Planting acorns with the kids

[weekender21]

I picked up a few dozen red, chestnut and mystery acorns yesterday and plan to plant them with the kids.

Northern red, chestnut and ??? (Black or post maybe)

Would I have any luck planting them now in RootMaker’s and keeping them outside to allow nature to do it’s thing? Or would keeping the red oaks in the fridge for a few months be a better idea? I collected them in the mountains at 3k elevation but we live at the beach. Not sure if it gets cold enough here for long enough to let nature work.


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[jteeen]

I have a donor shumard red that started making acorns at age 6. Last year I took 5 acorns and started them on pint size rootmakers, skipped the trays as I don't have the proper setup. Left them in the promix/rootmakers all winter and they all sprouted in the spring. It gets pretty cold in Oklahoma though. You have to keep them from drying out or bugs getting them. Good luck.

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[THE LLC]

You can do that. Protect your planters from drying, freezing solid, and from squirrels digging up the acorn and replanting them. You can do that now and leave out all winter just like in nature. Those smaller ones are black oak by the way.

 

[weekender21]

You can do that. Protect your planters from drying, freezing solid, and from squirrels digging up the acorn and replanting them. You can do that now and leave out all winter just like in nature. Those smaller ones are black oak by the way.

Thanks. I thought they were probably black oak. The deer are hitting them pretty hard right now.


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[j-bird]

Pop the caps off if you can and float test them first (if you are not sure what that is....you remove the caps, put them in water and you keep those that sink - those that float have air in them and are bad and most will not germinate). I store ALL my acorns I plan to grow in the fridge with a damp paper towel inside a ziplock bag that I put some holes in with a fork. Simply keep the paper towel damp until you are ready to plant. I simply find it's easier to store acorns vs pots of some sort over winter. Red oak family members need to cold to germinate....white oaks do not and will germinate right away if given the chance.

 

[weekender21]

Float tested all the candidates today with the kids. Those black oaks were wormy! About 50/50 with the red and almost 100% success on the chestnut. In the refrigerator now.


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[lindseymorgan]

Great that your kids want to do this with you.

 

[Griffin]

I've done this with my kids over the years. Just went out this weekend and picked up Sawtooth, Shumard, English, Burr, and a Mystery Hybrid. Also got a shipment in of Concordia Oak acorns I've been scheming on for a few years now. Big hanks to @letemgrow and @Cap'n! All float tested, individually bagged and labeled, and placed in the beer fridge out in the shop. My only advice is document as much as possible especially if you are doing this as a project with the kids. The more you can pass down where the tree came from and who planted it and when/where the better.

 

[catscratch]

Everything has been covered:

• Decap and float test
• Reds require stratification, whites don't.
• The fridge is a great storage place that is in no danger of rodent predation over the winter.
• A foot of PVC pounded over the planted acorn will protect it from rodents and deer for a while while it's shooting up first growth. It also gives you a marker while checking growth with the kids. I know that you'll "think" you won't forget where you buried them... but you will.

 

[j-bird]

Everything has been covered:

• Decap and float test
• Reds require stratification, whites don't.
• The fridge is a great storage place that is in no danger of rodent predation over the winter.
• A foot of PVC pounded over the planted acorn will protect it from rodents and deer for a while while it's shooting up first growth. It also gives you a marker while checking growth with the kids. I know that you'll "think" you won't forget where you buried them... but you will.

Never really considered PVC pipe.... I may have to give that a shot. I have used small wire "germination" cages before but that's a PITA for a lot of acorns. PVC would be quick and easy..... dang you Cat! Now another reason to go to the hardware store.

 

[THE LLC]

I know that you'll "think" you won't forget where you buried them... but you will.

A truer post has never been made. That’s why the old saying “a short pencil beats a long memory”.

 

[weekender21]

Everything has been covered:

• Decap and float test
• Reds require stratification, whites don't.
• The fridge is a great storage place that is in no danger of rodent predation over the winter.
• A foot of PVC pounded over the planted acorn will protect it from rodents and deer for a while while it's shooting up first growth. It also gives you a marker while checking growth with the kids. I know that you'll "think" you won't forget where you buried them... but you will.

I’m not sure if it was a bear, squirrel etc. but the pvc and screen didn’t work on my property. Something knocked over every one! Lesson learned. Cool concept though if you can get away with it.


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[catscratch]

Never really considered PVC pipe.... I may have to give that a shot. I have used small wire "germination" cages before but that's a PITA for a lot of acorns. PVC would be quick and easy..... dang you Cat! Now another reason to go to the hardware store.

It only works for a little while. Oaks have about 18-20 inches of growth with the energy stored in the acorn. That initial growth is fast and they will need vertical room. After that, growth slows considerably as they transfer energy needs to photosynthesis. At this point they will need something with more volume space and light infiltration for protection. A cone of window screen pushed into the tube will keep industrious mice out of the pvc. Great way to let a white oak push a root all winter without predation, or get a red in early spring. No need to fool with rootpruning pots this way.

I don't have bears, might or might not be the issue...

 

[j-bird]

It only works for a little while. Oaks have about 18-20 inches of growth with the energy stored in the acorn. That initial growth is fast and they will need vertical room. After that, growth slows considerably as they transfer energy needs to photosynthesis. At this point they will need something with more volume space and light infiltration for protection. A cone of window screen pushed into the tube will keep industrious mice out of the pvc. Great way to let a white oak push a root all winter without predation, or get a red in early spring. No need to fool with rootpruning pots this way.

I don't have bears, might or might not be the issue...

I like the idea.....it's a cheap way (material should be about 1$ each) for planting a bunch if you so desired. Leave them for a year or so and then re-use for the next round. I can see planting a decant area of the course of a few years this way....and I got just the place that needs it.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Im sure you fellas have covered this,but......

.......what size PVC? what length?

bill

 

[weekender21]

Another batch in the refrigerator. These are coastal Virginia acorns that will be raised at the beach and planted in the mountains. Experimenting.

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[weekender21]

Getting started, all hands on deck.

Final prep. I’ll be interested to see how these long narrow tubes work. I’d like to keep them in these until they go dormant in November. Unfortunately I think I’ll be transferring them long before that.

Hoping to keep the squirrels out. Matt P. Inspired cages.

Special thanks to those that sent acorns for us to plant! We planted ~10 different species!


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[Kennychestnut]

Nice work ! Can I ask you where you got the pots and trays ??
How tall are those


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[weekender21]

Nice work ! Can I ask you where you got the pots and trays ??
How tall are those


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Anazon. The individual pots are ~9” tall. They’re very narrow and become more narrow towards the bottom. Several holes at the bottom to facilitate air pruning.

I ordered a RootMaker 18 flat. Planning to compare results.


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[weekender21]

Another angle


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