DCO Growers?

[wbpdeer]

I will start this thread with the hopes we get forum users to post here. This year (2016) I put DCO in my cycle. I purchased from Blitz who posted on the old site. Wish he was here.

Purchased a used fridge just to put my trays of DCO in the cold. That worked well enough. I have purchased bareroot and planted them. I think they are doing fine.

I just like growing in rootmaker 18 express from the nut to watch them germinate and then develop from there. Yes, we all lose some along the way.

The photo below is one of my best direct seeding successes ever! It was direct seeded in my side yard to provide me easy collection down the road. This DCO has really jumped up in size in the last 3 weeks.

 

[wbpdeer]

DCO in my new fridge.



Sorry about the photo - could not rotate it here.

 

[E_308]

Here is my one and only DCO I just posted pics of in my land tour thread. If I remember right this one was planted in 2008. Looks like it might have acorns this fall.

 

[wbpdeer]

Got photos of my best two trays of DCOs. I am very pleased for my first year of messing with these.

Here you go.




Comment: When you think the nut is done - ain't going to happen - wait another 4 or 5 weeks. These are ssssllllloooowww. I have been amazed at how late they put on top growth.

 

[catscratch]

I didn't grow them from seed (I bought them bareroot), but here is a pic from right after breaking bud. I'll take a new pic soon. They have grown great leafs but not much height over the summer.

 

[Gator]

I planted 10 DCOs in spring 2013 when I planted my orchard. Most of my pear trees are 15'+ but my best DCO might be 3'. This is the first year they have done anything

 

[CAS_HNTR]

They are PAINFULL to grow, but I am hoping they do something sometime! Hah!

 

[wbpdeer]

CAS_HNTR,

For an old guy like me it is difficult to be patient with them. I do believe they will be worth the wait when they get established and bear on my farm. Brushpile influenced me on trees that bear early. Sequins, AC and DCO are part of my plan.

Of course I will have many, many chestnuts in the near future. I will have pears too. I already have some pears trees that have pears in 30 months.

You still game for the nut thread? Hope so.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I have a 3 yr old DCO that is now pushing 4' or better. Had "acorns" start this year but my guess is they were not fertilized as I didnt see any male parts (Catkins on oaks?) They never got much bigger than a bb and now they have all pretty much dropped off. Next year if I dont see both male and female parts I will try and grab a branch off a producing Burr Oak just to fertilize them. I have a few other DCOs from 2" tall to 2' tall as I experiment on the best way to propagate them.

 

[catscratch]

Same DCO as my previous post... pic taken tonight. And one that I didn't tube.

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[wbpdeer]

Catscratch

They look great. Just a tree that is slow to establish top growth. The game is all about the roots in the beginning. I would hope mine look that good. Growing chestnuts will ruin it if you want to grow DCO.

 

[catscratch]

After watching you guys start them by seed I'm not sure I want to go down that path. These bare root trees are going slow enough.

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[letemgrow]

They r finicky that's for sure! Some of mine r going bonkers and have had acorns since they were 2-3' tall. Have not been bak to check them this year.

 

[letemgrow]

Been loaded every year I checked so I do not expect anything less this fall....just have to beat the game to the acorns

 

[Brushpile]

Been loaded every year I checked so I do not expect anything less this fall....just have to beat the game to the acorns

Phil, you've seen a large area of DCO in nature, and can describe what it looked like and where it grew, can you elaborate?

 

[catscratch]

Anyone know how to tell the difference between an native CO verses a DCO?
Will they hybridize?
I have lots of natives...

 

[letemgrow]

Phil, you've seen a large area of DCO in nature, and can describe what it looked like and where it grew, can you elaborate?

When I was on Tarkio prairie, they were growing with hazelnuts and Forbes on a prairie type hillside. Everything was 6' or less tall there. Easy to find on the "natural area" the map for Tarkio prairie has. Have to walk 1/2 mile or better to get too em but it's worth the trip to see remnant dco's.

 

[Brushpile]

I can't distinguish the difference, except that DCO will produce acorns in about two years, and Chinkapin Oak (CO), usually takes at least 6-8+ years. CO will appear to look like a DCO, but will grow faster and not produce nuts. DCO is a dwarf, while CO will grow at a faster rate and will be 5-6 feet tall with no acorns, while a DCO that's 5-6 feet tall would have acorns like it's on steroids. DCO looks dwarfed making CO look leggy.

Some of my CO produced acorns in 4-5 years, but they were 10' tall, while a DCO that's 4-5 years old will be about 4 feet tall.

 

[catscratch]

I'll take some pics this weekend of my natives. I don't know how old they are but there are plenty of shorts ones that have acorns.

 

[Brushpile]

When I was on Tarkio prairie, they were growing with hazelnuts and Forbes on a prairie type hillside. Everything was 6' or less tall there. Easy to find on the "natural area" the map for Tarkio prairie has. Have to walk 1/2 mile or better to get too em but it's worth the trip to see remnant dco's.

Thanks Phil, I remember that, but wanted hear it from you. DCO grows in FULL SUN, which is why only remnants remain in native prairie. DCO works well on the edge, away from the shade of larger trees. DCO is a companion of NWSG, growing well along the edge, or in thin stands.