starting oaks

[Dorricki]

Please help, how do you start a oak tree from an acorn. Can you do this? I know that mother nature does it best but we live in an area of Northern NY that doesnt have many. We have had to import most of our trees as the only thing prominent on our property is Japenese Willow. We have been succesful in getting Maples,Willows,pines and even 1 black walnut to grow and now want to try our hand with oaks. We like to start our own if possible as this creates a speacial bonding between the trees and us. I know that sounds funny but we really love our property. And love the chance to be so close to nature.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

We love trees so much we need to touch them every day .

Get acorns from trees that look good in soil like you have. Goe to parks and such.

Free up the soil in an area in your yard and poke the acorns in the soil. Keep it sort moist. some will take and you can transplant them.

I rake the things up from the course and throw them in the thickets. I'll harvest them as the get bigger.

 

[Garden Visions]

Oak Seeds

I find that if you direct sow the seeds in ground, you will find 90% will be eaten by rodents. The trick is to build an outdoor cold frame( an old sand box would work ) Make sure the entire frame is lined with rabbit fencing. Chipmunks can be relentless and will dig and dig, but they cant chew through wire. Buy a soiless planting mix and coarse sand. Mix 1/3 sand to 2/3 soiless mix. Direct sow the seeds in the frame and cover with the fencing.
It would also help to run a coarse file over the seed 2-3 times to help germination prior to planting.
Let seeds sit over winter the following spring you should have germination. Let the seedlings grow in this frame for one more season to establish a root system. Provide stem protection from rabbits and then transplant the following spring about April.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Also having a fence high enough to prefve deer nibbling is needed I have found since I posted last.

I am haqving the local Tech coleedge (MATC) start some hybrid oak seeds I got from a Utah arboretum.