Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
This last weekend incolledcted about 75 acorns. I have them a soak in water for a couple hours, and now they're chilling in my shed. If they decide to sprout roots should I bring them inside?
Any tips on planting live oak acorns?
- Thread starter Dorky_gearhead
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theone420
Shohin
well I have had a ton of luck getting them to sprout.
I have been collecting all sorts of acorns and 90 percent of them have sent out a taproot. I actually just lost my first one to a bird this morning. none have broke soil yet but he found it.
What I did was put them in water for 24 hours to make sure they sank. after that I put them in a Ziploc wrapped in a moist paper towel in the fridge. i left them there about 2-3 weeks then put them in my dresser in a dark place. they sprouted about a week to 2 weeks later. have done Coast live oak, Southern live oak and I just got some canyon live oaks in the fridge right now.
I have some of my Southern live oaks in the ground and they are rooting now too. But I am in Southern California so temps are still warm. I have several in pots too so I can bring them inside if need be or I have a small seedling greenhouse I bought for the JBP contest I could use.
Most info I got on the acorns planting was to do it in November so they should be okay I'm guessing through winter in California.
these are some southern live oak
these are from a cork bark oak I came across in a chic fil a parking lot
this is what the bark looked like(this isnt the same tree but looked exactly the same) this tree is from San Diego Safari Park I got a bunch of acorns from it too. and I got some Coast Live Oak they have as well.
I have been collecting all sorts of acorns and 90 percent of them have sent out a taproot. I actually just lost my first one to a bird this morning. none have broke soil yet but he found it.
What I did was put them in water for 24 hours to make sure they sank. after that I put them in a Ziploc wrapped in a moist paper towel in the fridge. i left them there about 2-3 weeks then put them in my dresser in a dark place. they sprouted about a week to 2 weeks later. have done Coast live oak, Southern live oak and I just got some canyon live oaks in the fridge right now.
I have some of my Southern live oaks in the ground and they are rooting now too. But I am in Southern California so temps are still warm. I have several in pots too so I can bring them inside if need be or I have a small seedling greenhouse I bought for the JBP contest I could use.
Most info I got on the acorns planting was to do it in November so they should be okay I'm guessing through winter in California.
these are some southern live oak
these are from a cork bark oak I came across in a chic fil a parking lot
this is what the bark looked like(this isnt the same tree but looked exactly the same) this tree is from San Diego Safari Park I got a bunch of acorns from it too. and I got some Coast Live Oak they have as well.
milehigh_7
Mister 500,000
With acorns, moisture is the key. Once they drop from the cup you lose about 50% of your viability. So for best results get them while they are still on the tree but ready to drop and then immediately give the treatment that 420 describes. Oaks like to do a bunch of root growth before they send out top and they do have that nasty taproot to contend with.
You might be good to plant in rootmaker pots if you have them, if not you could experiment with taking a scalpel and cutting the taproots while the seed has plenty of food.
You might be good to plant in rootmaker pots if you have them, if not you could experiment with taking a scalpel and cutting the taproots while the seed has plenty of food.
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
I dont think there's any special technique. just ask Mr squirrel
Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
When i plopped them into a bucket of water, all but 8 of them instantly sank. If I can get 50% germination rate ill be happy.
I forgot to get pics of the bark, but here's a few pics of the foliage. I noticed alot of leaves higher up had very little, to no serrations on the leaves. It was in the lower hills below the Sierra forest. Would these be canyon live oaks?
I forgot to get pics of the bark, but here's a few pics of the foliage. I noticed alot of leaves higher up had very little, to no serrations on the leaves. It was in the lower hills below the Sierra forest. Would these be canyon live oaks?
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Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
I guess there are a decent view of the bark after all. Lol. I wasn't paying much attention to the background when I took the pics
theone420
Shohin
any pics of the acorns?
I did have a few acorns that didn't sink right away when i did mine, but after 24 hrs all had plummeted to the bottom of the cup
I did have a few acorns that didn't sink right away when i did mine, but after 24 hrs all had plummeted to the bottom of the cup
Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
I dont think there's any special technique. just ask Mr squirrel
Right!?! Just plant 20,000 of them, forget where 90% of them are at, and wait a few months haha
Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
I'll take a few pics of them when I get home.
theone420
Shohin
all the live oaks are similar leaves but the acorns make the answer obvious.
you can check here....
https://nature.berkeley.edu/garbelottowp/?p=1749
you can also click on the name of the oak and it will bring up a map of California and if you click on a county it will show known locations for that species in the county you clicked.
I have almost all of them available within a 45 minute drive from my house in the San Jacinto mountains
you can check here....
https://nature.berkeley.edu/garbelottowp/?p=1749
you can also click on the name of the oak and it will bring up a map of California and if you click on a county it will show known locations for that species in the county you clicked.
I have almost all of them available within a 45 minute drive from my house in the San Jacinto mountains
Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
All of the floaters had a tiny hole accept for 1.
theone420
Shohin
yup the little pin hole. I don't know how they get through that tough shell. If I pick up any from the ground I always make sure there is no hole or they don't feel hollow and have had great luck with them. Very simple even the ones shoved straight in the ground after 1 week in the fridge have started to root.
milehigh_7
Mister 500,000
If you wait until the beginning of January, you can go around to the bottom of trees and pull up the seedlings like weeds and throw em in a ziplock back with a wet paper towel. When you get home dust them with a little hormone and they will all pretty much grow.
Dan92119
Mame
I have some acorns growing. I don't know what type of oak, I picked them up near a hospital that is near me. They could be any type since they didn't grow naturally there.
When I brought them home i soaked them for 24 hrs. All sank! I took one acorn and put in a pot, it pretty much started growing right away. I planted half in the yard. The other half went in the fridge.
Because the one in the pot started growing i was curious that the ones I planted in the yard hadn't started growing yet. I dug a few up only one was growing. I put it in a pot. It's really growing fast, plus it has two trunks.
The ones in the fridge one has started growing i put that one in a pot also. The rest of the ones in the fridge aren't doing anything. They did get a bit frosty so that might have killed the acorns.
The first two pots have just seed starting soil, I may trim the tap root and add some pumice and diatomaceous earth since they are growing very well.
The last one in the pot i mixed pumice and diatomaceous earth and put a layer of seed starting soil in top. It is sending out a tap root and starting to show some green growth. I am doing this last one as an experiment. It's been suggested here that since distinctions earth is sharp it will cut the roots and make make them finer.
I have all three in an aquarium very close to the lights. I may put them outside during the day for the sunlight but I am going to bring them in at night.
I am very very new at growing tree seeds. These are my first successes. I do hope that I get more growing, then I don't have to be so conservative keeping these three alive.
When I brought them home i soaked them for 24 hrs. All sank! I took one acorn and put in a pot, it pretty much started growing right away. I planted half in the yard. The other half went in the fridge.
Because the one in the pot started growing i was curious that the ones I planted in the yard hadn't started growing yet. I dug a few up only one was growing. I put it in a pot. It's really growing fast, plus it has two trunks.
The ones in the fridge one has started growing i put that one in a pot also. The rest of the ones in the fridge aren't doing anything. They did get a bit frosty so that might have killed the acorns.
The first two pots have just seed starting soil, I may trim the tap root and add some pumice and diatomaceous earth since they are growing very well.
The last one in the pot i mixed pumice and diatomaceous earth and put a layer of seed starting soil in top. It is sending out a tap root and starting to show some green growth. I am doing this last one as an experiment. It's been suggested here that since distinctions earth is sharp it will cut the roots and make make them finer.
I have all three in an aquarium very close to the lights. I may put them outside during the day for the sunlight but I am going to bring them in at night.
I am very very new at growing tree seeds. These are my first successes. I do hope that I get more growing, then I don't have to be so conservative keeping these three alive.
Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
So i just grabbed some at random. The smallest in the bunch is about 1 & 1/16th of an inch, or right at 30mm. And the largest is 40mm, or 1.5 inches. I have to admit I was going for the larger ones though.
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jonty500
Seed
Picked up a load myself in London, UK. Did the 24hours in water and kept the sinkers.
Have planted them side down in soil and left them outside. Have bought one inside under a plant light as an experiment and after a month or so it's now a seedling. So have at least one, will take it outside in the spring.
Have planted them side down in soil and left them outside. Have bought one inside under a plant light as an experiment and after a month or so it's now a seedling. So have at least one, will take it outside in the spring.
theone420
Shohin
those definitely look like Canyon Live Oak
theone420
Shohin
you already have leaves?
jonty500
Seed
On the indoor one yes, just pushed out its first leaves. Was planted end of October. More of an experiment, not sure an Oak should be indoors and won't put it outside until March.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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I've raised a few batches of oaks from acorns. None for bonsai.
It is normal for oaks to put out the tap root in autumn and early winter. If they are kept cold, they will then rest at this stage until warm weather comes, then they will continue sprouting. When stratifying in the refrigerator don't take them out of the refrigerator until it is safe to plant them outside in spring. Indoors, it is difficult to give them sufficient light, even in a high tech light garden to get strong healthy growth, so keep them cold in the refrigerate, and put them directly outdoors in spring. That will result in stronger, better growing seedlings.
It is normal for oaks to put out the tap root in autumn and early winter. If they are kept cold, they will then rest at this stage until warm weather comes, then they will continue sprouting. When stratifying in the refrigerator don't take them out of the refrigerator until it is safe to plant them outside in spring. Indoors, it is difficult to give them sufficient light, even in a high tech light garden to get strong healthy growth, so keep them cold in the refrigerate, and put them directly outdoors in spring. That will result in stronger, better growing seedlings.
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