Sudden Oak Life by Lee Klinger

Yesterday I visited and tended a huge valley oak which, at about 500 years old, is possibly the oldest valley oak in Encino, CA. This oak appears to have been pollarded (pruned in a way that encourages broad, spreading branches) by the native people hundreds of years ago. Last year I posted a story about this Encino heritage oak, and presented photos that showed a significant improvement in the health of the tree in response to fire mimicry treatments.

We are now in the 4th year of fire mimicry treatments and the oak continues to show a very good response, as the photos below indicate:

Encino heritage oak