Direct seeding acorns

[Hardwood11]

I have direct seeded many white oak and bur oak acorns on my properties over the years, with good success. I would like to try red oak acorn, but I have read that you need to store them in a cooler for a period of time. Can anyone give me some advice on the preferred method of storing(temperature, amount of time, any other tips) and then direct seeding red oak acorns??

 

[dbltree]

I have direct seeded many white oak and bur oak acorns on my properties over the years, with good success. I would like to try red oak acorn, but I have read that you need to store them in a cooler for a period of time. Can anyone give me some advice on the preferred method of storing(temperature, amount of time, any other tips) and then direct seeding red oak acorns??

We have a good bit of information on this subject in the tree planting thread and I just posted more on the last page:

Tree Planting

There are links and videos discussing the subject of direct seeding acorns and here is a sample that should answer your question to some extent:

Acorns of red oak species should be stored with their moisture contents at 30 percent or higher in temperatures near, but above, freezing (34?F to 40?F). Air-tight storage is lethal, so containers must allow some gas exchange with the atmosphere while maintaining high acorn moisture levels Polyethylene bags with a wall thickness of 4 to 10 mils are good. For large quantities of acorns, storage can be in drums, cans, or boxes with polyethylene bag liners. Container tops and liners should not be completely closed; this will allow sufficient gas exchange. If water collects in the bottoms of storage containers, it should be drained from acorns intended for storage longer than over winter.

 

[letemgrow]

You don't have to store them, you can plant them out in the fall where you want them. They just will not germinate until spring time since they need the cold moist temps to break dormancy.

 

[JEG]

Letemgrow is correct, the only reason you need to store them wet and cool is if you cant get them in the ground right away after they drop. We stored ours in gunny sacks after letting them soak in a barrel of water for 24hrs then stored in a walk in cooler until planting time. Didnt plant until November worked great.