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Planting Trees from seed (HELP)

turtlshell

turtlshell

PMA Member
I harvested a couple pocket fulls of acorns this fall, but didn't make time to put them in the ground before it frosted hard/froze.

Anyone know if pluggin them into the ground in early spring will work?

Any advice on what to do? I've read some things, but most information says to put them in before winter so they can go through the freeze/thaw cycle. Should I just put them in the freezer and wait til March?
 
Afraid you are out of luck. Acorns have to be kept moist and in a cooler to keep them viable. They should always be planted in the fall. Some are hardier than others but I'm afraid you won't have much luck getting them to grow in the spring. Think of how nature plants them. Squirrels put them in the ground as soon as they fall. They stay moist and cool all fall and then go through several freeze thaw cycles.
 
Depends on what type of oak. I wouldn't give up. While white oaks are best planted in the fall, they can still be planted late winter or early spring, the sooner, the better. Most black and red oaks need to cold stratify before planting and are better maintained and prepped during the winter in the refrigerator, rather than in Mother Nature, before planting in late winter. You will have a higher germination success rate by going that route.
 
I stand corrected. I checked with One-Stop Forestry. They do all their nut seedings in the fall, but red oak family acorns can be planted in the spring. If you have let them dry out they will probably be no good though. They need to be kept cool and moist to stay viable.
 
They are white-oak acorns. I have had them in the refrigerator since I grabbed them.

I like that 'think of how mother nature does it' comment. SO TRUE.

I'll have to be more active next fall. I'll still monkey with this years collection and see what comes of it. If they don't work, I'm not really out anything.

Thanks for the help.
 
I found some HUGE acorns while hunting this fall. They were the size of my thumb. I picked up a pocket full of them. When I got home, I noticed every one of them had a worm hole. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif I'll have to go back next year and be more selective.
 
The ones I grabbed were rather large, which inticed me to pick up two pockets full. I didn't look them over too close, but did notice a couple of them were cracked.

I hear ya on about the "next year" comment.

If I plant them now, by the time I retire, I might be able to hunt out of them...
 
I have some 5? year old (not sure how old the bare root trees were when planted) swamp oaks that were planted in a windbreak that had acorns this year. I was shocked. Not near big enough to hunt out of but at least providing mast.
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Swamp white oaks are really fast growing for an oak. I had some bareroot seedlings grow out of a 5 ft. tube in one year. They don't have to planted in a swamp either.
 
I have planted quite a few swamp white oak over the years and agree that they are a great tree. They are quite fast growing and can produce acorns very early. They seem to be fairly consistent in acorn production but don't always produce very many acorns. I have several in my yard where they make a great shade and specimen tree.
 
I guess i will add to the hi jack. We planted Swamp Oaks last year as well and they really took off. no mast on ours but plenty of growth.
 
Do the swamps provide a palatable meal for deer? like a regular white oak? I would assume so, but I know the black and red oaks aren't as desireable to deer because they're bitter. The deer will eat them though, but usually after the white oak mast has been devoured.
 
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