Thanks for asking!
Southern Oak (both varieties) acorns mature in two seasons. Red Oaks
exhibit seed dormancy and generally will not germinate until the
following spring. You may wish to consider keeping the acorns moist
and chilling them in your refrigerator until planting conditions are
more ideal (ground wetter and colder in the later Fall). The best
survival rate is from acorns planted directly in the ground, rather
than in seedbeds or pots.
Acorn Storage
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The two most critical components for caring for acorns are 1) do not
allow the acorns to dry out for an extended period and 2) do not allow
the acorns to heat up. Acorns will lose their viability, or ability to
germinate, very quickly if allowed to dry out extensively. Therefore,
it is important that once acorns are collected from the tree or fall
from the tree that they are kept moist until time to place in
seedbeds.
For these reasons it is best to store acorns in bags that somewhat
inhibit drying of the acorns but also allow air to flow through the
bags to prevent heat buildup. The best storage bags to use are either
burlap bags or the plastic bags that are adequately ventilated to
prevent heat buildup. Using solid plastic bags that are poorly
ventilated will preserve moisture but also will not allow heat to
escape. A hot moist environment will cause the acorns to spoil very
quickly whereas a cool moist environment is ideal for acorn storage.
The acorns should not be allowed to stay in bags that hold standing
water for over a few hours." (1)
The acorns should be kept as cool as possible, and the bags should be
wet down periodically to keep the acorns from drying out.
Refrigeration works fine, but do not freeze.
Southern Red Oak | Quercus falcata
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There are two varieties of Southern Red Oak
-- Typical southern red oak (Q. falcata var. falcata)
"Southern red oak (Quercus falcata var. falcata), also called Spanish
oak, water oak, or red oak, is one of the more common upland southern
oaks. This medium-size tree is moderately fast growing on dry, sandy,
or clay loams in mixed forests." (2)
-- Cherrybark oak (Q. falcata var. pagodifolia)
"Cherrybark oak (Quercus falcata var. pagodifolia), also called
bottomland red oak, red oak, swamp red oak, swamp Spanish oak, and
Elliott oak, is the high-value red oak in the South. It is larger and
better formed than southern red oak and commonly grows on more moist
sites." (3)
Southern Red Oak (V. falcata) Planting Requirements:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Fall seeding of oaks is preferred to spring seeding in the nursery
(17). To obtain the highest first-year survival, it is recommended the
acorns be planted not less than 1/2 inch deep and at seedbed densities
of 12 to 15 evenly spaced sound seed per square foot (13). Fall beds
should be mulched with leaves or straw held in place by hardware cloth
covers or other effective materials. The covering also serves as a
protection against rodents" (2)
Cherrybark Oak Planting Requirements:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The best method of determining germinability of cherrybark oak acorns
is by flotation combined with visual inspection. Both floaters and
those with weevil blemishes on the shell or dark, dull cup scars are
considered nonviable.
Moisture content of cherrybark oak acorns is a critical factor. Acorns
stratified over winter and then air-dried for more than 4 days did not
germinate. Therefore, fall-collected acorns should either be sowed
immediately or promptly placed in moist cold storage.
Cherrybark oak acorns may be stored for up to 18 months at
temperatures slightly above freezing if the seeds, at 45 to 50 percent
moisture content, are kept in polyethylene bags of at least 0.01 cm (4
mils) thickness, although some will sprout during storage.
One study showed that the germination percentage of cherrybark oak
acorns is significantly reduced by submersion in water for 34 days."
(3)
"Pot planting studies of first-year seedlings rated cherrybark oak
intolerant of flooding and saturated soils. Seedlings did not develop
adventitious roots, as did tolerant species, and leaf mortality was
related to moisture deficits." (3)
"Cherrybark oak has an internal seed dormancy. In order to stratify
the seed, they need to be placed in moist sand and allowed to go
through a cold period at 41F for 60 days to break this dormancy.
However, some seed will begin germinating if in stratification more
than 30 to 45 days. Once stratified, 85 - 90% germination occurs
within 21-38 days (Williams and Hanks 1994)." (4)
Benefits of Direct Planting
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"To fully understand the advantages of planting acorns directly into
the planting site, it is necessary to understand how acorns become
seedlings. Both the shoot and root emerge from the pointed end of the
acorn. Roots usually begin to emerge by December. The root grows
down into the soil during the winter. In species such as valley and
blue oak, roots may have grown three feet deep into the soil before
the shoot emerges the following spring (shoot emergence typically
occurs between the end of March and early June). In most
non-irrigated sites, young seedlings rely on their deep root system
for survival over the dry summer months. The long taproot is able to
extract moisture from deep in the soil profile, and this helps the
young seedling to continue to extract moisture from the soil even when
the upper levels of the soil have been dried out by competing annual
grasses." (5)
Planting Your Acorns
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"...Acorns can be planted as soon as they are collected and stored
acorns eventually deteriorate in quality. Early planted acorns have
been shown to have better growth and survival than those planted
later. If you are planting in a site without access to water (e.g.,
open space lands or large parcels), it is usually best to wait until
the first fall rains wet the soil because it is much easier to prepare
planting sites if the soil is moist.
You can plant earlier if you can pre-irrigate the planting site:
water the planting site so that the soil is wetted to a depth of at
least 1 foot. Let the soil dry for a few days after irrigation so
that it isn't too wet to work.
Prepare the planting site by turning over the soil with a shovel to a
depth of at least 10 inches. Break up any large clods to prepare a
good seedbed. Select sound acorns for planting as discussed above.
At each site, plant 3 to 4 acorns spaced about 6 to 8 inches apart.
This will increase the chances of at least one successful seedling
being present at the site, and will keep the seedlings from being
overly crowded if more than one comes up. Plant acorns on their sides
at a depth of about 2 inches. Deeper planting can decrease seedling
emergence rates (especially in heavy soils), and shallower planting
can increase the chances that the acorns may dry out or be eaten by
mice or ground squirrels.
If possible, mulch each planting site after planting with an organic
mulch to cover the planting site and an area extending out 3 to 4 feet
to a depth of about 2-3 inches. Mulch will help to suppress weed
growth around the young seedling, helps conserve soil moisture, and
provides a slow release source of plant nutrients as it decays. Waste
wood chips from tree pruning are an ideal mulching material as long as
the chips are not contaminated with soil or roots from diseased trees.
You can often get a large load of waste wood chips free or for little
cost from tree pruning services." (6)
Squirrel Protection
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Having planted a number of oak trees on my own property, in oak tree
country, I find that a piece of wire or plastic mesh placed and
anchored over the planting site goes a long way to protect the
planting from squirrels.
Sources
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2. USDA | Forest Service
Agriculture Handbook 654 | Silvics of North America
Quercus falcata Michx. var. falcata Southern Red Oak
By: Roger P. Belanger
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_2/quercus/falcata.htm
3. USDA | Forest Service
Agriculture Handbook 654 | Silvics of North America
Quercus falcata var. pagodifolia Ell. Cherrybark Oak
By: R. M. Krinard
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_2/quercus/falcata.htm
4. Cherrybark Oak - Auburn Forestry
http://www.forestry.auburn.edu/sfnmc/class/cherry.html
5. Collecting, Storing and Planting Acorns
http://phytosphere.com/oakplanting/acorns.htm
6. Phytosphere Research
Horticulture / Urban Forestry / Plant Resources / Agriculture
http://phytosphere.com/oakplanting/oakplanting.htm
Further Reading:
Growing Oaks from Seed
http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/diablobonsai/oaks.html
Planting Oaks | Restoration
http://www.hastingsreserve.org/OakStory/Planting.html
Squirrels and Acorns
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/11/981126102802.htm
Answer Strategy | Search Terms
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Personal experience with growing oaks from acorns in my own yard.
planting acorns "southern red oak"
I hope you find this information helpful. Should you have any
questions about the material or links provided, please, feel free to
ask for clarification.
---larre |
,
0 Comments
)