small London gardens, where trees can counter air pollution, filter the force of the wind thus protecting houses and also form an effective barrier to the noise pollution that occurs in built-up environments . A tree surgeon will be able to offer advice on the future maintenance of the tree and thus maximise its benefits.
Oak tree surgery for South London
Take A Bough Tree Care will always be delighted to offer free, expert advice on any aspect of oak tree care and work in the following areas – the London Boroughs of Wandsworth, Lambeth, Hammersmith, Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Merton as well as the towns of Battersea, Clapham, Balham, Fulham, Putney, Earlsfield, Southfields, Wimbledon, Kingston, Stockwell, Roehampton and Streatham, along with Elmbridge Borough which includes Esher, Claygate and Surbiton.
