Quercus suber

[abejaruco]

I have a Quercus among my citrus. Is an ancient tree. Good source of pollen, mielato honey and cork.
Cork is cut every 10 years. Tree can live 1500 years.
A friend have just harvested the cork.



This man, 80 years old, was teaching to his son this ancestral science -if you don´t cut the cork rightly the tree can die-

[thomashton]

Wow. that is amazing. What a cool couple of pictures.
Thank you for sharing those.

[abejaruco]

Very nice.
By the way, I have been reading your Swedish recipes...Suddenly I am hungry....
I will send you the "paella" and "gazpacho" secrets.

[TwT]

Good picture's, I never seen that before, I was wondering what was he doing to that tree   I was fixing to say a chain saw would be faster  

[abejaruco]

You are right, there is special chain saw for the extraction, but ax always is necessary
http://img152.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc075665di.jpg

On the other hand, I have been enjoying a "modus operandi", a ritual, that was used by the ancient Romans 2000 years ago, and perhaps the Tartesos. The boiled cork was used to build hives, and have been used till 1980, when varroa came to Spain.