Question: Storing different acorn varieties

M

Marty Edwards

New Member
my apologies if this has been asked before...

I’ve picked up quite a few acorns from various spots in MO & NE this year. I’ve collected:
NE Bur
NE dwarf chinq
MO Bur
MO SWO
MO white (Q. Alba)
MO Shingle oak
MO N. Red

Currently, all are sealed in moist paper towels in ziplock bags in the fridge. Quite a few of the Q. Alba had tiny radicles beginning to emerge...from what I’ve been able to find on the internet, Q. Alba are very susceptible to mold and may not do well in storage.

My hope is that I’m on the right track with all these acorns and I can start them in rootmaker starter cells early next year. But I’m wondering if I should try to go direct seed some in the yard & flag them?

Thoughts?
 
I have stratified and grown chestnuts, but this is my first yr attempting the acorns. Having said that, I have read that DCO and some white oak acorns will set radicles / beginning root the very first fall without going through a stratification period. I have received some DCO that sure enough, already put out a radicle (one is already more than 1" long). I did not want to direct seed these, but protect and transplant in spring. Hence, had to assure that the container had more than enough root space. Believe this is were the idea sleep creep and leap saying comes into play. also read about caution with watering, must be careful as to keep acorns from drying out, but not overwatering. therefore, medium that you plant them into is very important.
 
Marty Edwards said:
my apologies if this has been asked before...

I’ve picked up quite a few acorns from various spots in MO & NE this year. I’ve collected:
NE Bur
NE dwarf chinq
MO Bur
MO SWO
MO white (Q. Alba)
MO Shingle oak
MO N. Red

Currently, all are sealed in moist paper towels in ziplock bags in the fridge. Quite a few of the Q. Alba had tiny radicles beginning to emerge...from what I’ve been able to find on the internet, Q. Alba are very susceptible to mold and may not do well in storage.

My hope is that I’m on the right track with all these acorns and I can start them in rootmaker starter cells early next year. But I’m wondering if I should try to go direct seed some in the yard & flag them?

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I normally float test mine then dry them off and put then in zip locks with holes punched in the bag with a pencil. I don't add anything that would hold moisture like peat until spring when i remove them from the fridge.
 
i think it's interesting that there is advocating that acorns must be cold stratified in a frig to similate weather for stratification. When i look at native habitat of several oak species, they seem to grow well in south. Now, not being from south, do you guys down there really get a steady 3 months of 40 degree temps?
 
i prefer to direct seed white oaks in the fall using technique i learned from oakseeds

Preserving viability in fridge over winter problematic in my hands

bill
 
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