Acorns to Oaks!

[dbltree]

The bur x swamp white oak hybrid supposedly grows on any soil, according to a nursery owner. I have some planted on sandy soil and good loam soil and they are doing well so far (but we have had ample amounts of rain). Anyone have any bur/swamp white hybrids that are growing fast and/or producing acorns on medium to poor soils?

Thanks.

My "poor" soils are all clay subsoils but poor nonetheless and all of my hybrids and especially the bur/SWO hybrids thrive. No sandy soils around here though...

 

[huntdoc]

I have been checking every few weeks and bags appear to still have moist soil, no mold that I can tell. How long before I need to start potting the acorns?

 

[letemgrow]

I pot them in late March or so...whenever it starts to warm up.

 

[dbltree]

I pot them in late March or so...whenever it starts to warm up.

I started mine indoors in early March just because that was an option for me but some folks wait til early April.

Looking forward to getting mine started again...pretty cool watching those babies pop up!

 

[letemgrow]

I started mine indoors in early March just because that was an option for me but some folks wait til early April.

Looking forward to getting mine started again...pretty cool watching those babies pop up!

It can be addicting thats for sure!! :way:

 

[OHIOshedder]

Exciting news, my first acorns are starting to sprout. I collected almost every available member of the white oak family this past fall. I refrigerated most for 1-2 months then planted a few of each in containers (tallest styrofoam coffee cups I could find). I've been watering them 1x week and went to check tonight and 2 of my sawtooths have sprouted. Now trying to figure out what to do since we have several inches of snow and several weeks of sub freezing temps til spring. I'm going to place them in a south facing window sill, but got a feeling they need more sunlight....

 

[letemgrow]

Exciting news, my first acorns are starting to sprout. I collected almost every available member of the white oak family this past fall. I refrigerated most for 1-2 months then planted a few of each in containers (tallest styrofoam coffee cups I could find). I've been watering them 1x week and went to check tonight and 2 of my sawtooths have sprouted. Now trying to figure out what to do since we have several inches of snow and several weeks of sub freezing temps til spring. I'm going to place them in a south facing window sill, but got a feeling they need more sunlight....

I have a feeling by May or whenever its warm enough to plant them outsdie, those roots will have circled big time in the cups. Your best bet is to pull out the rootball and cut the circled roots.

 

[sethgade280]

I planted some white acorns i picked up this fall into pots. I watered them all fall and then forgot to grab them when it snowed. they are still outside. Will they still grow this year? I figuared in nature they sit outside buried in the snow and frigid temps so they would be alright. I guess i should have brought them inside for the winter, or will i be fine yet??

 

[letemgrow]

I planted some white acorns i picked up this fall into pots. I watered them all fall and then forgot to grab them when it snowed. they are still outside. Will they still grow this year? I figuared in nature they sit outside buried in the snow and frigid temps so they would be alright. I guess i should have brought them inside for the winter, or will i be fine yet??

I bet they are toast, I have yet to get an acorn to grow left out in a pot all winter, being planted in the ground is not quite the same when it comes to temp. The pot freezes much harder than the ground. Keep us posted tho. :way:

 

[sethgade280]

Thats what i fig'rd. Thanks for the input.

 

[OHIOshedder]

I have a feeling by May or whenever its warm enough to plant them outsdie, those roots will have circled big time in the cups. Your best bet is to pull out the rootball and cut the circled roots.

Are you saying to pull them now and trim root, or let the rootball continue to grow over the next 3+months and then trim and plant. If I trim the young root now, won't they die? I might be able to gather enough topsoil to plant a few of them in 4-5 gallon buckets, but not sure how much indoor light I can provide for such big indoor pots.

 

[letemgrow]

Are you saying to pull them now and trim root, or let the rootball continue to grow over the next 3+months and then trim and plant. If I trim the young root now, won't they die? I might be able to gather enough topsoil to plant a few of them in 4-5 gallon buckets, but not sure how much indoor light I can provide for such big indoor pots.

I would trim them soon, oaks have big taproots so they need to be trimmed. If the rootball pulls up easily and the soil stays attached, its time to prune the roots to keep them from circling and killing the tree later on in life. Some pics of the rootball sure would help.

If the seedling is 4 inches tall, you can guarantee it has at least that much taproot to go with it....if not more.

 

[OHIOshedder]

Thanks for the tip. My english oaks and my first gamble oak started to sprout overnight too. I'm about to have oak seedlings coming out my ears, wish I would have left them in the fridge longer before trying to get a head start on planting.

 

[letemgrow]

Thanks for the tip. My english oaks and my first gamble oak started to sprout overnight too. I'm about to have oak seedlings coming out my ears, wish I would have left them in the fridge longer before trying to get a head start on planting.

I learned the hard way too, now all mine are still left in the fridge and will be till I can plant them out in trays or their permanent location. :way:

If you have the right setup, it can be fairly easy to grow inside. Start with some rootmaker trays or other air root pruning trays and they will last quite a while there till you can plant them outside. Then you may have to get them acclimated to the outside before leaving them out full time.

 

[huntdoc]

I am not seeing any roots or shoots from my acorns. Is there any testing I should do for viability before I plant? I did the sink test before I put them in the frig last fall. Getting ready to order pots and just worried I am not going to get any starts...

 

[letemgrow]

I am not seeing any roots or shoots from my acorns. Is there any testing I should do for viability before I plant? I did the sink test before I put them in the frig last fall. Getting ready to order pots and just worried I am not going to get any starts...

Do they look like this at least?? The root radicle is starting to emerge on mine, but the cold temps in the fridge are keeping them at bay for the most part. These are northern red oak acorns that have started to germinate.

 

[huntdoc]

I don't see any changes yet. I may get them all out to look and add a little more water. If they fail, I guess there is always next year! Just curious how many acorns you put back last fall?

 

[letemgrow]

I don't see any changes yet. I may get them all out to look and add a little more water. If they fail, I guess there is always next year! Just curious how many acorns you put back last fall?

More than I can count

A few hundred probably of various species. All of them have the radicals starting to form which shows they are still viable. Here are some whitexbur oak acorns I got that are the same way.

 

[dbltree]

Just a reminder to check on your acorns in storage, makes sure there is no mold going on and the acorns are moist and not drying out.

Couple of red oak acorns that look alive and well

These are just a few i picked up and tossed in the fridge as an afterthought...no peat moss or anything!

The white oak acorns are a mass of roots now!

This is a Dwarf Chinkapin

I'll probably start these inside in mid March in the Rootmaker cells...whole lot less expensive then buying seedlings! :way:

 

[letemgrow]

What temp is your fridge running at Paul?? My white oak acorns NEVER put out roots like that in the fridge, I store them in a bottom drawer that is just above freezing to right at freezing. It seems to keep everything alive and not growing.