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Anyone ever grown an oak tree from an acorn
Posted on 9/22/17 at 10:09 am
Posted on 9/22/17 at 10:09 am
Wanted to tap into the OB's infinite wisdom and get some advise on growing oak trees from acorns. The internet will cover you up with (sometimes conflicting) information. Figured I would check here to see if anyone had any experience/pointers. Thanks in advance
PS. I know growing from saplings would be easier but there are some big beautiful oaks at my parents house that my great grandfather planted. I think it would be cool to try and grow trees from them.
PS. I know growing from saplings would be easier but there are some big beautiful oaks at my parents house that my great grandfather planted. I think it would be cool to try and grow trees from them.
Posted on 9/22/17 at 10:13 am to ctowntiger
quote:
I know growing from saplings would be easier but there are some big beautiful oaks at my parents house that my great grandfather planted. I think it would be cool to try and grow trees from them.
Can you just dig up some saplings from around those tress?
As to the acorn, it's doable. There is all kinds of stuff about freezing them, etc. I think if you just leave it outside in a shed, it's sprout the following spring if you put it in dirt.
Do a bunch of them. Not all will sprout, and you can cull from the ones that do to select the healthiest, most vigorous saplings of the bunch.
Posted on 9/22/17 at 10:15 am to ctowntiger
I have a pecan tree growing in a pot right now by accident. We think a squirrel hid it in the pot and it sprouted. Pretty much did no work on this, except move it to a larger pot. I need to plant it in the ground, but I don't really have the room in my yard.
Posted on 9/22/17 at 10:23 am to Clyde Tipton
quote:
Can you just dig up some saplings from around those tress?
I haven't been able to find any. There are azaleas at the bases of the trees. I'm guessing the acorns fall in there then don't get enough light,soil,water to survive
Posted on 9/22/17 at 10:31 am to ctowntiger
I'm with Clyde, just plant a bunch so you can cull them. Make sure they're in a container deep enough to allow for a good tap root to grow. 5 gallon buckets would be fine until the trees are at least a year old, just drill holes so they will drain. It's best to sprout them in the larger container so that you don't stress them out by transplanting, forget about them and let them outgrow the small containers, etc. Use good garden soil that will drain, and don't over do it on fertilizer.
Posted on 9/22/17 at 10:35 am to ctowntiger
I mow down samplings that sprout from acorns around my oak trees all the time. I'm thinking it would be pretty easy to grown one.
Posted on 9/22/17 at 10:37 am to LSUballs
Last April there were 100 saplings in my backyard. It was incredible
Posted on 9/22/17 at 10:48 am to ctowntiger
I hope you are young, cause it's gonna be 15 years before you have a decent tree.
This post was edited on 9/22/17 at 10:49 am
Posted on 9/22/17 at 10:59 am to ctowntiger
I have an old farm truck that doesn't get much use. Had some mulch in the bed and a tire, and it was parked under an oak tree. There are now a ton of oak sprouts. I'll try to get a picture. They can't be that hard to grow.
Posted on 9/22/17 at 11:07 am to toni_the_tigress
Funny story. My mom went to Arlington Cemetery many years ago during the fall. She noticed huge acorns on the ground and for whatever reason picked up a couple an put them in her pocket.
The next year when she put on her coat she pulled out the forgotten acorns and they had all sprouted roots.
Without thought, she threw them away. Years later, she said, "I don't know what I was thinking. I should have planted those."
The next year when she put on her coat she pulled out the forgotten acorns and they had all sprouted roots.
Without thought, she threw them away. Years later, she said, "I don't know what I was thinking. I should have planted those."
Posted on 9/22/17 at 11:17 am to ctowntiger
I have about twenty small oaks growing at my house in pots. Shumard, Swamp chestnut, and sawtooth. All from acorns I collected. Plan on planting them this winter on some family property. More of an experiment/project. I planted three sawtooths from acorns I collected three years ago on the property, but one of the three made it so far. One wilted, and the other was run over. The swamp chestnut starts sprouting when they hit the ground, but the other two I kept in a opened ziploc in the fridge until Spring and then planted in pots to sprout.
Posted on 9/22/17 at 11:19 am to ctowntiger
I have. Grew 31 from acorns. Gave 10 away when 1 year old. Still have 21 left which I will have to transplant into larger containers or plant in ground this winter.
I used seeding soil to start. Then I planted the sprouted seeds into potting soil. I used Miracle Grow liquid to fertilize. They grew quickly and strong.
Here is a good source of info:
LINK
I used seeding soil to start. Then I planted the sprouted seeds into potting soil. I used Miracle Grow liquid to fertilize. They grew quickly and strong.
Here is a good source of info:
LINK
This post was edited on 9/22/17 at 1:16 pm
Posted on 9/22/17 at 11:32 am to cajuncarguy
My son had a baseball tournament in AR a few weeks ago. at the park they had a couple of oak trees which I think (based on internet search) are Turkey oaks.
Never heard of them but pretty trees and really neat acorns.
Picked up several acorns and will try to grow them.
I learned here that you can put the acorns in water and the ones that sink are the good ones.
If they float throw them away.
Never heard of them but pretty trees and really neat acorns.
Picked up several acorns and will try to grow them.
I learned here that you can put the acorns in water and the ones that sink are the good ones.
If they float throw them away.
Posted on 9/22/17 at 12:27 pm to bbvdd
Biggest problem with growing trees from acorns is that they will be two years behind whatever you would have planted as a sapling.
Put acorns in a vegetable garden or a flower bed and germination appear to exceed 100%!
Put acorns in a vegetable garden or a flower bed and germination appear to exceed 100%!
Posted on 9/22/17 at 12:37 pm to ctowntiger
Have a saw tooth oak tree in my backyard that my pappaw planted ~30 years ago as a acorn. We rake up all the acorns in the fall and put in buckets to dump under our feeders on the lease.
Posted on 9/22/17 at 12:50 pm to Clyde Tipton
It would have been really cool to have an oak tree with genes from Arlington.
Posted on 9/22/17 at 1:03 pm to ctowntiger
I did when I was a kid. I used to dig up small ones that had sprouted from the ground and it got me curious to grow one. I actually started a whole bunch in styrofoam cups. I don't remember what I did with most, but one of them was planted in my backyard near a small garden. It survived and grew to be about 3 inched in diameter by the time I moved out my mom and dad's house. I happened to notice it about a year ago and talked with my mom about it. It is probably 10 inches in diameter now.
Posted on 9/22/17 at 2:46 pm to ctowntiger
Yes. Collect good acorns now. Put them in a moist paper towel and put them in a ziplock bag. Leave a crack in the bag. Put it in the fridge over winter. In spring plant them. I did this a few years back. Got about 30 trees to come up. They sure took forever though. Down to 4 or 5 now just because I got lazy. Need to transplant them this winter.
Posted on 9/22/17 at 3:52 pm to ctowntiger
I start acorns in coffee cups every year. I planted my first live oak from a seed in 2004. I now have a swing hanging from that tree. If the acorn floats chunk it, other than that give it time.
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