Ranch & Country Spring 2023 Quarterly Issue

We Know Ojai. We’re Lifelong Residents.

ROCA VISTA RANCH – SEVEN-BEDROOM MAIN HOUSE ON APPROXIMATELY 10 ACRES WITH POOL HOUSE, POOL, SPA, OUTDOOR KITCHEN, THREE-CAR GARAGE, TWO-CAR GARAGE, ARTIST’S LOFT, LIGHTED TENNIS COURT, FAMILY ORCHARD, AND HORSE FACILITIES. www.RocaVistaRanchOjai.com

I n 2001, the oak tree was selected as America’s National Tree in a 4-month long voting process of the American people sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation. Throughout history, the oak has garnered both admiration and respect. Oak was deemed sacred to Zeus of Greek mythology; the ancient Druids of Great Britain attributedmagical qualities to the oak; Native Americans revered the oak’s healing properties; the Roman goddess Diana, was often pictured with a necklace of acorns as a talisman against harm. The Venerable Old Oak Tree There are more than 200 species of oak trees found throughout North America. One of themost beautiful andmost loved species is the quercus lobata species, commonly called the “Valley Oak.” This species is endemic to California and grows in the interior valleys from Siskiyou County to San Diego County. Unlike many evergreen oak species, the Valley Oak is deciduous and loses all its leaves by winter solstice each year.

The Valley Oak has a signature look with its thick ridged bark, and gnarled outstretched arms that reach to the heavens while fingering the earth. These trees typically have a mature height of 40 to 70 feet but can reach heights of 100 feet, and can live up to 600 years! The age of a Valley Oak can be determined by the diameter of its trunk. A 3 to 4 foot diameter trunk is 150 to 250 years old, a 6 to 8 foot diameter trunk could be 400 to 500 years old. A 10 foot diameter tree trunk is an outlier. Many think of the oak tree as a slow growing tree, but oaks actually grow fast when they are young. A young Valley Oak can grow up to 20 feet in its first 5 years and 20 more feet in the next 5 years. Then the growth pattern slows significantly; the trunk thickens and increases its bulk; the branches open out. The tap root of a young Valley Oak that is, 10 to 40 years old will reach straight down to roughly 60 feet to find its water source. At that point, the root system begins to branch and spread, seeking out varied nutrient rich sources. Like everything else, the Valley Oak has been threatened by years of drought in the West. Thankfully, mature Valley Oaks are relatively drought tolerant. But in spite of a heavy rainy season in 2022-2023, the many prior years of below normal rainfall have taken a toll on the health of these trees. Some property owners have resorted to manual watering during the months of January to May. For the Valley Oak during the drought years, the suggestion has been to water once a month, using approximately 10 gallons of water per inch of the tree’s diameter, and towater slowly so that it soaks in, allowing the ground to dry thoroughly between waterings. However, all sources we have found agree that there should be no watering from May to November! Valley Oaks are “programmed” to endure dry summer months and water introduced at this time can cause oak root fungus that could weaken and even kill the tree. It is also recommended that mulching, drip lines, succulents, and other things under oak trees that tend to keep the soil moist must be avoided. Oak root fungus could also be caused by an extremely wet El Nino induced rainy season. All this being said, oak trees are hardy creatures - that’s why they’ve been around for so long. Next time you find yourself walking among the oaks, if you happen to have a tape measure handy just measure the trunk’s circumference in inches, divide by 3.14 (pi) and multiply by 5 to get the tree’s age in years. You may be transported back to the days of the gold rush. Or even back to colonial times. Or before…

ROYAL OAKS RANCH – 5 BEDROOMS, MEDIA ROOM, WINE CELLAR, TASTING ROOM, GYM/MASSAGE ROOM, POOL & SPA, INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PUTTING GREENS, WELL, SIX-CAR GARAGES, BOCCE COURT, VIEWS, AND SO MUCH MORE. www.RoyalOaksRanchOjai.com

STONE CREEK RANCH – FOUR-BEDROOM, FOUR-BATHROOM CRAFTSMAN-STYLE HOME WITH GUEST HOUSE, SWIMMING POOL AND SPA, OUTDOOR KITCHEN, AG BARN, WORKSHOP, CORRALS AND PASTURES, ARENA, ROUND PEN, CHICKEN COOP, PRIVATE WELL, MOUNTAIN VIEWS, AND MUCH MORE. www.StoneCreekRanchOjai.com

ROSE VALLEY LAND - CREATE AN OFF-GRID, COUNTRY RETREAT ON 40 ACRES WITH MOUNTAIN VIEWS, TRAILS, AND NATURAL SPRING IN ROSE VALLEY IN THE LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST. $1,200,000

Nora Davis (805) 207-6177 • www.ojaivalleyestates.com

License # 01046067

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