THE LLC
Well-Known Member
Occasionally. I will (liquid Sevin) when I have them in pots at home if jap beetles get on them.
Sawtooth Oaks
- Thread starter Fish
- Start date
Occasionally. I will (liquid Sevin) when I have them in pots at home if jap beetles get on them.
Fish
Well-Known Member
I dont recall ever spraying a young sawtooth around here.
split toe
Member
Fish, here is the size of my acorns today. They look small to me compared to the ones in your pics..
Those might make it. My trees down here that produce every year have acorns on it that are not too much bigger than that
j-bird
Well-Known Member
Mine that where in containers on my porch are 8 to 12" tall now. I have already transplanted some. I direct seeded some as well and some are still real small while others are 6" or more. I would love to see mine grow like LLC's but if I get 1/2 that I will be pleased. I had almost 100% success in containers and 75%+ in direct seeded in good areas with lots of sunlight as well. I started out with 100 acorns from Catscratch and I don't think I'll need anymore due to the great success I have had with them thus far.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I got them in small wire cages, but not true tubes. Will the right tubes make a significant difference? I have heard lots of horror stories about tubes (both growing weak trees or attracting coons and harboring other critters). Right now they are not bigger than the wire cages I have them in, but as they get bigger, I might be convinced to put them in tubes. I have no direct exp with tubes. I typically use cages, but I have also not grown trees from acorns before either.
THE LLC
Well-Known Member
I used to not tube mine--only cages, but no more. The tubes are cheap insurance. I use 60" Miracle Tubes from Tree Pro. Stake them with metal rebar or t-posts and leave them. The tree will be spindly in year one as it is trying to reach the light at the top--and reach it they will. The trunks will thicken over year two and three. The stakes can be removed by year 4 and the tubes will degrade enough that the growing tree will split and shed them in time. Keeps bucks from rubbing as well. Only real issue I have with tubes is wasp building nests in them, but that can be fun too because they can't escape when you spray wasp killer in there.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I'll give the tubes a look......none of the sawtooth I direct seeded in the woods seemed to germinate. I was able to find about a dozen flags and no sign of them....so either they didn't grow or something ate them. There was lots of stinging nettles around so I wasn't going to dig! Not a big deal - I knew planting them in the woods was a long shot.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I had some "extra" and thought I would give it a try. I did pick locations that where more open than others to have at least some chance, but I figured they wouldn't make it. Sometimes you try things knowing they won't work..... I looked into those tree tubes. At roughly $3.50 a piece I may try some....need to get a count first. Again I may try something with them and only tube every other one or something to see the impact they have.
THE LLC
Well-Known Member
Nothing wrong with experimenting. It's fun actually---but frustrating too. I have done direct seeding and used tubes with good results, as well as bare roots and potted. I've had really good luck direct seeding in fields and other open spots and caging until the trees were 6 inches tall then tubing. I've tried everything you can think of once. LOL. Sawtooths are a great wildlife tree to boot.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
Sounds like you have done a lot of what I am doing. I potted some, direct seeded some in plots and direct seeded some in the woods as well. Those I direct seeded in my plots are in small wire cages and those in the woods I marked with a flag just so I could find them later. I agree with you that I had nearly 100% success with potting, and 75%+ on direct seeding in open areas. I got 0% thus far on those in the woods, but those where a long shot. I'll get some tubes and switch to them as well and be able to do a small trial on tubed vs non-tubed and see how those affect growth as well. I may get enough to do them all, but I like trials like this to see what works and what doesn't.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I put the ones in containers on my back deck in a dog kennel to keep squirrels from stealing the acorns. Most of those trees still have the acorn attached so they are still caged. I may transplant them to one of the sunnier locations in the woods and cage them as well.
Fish
Well-Known Member
I put in fiber pot sawtooths this March and then tubed them with 4ft tubes. Didn't take long for them to get out of the tube! This pic was taken very early June.
That's a post flood chestnut in the background.....
LLC is correct. Sawtooths will get up and out of the tubes in no time. These have grown over 2ft in 2 months. Of course, having a rootball like this at planting didn't hurt.
That's a post flood chestnut in the background.....
LLC is correct. Sawtooths will get up and out of the tubes in no time. These have grown over 2ft in 2 months. Of course, having a rootball like this at planting didn't hurt.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I really never considered it to be honest. I was fearful of hurting the tree. I'll take a closer look and see about taking mine off. I am working on transplanting the remaining container trees into a sunny opening in my limited timber over the weekend. I'll cage them, until my tubes come in. Thanks for the tip LLC.
