wbpdeer---AC Question???

[dogdoc]

Brush was kind enough to send me a few AC's. Do you treat these just like chestnuts? I assume they need a cold stratification period? Are they as susceptible to mold as chestnuts.

Just curious what I need to do. I put them in a baggie with a little potting soil with just a touch of moisture.

Or anyone else with experience over wintering these nuts. My plan is to start them in RM 18's late winter under lights in the house.

thanks
todd

 

[mattpatt]

Treat them just like chestnuts and you'll be fine.


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[Neahawg]

Be careful with them I think AC are like white oak acorns in that they will send a radicle down without stratification.

 

[mattpatt]

Even if they sprout if you keep them cold they'll keep for a long time.


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[dogdoc]

Be careful with them I think AC are like white oak acorns in that they will send a radicle down without stratification.

yea, I am getting mixed info online where some places say they are like the whites and don't need cold stratification while other sites say they do. I have them in the fridge and will keep an eye on them. Thinking about taking a few and putting them in 1 gallon RM pots and over wintering them outside and let nature do a few. See if this increases the germination.

 

[wbpdeer]

Dogdoc,

They will put out the radicle real quick. MattPatt is right, they can be treated like a chestnut. 2015 was my first experience with them. They had radicles showing when I got them, I put them in rootmaker 18s and put them in the grow box.

My observation is they grow good. I have some in my fridge that I collected off my own young trees. I will start them in late November - just to get me past prime time hunting.

The smaller nut makes the AC attractive to more wildlife beside the "deer."

I had a person help me and they mixed up AC and sawtooth that were all in black root pouches. I am going to let them get bigger before I separate them to make ID more certain.

My experience is - AC germinates real well. Have fun growing them.

 

[blumsden]

I thought at first you had an air conditioning question, duh.

 

[dogdoc]

Dogdoc,

They will put out the radicle real quick. MattPatt is right, they can be treated like a chestnut. 2015 was my first experience with them. They had radicles showing when I got them, I put them in rootmaker 18s and put them in the grow box.

My observation is they grow good. I have some in my fridge that I collected off my own young trees. I will start them in late November - just to get me past prime time hunting.

The smaller nut makes the AC attractive to more wildlife beside the "deer."

I had a person help me and they mixed up AC and sawtooth that were all in black root pouches. I am going to let them get bigger before I separate them to make ID more certain.

My experience is - AC germinates real well. Have fun growing them.

So did you keep them under lights in the house all winter?

 

[wbpdeer]

DogDoc

I keep them until the third week of March and then they went into a protective cage. That cage got wraps with a tarp when temperatures got low.

I admit I keep them too long in the 18s. Now that I have a greenhouse my options are different.

For this growing season I am going to concentrate on Dwarf Chinkapin Oak and see how my AC from last year do. I will grow a few AC but 12 to 15 ain't much for me.

How many nuts do you have?

 

[dogdoc]

DogDoc

I keep them until the third week of March and then they went into a protective cage. That cage got wraps with a tarp when temperatures got low.

I admit I keep them too long in the 18s. Now that I have a greenhouse my options are different.

For this growing season I am going to concentrate on Dwarf Chinkapin Oak and see how my AC from last year do. I will grow a few AC but 12 to 15 ain't much for me.

How many nuts do you have?

I have about 15 nuts. Didn't actually count them. I've never seen AC nuts before. Smaller then what expected. Are they as susceptible to mold as the chestnuts? I never get mold with my acorn or persimmons and one more question. Are they as picky with soil as chestnuts---as far as having to have a well drained soil? I've always just used miracle grow potting soil with my persimmons, apples, pears, and acorns and they do great. The chestnuts did not do as well in the miracle grow.

 

[wbpdeer]

Turkeys like them because of size. I buy my growing media based upon chestnuts so I don't know about AC growing in other soils. Chestnuts have to have a well drained soil that will not get thick or water logged. Because a chestnut is high in carbohydrate a soil that retains moisture will hurt the success.

If you use miracle grow, I would want a soil that doesn't have moisture retaining crystals. I would also add perlite to the growing media.

My ACs grew well but I made some bad choices and hurt them by not moving them up into root pouches. Now I use root pouches to upsize stuff. I like their price and how they manage the heat.

You might add vermiculite to that miracle grow soil in addition to the perlite for chestnuts and AC.

I hope I answered your questions.

 

[wbpdeer]

DogDoc,

Soil additives:





These will improve aeration, drainage and reduce compaction (what I call thick soil).

 

[dogdoc]

I've got big bags of both of those so I will add a little extra to the potting mix.

thanks for all the help guys
todd

 

[TreeDaddy]

home depot carries 2.8-3.8 L bags of peat, perlite,vermiculite,and pine mulch
I mix at 4:2:2:2 ratio (TreeDaddy blend) for i gallon root pouch/RBIIs

Pro mix Bx for 18s

bill