Acorns to Oaks!

[letemgrow]

I was wondering when the sources from the first page of this thread normally have this years crop of acorns for sale. I am interested in some DCO and some burgambel for sure. Anything else I should try in north central Nebraska? Several red and white oaks currently on my property and have planted swamp, white, and more red oak. Thanks guys.

The NE state arborteum sells DCO acorns in the fall...if they can collect enough and it would be the closest native source for you that I know of. Give this guy a call and tell him Phil sent ya.

Robert Henrickson
402-472-7855

 

[SDHunt24/7]

The NE state arborteum sells DCO acorns in the fall...if they can collect enough and it would be the closest native source for you that I know of. Give this guy a call and tell him Phil sent ya.

Robert Henrickson
402-472-7855

Thanks Phil! I will give him a call. Truly appreciate how helpful you and Dbltree have been.

 

[DH1]

- Thanks dbltree for the feedback the oak seedlings.
- I noticed last week that Idaho St Unv nursery had their oak hybrid seedlings available for this fall or next spring, for anyone who’s considering that option. Last year by the time I got around to it they were already sold out.
- They also have some other shrubs / browse that would be of interest for someone looking to diversify for habitat range (serviceberry, snowberry, chokecherry)

 

[DH1]

For some of the browse stuff I mentioned earlier, the link below was useful. This research paper is TMI for sure, but some of the appendexes are easy enough to make sense of.

https://files.me.com/ecologicalsolutions/llmg2j

 

[bowman]

Guys, if this has already been covered I apologise. Can you pick the acorns from the tree or do you have to wait until they fall. I have my eye on a very nice, but young, swamp white oak that has acorns within reach. I'm cheking it every other day but the acorns still look pretty green. Can I just reach up an pick them or should I wait for mother nature? Another question, will the late dropping trait cary on with trees grown by these acorns (no signs of dropping on September 23rd) or will it drop earlier as the tree matures?

Thanks again!:way:

 

[dbltree]

Guys, if this has already been covered I apologize. Can you pick the acorns from the tree or do you have to wait until they fall. I have my eye on a very nice, but young, swamp white oak that has acorns within reach. I'm checking it every other day but the acorns still look pretty green. Can I just reach up an pick them or should I wait for mother nature? Another question, will the late dropping trait carry on with trees grown by these acorns (no signs of dropping on September 23rd) or will it drop earlier as the tree matures?

Thanks again!:way:

I always wait til they fall but I don't let them dry out either! I'm not sure it would hurt anything if the acorns were starting to fall, if you picked some from the tree but I really don't know for certain?

I expect that the later drop date would hold tree as the tree matures and that a high percentage of the seedlings may follow suit...:way:

 

[DWilk]

I always wait til they fall but I don't let them dry out either! I'm not sure it would hurt anything if the acorns were starting to fall, if you picked some from the tree but I really don't know for certain?

I expect that the later drop date would hold tree as the tree matures and that a high percentage of the seedlings may follow suit...:way:

If the tree is small enough, try shaking it and see if any detach. If nothing falls, you may be early. Swamp white drops a little later than many of the oaks. I believe there is a small genetic role associated with holding the acorns on individual trees, but it also has some to do with the age of the tree and other environmental factors.

My advice... shake the heck out of the tree; if acorns fall, pluck away, if not, wait a little while.

 

[bowman]

If the tree is small enough, try shaking it and see if any detach. If nothing falls, you may be early. Swamp white drops a little later than many of the oaks. I believe there is a small genetic role associated with holding the acorns on individual trees, but it also has some to do with the age of the tree and other environmental factors.

My advice... shake the heck out of the tree; if acorns fall, pluck away, if not, wait a little while.

Will do, thanks!!

 

[letemgrow]

I pick them from the tree....if they pull easily out of the cap. If not, wait till they do and its the best way to get really fresh acorns. If they are starting to turn color, I pick away at will if they are still on the tree.

Dwilk as gave a great option. Shaking the tree will let you know what is ready and the swamp white seem to drop later than most white oaks at least in my area.

 

[dbltree]

Good time to be observing and watching for the most prolific oak trees in your area and scooping up some "seed" for either direct seeding this fall or starting in Rootmakers next spring.

We came across this young white oak that was laden with acorns!

Deer had been scarfing them up but we found a few to store for next spring!

We also found some burr oaks...

Ground covered with hulls

and the trees loaded

I had stuck a cam there earlier unaware there was even and oak tree there and the card was full from all the action!

Burr oaks are usually not considered the favored acorn compared to other white oak species but every tree we came across had few acorns left for us to scoop up!

Pic of burr oak leaves

and bark

I have had the best luck storing the acorns in a ziploc bag in some damp peat moss (Miracle Gro potting soil) but some prefer a lunch sack or some such but all stored in the fridge for the winter...pick up a dozen or hundreds and get some seedlings started next spring... :way:

 

[Hardwood11]

Bur Oaks

Deer and turkey absolutely love bur oak acorns in my area. We had a bumper crop and I had over 200 pictures of deer on my camera below a big bur oak tree in one week. No big bucks though

 

[dtr]

The deer on my farm really like the burr oak acorns too. I have one burr oak that seems like it produces a bumper crop of acorns every year and the deer are there everyday. For some reason the burr oaks on my farm seem to produce a lot more acorns than the white oaks. Nots sure why?

 

[letemgrow]

The deer on my farm really like the burr oak acorns too. I have one burr oak that seems like it produces a bumper crop of acorns every year and the deer are there everyday. For some reason the burr oaks on my farm seem to produce a lot more acorns than the white oaks. Nots sure why?

Could be many reasons as to why the burs are out producing the white oaks...are they possible hybrids? White oaks are also notorious for heavy crops about once every 3-4 years and that is it in some cases. The white oaks produce just as well as the bur oaks on my place and have had heavy crops at least every other year over the past 7 years.

 

[DWilk]

Could be many reasons as to why the burs are out producing the white oaks...are they possible hybrids? White oaks are also notorious for heavy crops about once every 3-4 years and that is it in some cases. The white oaks produce just as well as the bur oaks on my place and have had heavy crops at least every other year over the past 7 years.

Generally, burs produce large crops at more even intervals than white oaks (every 2-3 years for bur, and every 3-5 for white). While that will vary to some extent (weather plays a big role, etc.), generally speaking, burs are more consistent. A good white oak crop is always a good thing :way:

 

[letemgrow]

A good white oak crop is always a good thing :way:

Tell me about it, there is one white oak next to my parents house that has been loaded 3 out of the last 4 years and it is a deer magnet! The other year it had acorns still, but not a whole pile of them. The other mature white oaks do not compare when it comes to producing like this one year in and year out.

The deer sure learn quick and gobble up those acorns on the ground since I spray the grass around that tree to make it easier to pick up the acorns for planting....the deer are just as lazy as me.

 

[Hardwood11]

Oaks

After seeing the acorns draw in deer and turkey to my farms this year, I'll be planting even more oaks in the future. We plant a minimum of 100 every year, and a bunch of acorns. I still run in to landowners that claim that oaks..."take to long to grow" or "do not produce acorns for 50 years"...they are simply missing out!

 

[letemgrow]

After seeing the acorns draw in deer and turkey to my farms this year, I'll be planting even more oaks in the future. We plant a minimum of 100 every year, and a bunch of acorns. I still run in to landowners that claim that oaks..."take to long to grow" or "do not produce acorns for 50 years"...they are simply missing out!

They also used to believe in only shooting bucks and to shoot all spikes.

 

[bulldogger55]

preventing deer browse on existing plantings

I have 10 acres of tree plots on my South Dakota farm. The plantings are in their 4th year and the deer browse on my bur oaks is incredible. I am going to replace about 100 trees that didn't make it and I plan on using tree tubes on them. My question is can I use tubes on the existing trees that are about 3' tall and have been browsed heavily already. Most of the oaks are now fairly "bushy" and I am just wondering if they would respond to being constricted to a tube.

 

[letemgrow]

I have 10 acres of tree plots on my South Dakota farm. The plantings are in their 4th year and the deer browse on my bur oaks is incredible. I am going to replace about 100 trees that didn't make it and I plan on using tree tubes on them. My question is can I use tubes on the existing trees that are about 3' tall and have been browsed heavily already. Most of the oaks are now fairly "bushy" and I am just wondering if they would respond to being constricted to a tube.

They will shoot up in growth big time if you put a tube on them. May want to trim up the trees back to a central leader.

 

[dbltree]

I have 10 acres of tree plots on my South Dakota farm. The plantings are in their 4th year and the deer browse on my bur oaks is incredible. I am going to replace about 100 trees that didn't make it and I plan on using tree tubes on them. My question is can I use tubes on the existing trees that are about 3' tall and have been browsed heavily already. Most of the oaks are now fairly "bushy" and I am just wondering if they would respond to being constricted to a tube.

Tubes will definitely help and we have done the same thing with some of our heavily browsed oaks...if you can get the tube over the tree at this point.

Another option if need be is to cut the tree off at the ground and then install the tube and the tree will send up a new sprout and your off to the races again. This is generally the option foresters in my area recommend when trees have been heavily damaged by bucks rubbing the tree.