Weather
Summertime a Test of Preservation for Toomer's Corner OaksThe live oaks at Toomer's Corner are showing signs of improvement, but the hot weather will be a true test of their preservation. Auburn horticulturist Gary Keever told CBS 8 how the trees respond to rising temperatures and the summer sun will be very telling whether the oaks can survive long term. "It's stressful for the trees because when the sun strikes that foliage and heats that leaf up, it responds just like you and I perspire. The leaves lose moisture through transpiration -- and that's the cooling process, but at some point, when they can't take up enough water to compensate for all that that they're losing through the leaves, those openings on the back of the leaves shut down," he explained. New soil samples are currently being tested by the Alabama Department of Agriculture. Results will be available in about two weeks. They will reveal how much herbicide is still in the ground and if it has spread to other surrounding trees. The trees have been put on a treatment plan of sugar injections, regular liquid fertilization, root stimulant, and pruning out deadwood. The man accused of poisoning the trees in 2010, Harvey Updyke, goes to trial in June. Stay up-to-date on the progress of the oaks by visiting this website: http://ocm.auburn.edu/news/oaks.html |
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