Acorn to Oak Tree Contest Rules Discussion

[Hack Yeah!]

I've been wanting to try some Valley Oaks if anyone would be willing to send some acorns to me in GA. I'd also pay for some seedlings stuffed into a flat rate box. Could trade acer rubrum seedlings, trident seedlings. Trident seeds or maybe water oak acorns. PM if interested

 

[August]

Count me in!

 

[Yamabudoudanshi]

Yes, Yes, Yes!
I did Konara from the local park last year, but I can collect more this year too.
I'm thinking a clump could be lovely.
I'm in!

 

[Nybonsai12]

I mean I collect acorns every masting year and try to get em to sprout to plant all over….but these are white oak I think and terrible for bonsai. Shame as there are a million in my yard. This was after 15 min of collecting.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I mean I collect acorns every masting year and try to get em to sprout to plant all over….but these are white oak I think and terrible for bonsai. Shame as there are a million in my yard. This was after 15 min of collecting.

Prove everyone wrong!!

 

[sevan]

I collected some southern live oak acorns this morning. My last attempt was a complete failure, but I'll try again. I'll also be gathering some water oak acorns and keeping an eye out for other interesting varieties. I know I can get pin oak and overcup oak in my neighborhood, but I don't plan to. I'm not sure what else I have locally.

 

[Maiden69]

@Gabler they are "evergreen" oaks. The live oaks here shed leaves but don't lose all of them yearly. These last 3 years that we had the snow/ice storms they shedded more than usual. I bit the bullet and ordered those expensive suber acorns from eBay. But I'm going to see if I can collect some acorns from the live oaks at work or behind my backyard as well.

 

[w0wly]

Don’t know what I’m doing yet but I’ll try to tag along! You need people for last place after all!

 

[Warlock]

Oooh. I have some love oak acorns that dropped and a few have sprouted naturally in the lawn...do those count??

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

I have a couple Cork bark oak seeds. Hmm. Ebay or contest.



Contest!

 

[Gabler]

Oooh. I have some love oak acorns that dropped and a few have sprouted naturally in the lawn...do those count??

If they dropped from the tree this year.

 

[Warlock]

If they dropped from the tree this year.

Yep. My tree drops them every year in spring.. I always get get sprouts that come up but usually I mowed them down. This year's extreme summer.. I didn't need to mow but maybe twice. So I still have a few.. I'll check today.

 

[BrightsideB]

I would be interested in joining but I’ve lost all my pre bonsai oaks last winter when we had that terrible cold front come through. I know it could of been prevented had I protected better. It’s hard to really baby all the prebonsai I have so the weakest and less cold hardy ones are all dying off. If I have to baby a tree it will be an actual bonsai.

Like the idea though. Will be watching to see the results over the years!

 

[Gabler]

Yep. My tree drops them every year in spring.. I always get get sprouts that come up but usually I mowed them down. This year's extreme summer.. I didn't need to mow but maybe twice. So I still have a few.. I'll check today.

I was not aware there are oaks that drop acorns in the spring. I thought you meant they dropped this fall and extended a radicle already. The idea is that 2024 should be the trees' first growing season. That might start in late 2023 for those in the southern hemisphere, but for those of us in the northern hemisphere, that's spring of 2024. If they already had a full summer to grow, that's effectively a full year's head start. I'd suggest planting some from next year's crop of acorns, since they'll germinate and grow in the same year.

 

[Gabler]

I would be interested in joining but I’ve lost all my pre bonsai oaks last winter when we had that terrible cold front come through. I know it could of been prevented had I protected better. It’s hard to really baby all the prebonsai I have so the weakest and less cold hardy ones are all dying off. If I have to baby a tree it will be an actual bonsai.

Like the idea though. Will be watching to see the results over the years!

This would be a good opportunity to start over with more cold-hardy varieties of oak. Quercus macrocarpa is cold hardy to zone 3, and the leaves supposedly reduce to an inch in length. @Leo in N E Illinois has previously recommended the species.

We're all starting from seed, so you won't be at any disadvantage for lack of prebonsai material.

 

[Warlock]

I was not aware there are oaks that drop acorns in the spring. I thought you meant they dropped this fall and extended a radicle already. The idea is that 2024 should be the trees' first growing season. That might start in late 2023 for those in the southern hemisphere, but for those of us in the northern hemisphere, that's spring of 2024. If they already had a full summer to grow, that's effectively a full year's head start. I'd suggest planting some from next year's crop of acorns, since they'll germinate and grow in the same year.

I meant whatever was last round of acorns that dropped.. yea. I guess the fall is correct.

I will wait till this 2024 acorn drop..

 

[BrightsideB]

This would be a good opportunity to start over with more cold-hardy varieties of oak. Quercus macrocarpa is cold hardy to zone 3, and the leaves supposedly reduce to an inch in length. @Leo in N E Illinois has previously recommended the species.

We're all starting from seed, so you won't be at any disadvantage for lack of prebonsai material.

I had started a Burr Oak forest some couple year old saplings from my bonsai nursery last year and they were one of the casualties. I may try again and protect them if I do this though. They do have a good size leaf. Mine were a couple inches and they were growing in a very small pot before I put them in a larger container.

 

[Gabler]

I had started a Burr Oak forest some couple year old saplings from my bonsai nursery last year and they were one of the casualties. I may try again and protect them if I do this though. They do have a good size leaf. Mine were a couple inches and they were growing in a very small pot before I put them in a larger container.

I'm surprised to hear that, but then again, if you did nothing whatsoever to protect the roots, that can be a problem for even some of the hardiest trees. I just put mine on the ground to stabilize the root temperature a bit, and I'm pretty far north of you, albeit on the coastal plane, where the ocean and Chesapeake Bay buffer the temperatures against extreme heat and cold.

 

[LuZiKui]

I just saw a really nice cork oak at Disneyland next to the Millennium Falcon. Unfortunately, there were zero acorns.

LOL, I was there with my family a couple months ago and noticed the 2 cork oaks as we were waiting in line for the ride (Rise of the resistance?). Obviously had to point it out to the family, they weren't as impressed. Disney has some incredible trees on the property!!

 

[Wulfskaar]

LOL, I was there with my family a couple months ago and noticed the 2 cork oaks as we were waiting in line for the ride (Rise of the resistance?). Obviously had to point it out to the family, they weren't as impressed. Disney has some incredible trees on the property!!

Yeah it sure does! Did you get a chance to go on the Storybook Land boat? There's a ton of tiny trees there. Pretty cool!