Konstantinos Karoubas

Thanks for the info May,

Your knowledge of the different soil types is beyond me.

If you can try different types of acorns for different types of soils and report back to us, it would be greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Kostad

Greetings to all !!!
All the best to all - peace on earth,



Title: Acorn Planting Experiment & Field Observations Near Thessaloniki

Today we visited an area near Thessaloniki where we’ve planted acorns over the past few years, including a site from December 8th of this year.

There, we tested a new planting method:

· Dig a hole 15–20 cm deep.
· Place two spoonfuls or handfuls of damp vermiculite on one side of the hole.
· Add a few centimeters of good topsoil in the middle.
· Lay two acorns down.
· Fill the hole with the remaining topsoil.
· Sprinkle small seeds (vetch, arugula, alfalfa) on top.

Results: The acorns did very well, despite some losses to field mice or other creatures—which we accept as natural. We found many young evergreen oaks growing, specifically the Palestine oak (Quercus calliprinos). We’ll continue monitoring them.

This year, we had difficulty finding common deciduous oak acorns in the area, so most planted were Palestine oaks and holm oaks.

Future recommendation: Use this method again. Optionally, mix 20–30% damp vermiculite into the topsoil just below the acorns. Using damp vermiculite is especially important if the soil might dry out before expected rains. However, we’re cautious about using too much vermiculite, as it might cause seed rot—time will tell.

We also visited other nearby areas where we simply dug holes and put small seeds on top. We observed young oaks in various conditions and performed the "bend test" on a young oak that hadn’t yet developed green leaves. To perform the bend test: bend the trunk 180°. If it snaps, it’s likely dead; if it bends without breaking, it’s alive.

We have several acorn-planting sites around Thessaloniki and will share more updates as interesting developments arise.

Kostas

Hey Martin,
Great idea
Give it a try and let us know the results.

As far as your age…
It’s only a number

Keep fighting till the end!!!

Kostas

They are a majestic creature!!!

This is a great book on Oak trees

Very informative

Kostas

Thanks for the info! I appreciate the details on controlled burns.


It makes me wonder if the author is exaggerating a bit. Is an 80% to 90% loss of Ponderosa pines in the next two decades really realistic, or is it closer to 5% or 10%? Where do we actually stand right now in terms of total population loss? And I mean loss that it total-no natural tree reforestation.


Either way, if severe fires mean the Ponderosa pines can't grow back, it seems like a great opportunity to build a new ecosystem from scratch.


Oaks are incredibly tough and thrive everywhere from southern Canada to northern Mexico and northern Africa to southern Russia, so they would be perfect as the main replacement tree.


Post-fire ash leaves behind really rich soil. Instead of giving up and letting the land turn to desert, we could seed fast-growing plants like arugula, barley, or Mediterranean heartwort right away to stop soil erosion and plant a large variety of trees by planting seeds. I've already seen oaks and almonds and other prunus family trees thrive after a fire. So a fire is an opportunity to create a better ecosystem.


If these pessimistic projections are realistic, the human and economic costs will be devastating. Action is needed now. The threat is severe enough to justify shifting 10% or more of the defense budget toward ecological restoration. Repurposing military technology from weapons to reforestation is a practical application of this shift. True national security involves protecting the environment before the crisis becomes irreversible. The people most affected need to act.


To make these kind of decisions you need good data.


I don't know, I'm just thinking.


Kostas

Greetings to all, and best wishes,

I would like to share an article in NYTIMES by Gary Furguson.

NYTIMES - Ponderosa Pines

The article says:

after about 26 years of exceptionally high heat and drought, hundreds of millions of these trees in lands stretching from New Mexico and Colorado to the southern Sierra Nevada of California have died. And in many places, something even more startling is happening: The trees aren’t coming back.

It continues,

In 50 or so years, by some estimates, snow could virtually disappear from the West, making life there exceedingly difficult.

And,

The government should treat this situation as deeply threatening to the habitability of the West. .

The article discusses how prescribed burns are being employed to save the trees, and that millions of seedlings of ponderosa pines are being produced for the purpose of replanting.

Being far away from this area, the first question I have,
Is this the reality there ? Members of this forum can shed some light.

The 2nd question, and I don't know who can answer it.

If ponderosa pines cannot handle the new weather conditions, why do they want to plant more of them.
Why not plant broadleaf trees like oaks instead.

Why not employ drone technology and human labor to plant millions of acorns.

This matter is urgent - it effects millions of people - and it will major economic impact

Kostas

Greetings to all,



Spring is upon us.
And this is my attempt to report on our progress in planting trees etc.

The following text is a bit long but it summarizes where we stand and where we are headed.

Thanks

Kostas

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Full Forest Conversion Project – Update
Today we visited the pine forest near Thessaloniki, where we have been planting acorns as part of our effort to gradually convert the existing pine forest into an oak forest.

Why We Need to Act
The pine forest faces serious threats. Experts around the world warn that pine trees growing below 1,000 meters in elevation are increasingly likely to die from drought, forest fire, or disease — all of which are driven by the changing climate. But beyond the threat of death, pine forests are simply not the most desirable ecosystems. They store water poorly, release relatively little moisture into the atmosphere, and produce acidic soil beneath their canopy.

Oak forests, by contrast, are far more resilient and ecologically rich. Their soil is healthier, they retain water more effectively, and they breathe significantly more moisture into the air. This matters more than many people realize: trees release moisture that forms clouds, and clouds produce rain. In essence, when you plant trees — especially oak trees — you are planting rain. An oak forest is a far more powerful rain-generating ecosystem than a pine forest.


Our goal is to convert the pine forest into an oak forest before disaster strikes — before fire, drought, or disease strips the land bare and leaves nothing behind.

Fortunately, oak trees are one of the few species that can grow beneath pine trees. They coexist naturally, growing side by side, which makes a gradual transition possible. Rather than purchasing young oak trees, planting them, and watering them individually — a process that is expensive and labor-intensive — we are planting acorns directly into the forest floor. This is a more natural, scalable, and cost-effective method.

The three most common oak varieties in our area are the Holm Oak (or holy oak), the Evergreen oaks, calliprinos or Palestine Oak, which keeps its leaves year-round, and the Common Oak, which is deciduous and sheds its leaves seasonally. Both are part of our planting effort.
Progress and Setbacks
We are making progress, though we are also experiencing setbacks and learning as we go. That is expected at this stage.


What Success Looks Like
In five to ten years, success will mean seeing healthy oak trees reaching 50 cm to a meter or more in height, growing alongside the existing pine trees. When and if the pine trees eventually die, the oaks will be ready to take their place — ensuring the land is never left bare and exposed.

We do not want to face a future of ash and bare soil after a devastating fire or diseases. We want a living forest — one that cleans the air, stores water, provides habitat, and offers a place for people to walk, breathe, and connect with nature. That is our goal, and that is what we are working toward, one acorn at a time.

Field Update – What We Found Today
In this video, we share what we observed during today's visit. There are both encouraging results and disappointing ones, as is to be expected at this stage.

We are particularly encouraged by how vigorously the Palestine oak trees are growing — and it is still early in the season. By mid-June, and even more so by August and September, we will have a much clearer picture of what has survived and how the different varieties are progressing.


Scale of the Project
We are currently planting acorns in eight to ten locations in and around Thessaloniki, spanning as far south as half an hour from the city. We are also planting in areas that have previously been devastated by fire, and we still need to visit those sites to assess how they are recovering. In addition to our work in northern Greece, we have planted acorns in southern Greece near Sparta, at elevations ranging from 300 to 1,100 meters. We plan to visit that area in the summer and will share a dedicated update, as the conditions there are quite different from what we see here.


Why Each Location Is Unique
Every site presents its own challenges. Soil conditions and microclimates vary significantly from one place to another. For example, young oak seedlings pushing up through heavy clay soil or dense rock will face very different obstacles than those in looser, more forgiving ground. We expect different oak varieties to respond differently depending on these conditions, and part of what we are doing is learning which types of acorns are best suited to which environments — whether the determining factor is soil composition, moisture levels, elevation, or some other microclimate variable.


A Bigger Vision
This is a large and complex project, and honestly, it is one that deserves the attention and resources of a university research program or a major nonprofit organization. We hope that one day it will attract that kind of support. In the meantime, we will keep planting, keep observing, and keep sharing everything we learn

This is discusses the damage by wild pigs

Kostas

Greetings,




Today we visited several areas where we planted acorns over the last two or three months. Unfortunately, in some locations nearly 90% of the acorns had been taken by wildlife. It could be field mice or other small animals that are attracted to the large acorns we planted.


This is the first time we have planted such a large number of evergreen oak acorns, and it is also the first time we have seen losses on this scale. In one area alone we planted perhaps 200–300 acorns, and almost all of that effort was lost.


We have had similar experiences in the past. Years ago, when planting almonds, we lost hundreds—possibly even a few thousand—to field mice. Thinking about it now, the large evergreen oak acorns are roughly the same size as almonds, so it makes sense that they would be a delicacy for local wildlife.


In another area we noticed heavy activity from wild pigs. These animals tear up the ground while searching for food, so anything planted there is likely to be disturbed or destroyed.


Although this wildlife activity is frustrating and sets us back, it is also part of the natural cycle. There is little we can do about it, nor should we try to eliminate it.


Interestingly, our experience after forest fires has been very different. For the first couple of years after a fire, wildlife such as wild pigs and field mice tend to move away from the burned areas. During that period we can plant many almonds or acorns with very little loss. However, this window of opportunity may only last two or three years before the animals return.

Kostas