Dwarf chinkapin oak

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It looks like I have joined the DCO club.

I wrote my supplier.

"I had checked them several times and saw nothing. I had written them off. I checked this week (8-15-2018) and was surprised to see 3 out of 32 tiny ones. I planted them Nov 3. They should have been up before this. Late arrivals is usually a bad sign. I am not sure they will make it but I hope so.They should produce acorns in 10 years. They were planted for deer. Note the deer pellets in the pix. It seems appropriate."

He said.

"Dwarf chinquapin oak likely needs higher soil temperature than what is typical for other oaks for the acorns to emerge with enough season to grow before winter arrives. Here in Ontario, I noticed that Q. prinoides emerges very late in cool, moist soils. Last fall, I seeded some extra Q. prinoides acorns into pots that were topped with wood chip mulch, and then placed the pots into my oak cage (squirrel-proof). The soil in the pots was nice and cool which resulted in very late emergence in mid-July.

I seeded most of my Q. prinoides into outdoor beds or pots that were filled a gravelly growing medium. These beds and pots were also in full sun with no mulch. In this setting, the Q. prinoides emerged in late May resulting in seedlings that are already 50 cm in length after 2 flushes of growth. Most of these seedlings are now starting their 3rd flush.

Based on these observations, I think that Q. prinoides requires relatively high soil temperatures to germinate (i.e. bare, course soil that is directly exposed to sun). In the wild, this oak species either grows in sand dunes or steep gravel banks along rivers. The dunes or river banks also tend to fave south to southwest with hot afternoon sun exposure. It is so dry in these wild settings that there are barren sand patches around the oaks. The sand surface is so hot that you can't walk on it with bare feet!

Once germinated and past the seedling stage, Q. prinoides seems to be highly adaptable. I have given seedlings to many people and this oak seems to thrive in almost any soil type (even moist clay), as long as it has at least 2-3 hours of direct sun exposure each day. It is quick to mature and produces acorns after 4-5 years of age. It is also an annual producer. There does not seem to be any mast years. Every year is a mast year for dwarf chinquapin oak (even in the wild!).

For direct seeding, I think you should choose a spot exposed to direct sun for most of the day, especially in hot afternoon conditions. I would just place to seed on the surface of the native soil, and then cover a 50 cm wide area around the seed with course sand at a depth of 3-4 cm (and make sure it is free of grass/weeds). That should allow the soil to heat up enough for the oak to emerge much earlier.

FYI: Here is the soil blend I use to grow this oak. This mix was also been very successful for other small oak species that grow in hot dry sites in the wild as well (like Q. marilandica, Q. arkansana, Q. georgiana, Q. acerifolia, Q. buckleyi, and Q. stellata):

3 parts expanded shale (sieved to 3/8" max particle size and under)
1 part non-calcareous sand (which is result of broken-down igneous rocks, not limestone)
1 part Pro-Mix BX soil-less medium

I have attached some pictures of oaks growing in this medium. The mulch in the potted Q. prinoides was not added until late July to stop pot from drying out so fast, about 2 months after the seedling emerged."
 
That mix suggests the little tree requires a well aerated medium.

I find them more difficult to grow than chestnuts in terms of getting the watering schedule "just right"

good info . Thanks for posting

bill
 
Growth rates have varied greatly for my trees.

Same age trees and one is 2’ tall and one is ~9’ tall. They are within 10 yards of each other. All the rest are somewhere in between these two.

Image1537151120.855492.jpgImage1537151136.680279.jpg


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One thing the DCO’s have over other oaks I think is consistent production. I’ve yet to have an off year once they started producing.

The acorns this year were plentiful and good sized with the drought on the farm. I’ll have to weight next years crop and see how much they are producing now as opposed to the previous weigh in.


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This is a picture of one of my standard chinkapin oaks acorns today (9/17). Thought it was interesting that my DCO's have already dropped and these look like they have another month or so to go.

Chinkapin acorns at Arboritum 9-17-18.JPG
 
This is a picture of one of my standard chinkapin oaks acorns today (9/17). Thought it was interesting that my DCO's have already dropped and these look like they have another month or so to go.

View attachment 13559

What’s the size comparison between the acorns of a DCO and a Chinkapin? They look about the same size to me.

Matt


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We have acorns! This pic was taken 10/13/18 seems like mine is maturing later than most? I went ahead and picked 6 off the tree. Hopeful to start my 2nd generation of DCO on the farm next spring.


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Awesome stuff. I had one tree produce one acorn this year and after me accidentally putting it through the wash with my jeans the other day I don't think it's viable any longer.

Matt
 
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Looks like I will add to my DCO collection this fall. All 6 of my acorns came up. There are a couple of other random oaks as well. It will be kind of cool to be planting 2nd generation oaks already.


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