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| Shelters protecting Coast Live Oaks |
Have you wondered what those odd looking white things are up on the slopes? Inside the protective screens are newly sprouted Coast Live Oak seedlings. Back in October over a thousand acorns were collected from native oaks growing in Browns Canyon, DeSoto Avenue above the 118 freeway. The acorns were stored in a refrigerator for six weeks, before planting, to improve germination. In mid December over three hundred locations were planted with three acorns each. The acorns were watered at the time of planting and two weeks later to improve germination. By early January most of the acorns had germinated and the seedlings had emerged. Shelters were made, from the old greens cover used when seventeen green was rebuilt in 1994, and placed around the seedlings in January.
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| Coast Live Oak seedlings growing inside shelters |
Protecting the oak seedlings for a couple years will improve their chance of surviving to maturity.The abundant rabbit and squirrel population living on the golf course are a serious threat to small plants and have caused the loss of many of the native plants planted the past two years. Protecting the seedlings from wind and direct sun lite will also increase survival. With the limited rain fall this year the young seedlings will need an occasional watering until next rainy season. If the seedlings survive until next years rainy season they have a good chance of making it to maturity.
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| Twenty foot Coast Live Oak behind 13 green Planted from seed ten years ago |
Initially the turf reduction project was to reduce water usage. It has also been an opportunity to return part of the golf course to a more natural condition. Drought tolerant native plants were selected for replanting slopes and one of the most common native trees in Southern California is the Coast Live Oak. Prior to the turf reduction project there were about thirty five coast Live Oaks at Porter Valley. During the turf reduction ninety Coast Live Oaks were planted. As the thousand or so recently planted Coast Live Oaks mature they will dominate the landscape as they did before the golf course was built.
