dbltree
Super Moderator
I fall planted acorns this past year for the first time but had very low success rates compared to nearly 95% success in my Rootmakers with cold stored acorns, spring planted acorns.
Growth rate is also very dramatic as you can see in these pics.
This is a fall planted Dwarf Chinkapin Oak seedling
These are from the same acorns, stored in the fridge over winter and planted in Rootmakers in March.
I used a small trowel to plant some of the Rootmaker seedlings and to use for a comparison in the pics
Fall planted DCO
Rootmaker DCO seedling
This is the root system when pulled from the Rootmaker container
Very simple to plant compared to a long straggly bare root seedling that one has to stuff down a small hole! I just used a small trowel and opened up a hole and planted the neat little package in seconds.
This is a DCO I planted last spring from Okios but I think I burned it with gly and Oust because I didn't get it sprayed until after it leafed out.
This is an Okios DCO unsprayed
I had used a weed mat on that one just to give them a try, held in place with a couple pieces of wood.
Weed mats are cost prohibitive (at least for me) to use on a large scale compared to herbicides but they could be useful when planting a handful of oak seedlings in a hinge cut area that you prefer not to return to for spraying.
Big Rock Trees carries Rootmaker products
Oikos Tree Crops carries hybrid and regular oak seedlings and acorns along with weed mats, root gels and other planting aids.
I don't want to suggest that fall planting acorns is not a successful planting method because many people have good luck with it but for me I am sold on using the Rootmakers and storing the acorns for spring planting. The Rootmakers air prune the roots and encourage rapid growth that will continue for the life of the tree making it worth while to both plant early producing hybrid oaks but get them started with a method that will enhance rapid growth over all other trees.
I tubed these seedlings so I'm curious how they will compare, will the fall planted seedling catch up, will the Rootmaker seedlings out grow/out produce normally grown seedlings?
Time will tell....
Growth rate is also very dramatic as you can see in these pics.
This is a fall planted Dwarf Chinkapin Oak seedling
These are from the same acorns, stored in the fridge over winter and planted in Rootmakers in March.
I used a small trowel to plant some of the Rootmaker seedlings and to use for a comparison in the pics
Fall planted DCO
Rootmaker DCO seedling
This is the root system when pulled from the Rootmaker container
Very simple to plant compared to a long straggly bare root seedling that one has to stuff down a small hole! I just used a small trowel and opened up a hole and planted the neat little package in seconds.
This is a DCO I planted last spring from Okios but I think I burned it with gly and Oust because I didn't get it sprayed until after it leafed out.
This is an Okios DCO unsprayed
I had used a weed mat on that one just to give them a try, held in place with a couple pieces of wood.
Weed mats are cost prohibitive (at least for me) to use on a large scale compared to herbicides but they could be useful when planting a handful of oak seedlings in a hinge cut area that you prefer not to return to for spraying.
Big Rock Trees carries Rootmaker products
Oikos Tree Crops carries hybrid and regular oak seedlings and acorns along with weed mats, root gels and other planting aids.
I don't want to suggest that fall planting acorns is not a successful planting method because many people have good luck with it but for me I am sold on using the Rootmakers and storing the acorns for spring planting. The Rootmakers air prune the roots and encourage rapid growth that will continue for the life of the tree making it worth while to both plant early producing hybrid oaks but get them started with a method that will enhance rapid growth over all other trees.
I tubed these seedlings so I'm curious how they will compare, will the fall planted seedling catch up, will the Rootmaker seedlings out grow/out produce normally grown seedlings?
Time will tell....
letemgrow
PMA Member
I am curious to see how well the direct planted/rootmaker seedlings end up looking like 5-10 years from now too. Rootmakers for sure make it easier to care for the seedlings over direct planted. Direct planted requires less work to plant an acorn an inch deep, tube then spray to get them started.
Your Oikos DCO's look far different than the ones I have for some reason?? The leaves on my seedlings are much bigger, maybe that means are better site for them or who knows??
Oikos DCO I posted just above also. This came from the order we split Paul.
Your Oikos DCO's look far different than the ones I have for some reason?? The leaves on my seedlings are much bigger, maybe that means are better site for them or who knows??
Oikos DCO I posted just above also. This came from the order we split Paul.
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
oaks
As stated on Qdma.com, I have had fair to good luck on fall planted acorns. Squirrels do get their share, same with walnuts.
The best luck that I have had it to pop them in the ground in the fall in areas not frequented by squirrel traffic. Then I check next year, and I usually find enough survivors to put tubes around. Once the tube is established the small bur oaks grow fairly fast, probably twice to three times as fast than without a tube.
I found quite a few natural oaks growing in an overgrown pasture. I am sure they had been browsed down by cattle for many years. I put a tube on the stunted oaks and now they are really taking off. (Of course it helps that we have had plenty of rain and some heat!!)
Thanks for the tip on that, probably the best way to establish oaks is finding the natural ones and taking care of them.
As stated on Qdma.com, I have had fair to good luck on fall planted acorns. Squirrels do get their share, same with walnuts.
The best luck that I have had it to pop them in the ground in the fall in areas not frequented by squirrel traffic. Then I check next year, and I usually find enough survivors to put tubes around. Once the tube is established the small bur oaks grow fairly fast, probably twice to three times as fast than without a tube.
I found quite a few natural oaks growing in an overgrown pasture. I am sure they had been browsed down by cattle for many years. I put a tube on the stunted oaks and now they are really taking off. (Of course it helps that we have had plenty of rain and some heat!!)
Thanks for the tip on that, probably the best way to establish oaks is finding the natural ones and taking care of them.
letemgrow
PMA Member
It is a tool to use what is already there, no reason to plant an oak species that is already present unless the tree has something special (produces tons of acorns, fast growth etc).
I use it quite a bit, after doing some TSI, hinging etc I find lots of goodies that pop up and it is much easier work to just cage them since there was no prep work needs for them. :drink2:
letemgrow
PMA Member
Dug up a bunch of concordia oaks in June or July last year, the key is to get the soil ball and all so it does not break apart as bare root trees will not do well in this heat all leafed out.
Here is a pic of them after transplanting to rootmakers.
The day I pulled them out, the lady I got them from had most dug up when I arrived. Just make sure you dig down to a v and go about a foot deep or as deep as possible to get as much tap root as you can. :way:
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
oaks
Letemgrow: Where do you get all of those cheaper plastic pots? Is there a place that sells them in bulk, reasonably priced? I have 100+, but would like to order some more, and most nurseries, chain stores do not carry them.
Letemgrow: Where do you get all of those cheaper plastic pots? Is there a place that sells them in bulk, reasonably priced? I have 100+, but would like to order some more, and most nurseries, chain stores do not carry them.
letemgrow
PMA Member
The lady that owned the concordia oaks had those pots ready for me so I just paid her for them. I believe they came from wal-mart, but I would not grow seedlings in those pots as they do not prevent root circling.
Get some rootmaker bags/trays instead IMHO.
Big Rock Trees sells them and they are on this forum as a vendor. :way:
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
oaks
Letemgrow: I usually only pot seedlings from spring until fall, you don't think a 2 gallon pot would work for that? It seems to have worked for me in the past, but maybe I am missing something.
Letemgrow: I usually only pot seedlings from spring until fall, you don't think a 2 gallon pot would work for that? It seems to have worked for me in the past, but maybe I am missing something.
letemgrow
PMA Member
They can work, just make sure when you plant the seedlings the roots are not circled around the pot. If you break them up they should do fine that way. :way:
dbltree
Super Moderator
Ok...so planting trees near the first of July does seem borderline insane I will admit but since we have already saturated soils here in Iowa I decided to try planting more of the Rootmaker grown seedlings and see how they do.
The Rootmaker planted acorns have now developed very dense root systems and unlike bareroot seedlings are self contained in their own root ball so to speak and given normal soil moisture should survive just fine.
I had planted acorns last fall and protected them with short tubes, some of which ccontained new seedlings
Many more however did not so I picked up the small tubes and replaced them with a Rootmaker grown hybrid oak or chestnut seedling and a Protex tube marked withthe name of the hybrid and date planted.
I took care to pack the clay soil over the top of the root ball to prevent drying
and then used some of the loose soil to seal the bottom of the tube itself
I had already sprayed Oust XP and simazine this spring and all that remains is the Big Bluestem, oblivious to either of those herbicides!
I planted a dozen trees at the beginning of our first full week without rain since April 24th so I'll see how these do before planting anymore but i really think with normal summer rainfall they will do just fine....
The Rootmaker planted acorns have now developed very dense root systems and unlike bareroot seedlings are self contained in their own root ball so to speak and given normal soil moisture should survive just fine.
I had planted acorns last fall and protected them with short tubes, some of which ccontained new seedlings
Many more however did not so I picked up the small tubes and replaced them with a Rootmaker grown hybrid oak or chestnut seedling and a Protex tube marked withthe name of the hybrid and date planted.
I took care to pack the clay soil over the top of the root ball to prevent drying
and then used some of the loose soil to seal the bottom of the tube itself
I had already sprayed Oust XP and simazine this spring and all that remains is the Big Bluestem, oblivious to either of those herbicides!
I planted a dozen trees at the beginning of our first full week without rain since April 24th so I'll see how these do before planting anymore but i really think with normal summer rainfall they will do just fine....
letemgrow
PMA Member
C-mon!! What are you feedin' those things!
I call it proper seed placement. :way:This is an area that had northern red oaks in it so I knew it was a favored site and it is where they get morning sun and afternoon shade so they are not baked. Also a great site for my chestnuts as some are with 20 yards of this tree. I did use some osmocote fertilizer and this seedling is an acorn off of this tree. Look at all those acorns it had last year and the tree is about 15 feet tall!!! Maybe it is just a very vigorous seedling...I sure hope so anyways.
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Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
Oaks
Oaks on steroids! This year has been one of the best for growing oaks. We have had consistent rains of 1-2 inches one week, 2-3 inches the next, then some nice sunny days. Perfect year for growing oaks, much better than the previous 4-5 years, which had terrible dry stretches that killed a lot of my young oak trees!
Oaks on steroids! This year has been one of the best for growing oaks. We have had consistent rains of 1-2 inches one week, 2-3 inches the next, then some nice sunny days. Perfect year for growing oaks, much better than the previous 4-5 years, which had terrible dry stretches that killed a lot of my young oak trees!
letemgrow
PMA Member
This year has been for sure been great, they are now getting enough dry spells to spread their roots, but also getting enough rains to really keep pouring on the growth. :way: