Planting acorns on site

Started by livemusic, January 24, 2017, 08:59:03 AM

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livemusic

I have researched this like crazy and I do not remember finding this covered. No telling how many articles I have read.

I am wanting to know if you can just plant acorns at the site. Like, dig a little hole and plop the acorn in there. That is what a squirrel does when he hides an acorn, why couldn't I do that? Everything I have read has to do with growing acorns into seedlings in a nursery environment and then transplanting the seedlings. It would be a heap easier, faster, and less laborious if you could just plant the acorns at the site. I will be doing all of this alone, mostly, so, efficiency is important, lol.

I have a water oak tree that has produced an incredible amount of acorns this year. I hope it does next year but I guess it might not. But I do have a sackful in the frig under moist sawdust.
~~~
Bill

Texas Ranger

Before you go to the trouble of planting them, float them in water..  The ones that float are "pops", hollow from a worm inside.  And you will need to plant  a few hundred more than you want, all sorts of critters love the taste of the nut, and the new growth.l
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

bluthum

Go for it. Tractor mounter  farm seeders have been modified to plant acorns on a large scale for years.  Not that you need that  sort of volume but to illustrate that planting oaks from seed is practical.

livemusic

Quote from: bluthum on January 24, 2017, 10:40:20 AM
Go for it. Tractor mounter  farm seeders have been modified to plant acorns on a large scale for years.  Not that you need that  sort of volume but to illustrate that planting oaks from seed is practical.

I have thought that very thing... wondering if anyone has ever planted acorns with a planter like we used on the farm.

I finally found a pretty good article -- https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-210.pdf. Within there is some talk about why seedlings are favored. (Increased survival rate, due to several factors.)

But for a small scale deal like mine, I will try planting some acorns once I figure out a good plan and see what happens.
~~~
Bill

henry co.

I used a broom handle to put a hole drop the acorn in used my foot to cover up did this last fall waiting to see how it turn out

sprucebunny

I planted a bunch last fall, too.

I took some metal conduit (1" ? ) and screwed a stop inside about ½" up. Throw down some acorns and mash them in with the conduit. I put a 90 degree elbow on the top.

Put them in some slightly open woods where I plan to cut the crummy cherry and maple. Favorable aspect but I don't know about the soil.
MS193, MS192 and an 026  Weeding and Thinning. Gilbert Champion sawmill

Gearbox

Seems like regen takes 3 years be for you see them come up .
A bunch of chainsaws a BT6870 processer , TC 5 International track skidder and not near enough time

LeeB

Personally, I would check with your state forestry service and buy seedlings. They are usually pretty cheap.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

nativewolf

LeeB has got it.  Get some sapling/whips from the state forestry blokes.  Cheap, get more species, diversify you gene pool a bit.  Overall the big thing is if you spend the time planting them you want them to grow.  So plant seedlings.  White oaks will sprout the fall they ..fall.  Red oaks will sprout the following spring.  First year growth for both not so much...but second year growth can be pretty fast so by buying a 2 year old tree you have almost guaranteed growing stock.  Should cost less than a dollar a tree if you buy a small bunch.  Some non profits might even give them to you (arbor society, 4h, etc)
Liking Walnut

bucknwfl

Yes in my experience the squirrels got more than I did.  Maybe you can trade your acorns for some trees and they can plant them. Or float them and plant them in trays and then buckets.  I don't have much luck direct seeding them

Thanks

Buck
If it was easy everybody would be doing it

Den Socling

We have a lot of squirrels around but oaks still pop up everywhere. I have seen the grow even in flower pots. Oaks and cherry are like weeds!

Magicman

I have planted acorns as well as nursery seedlings, and both methods work.  For acorns, I used a sharpshooter shovel and planted them about "squirrel" deep.  Either method, plant many more than you actually need because deer will bite the tops off. 
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

DelawhereJoe

The acorns that drop into my flower pots on my front deck will have a 4"-8" tap root by spring time. If I don't remove them they will be about 12" tall by mid summer. For the past few weeks the squirrels have been cleaning my front yard, flower beds and flower pots of all un-sprouted  acorns. If I was going to plant them I would wait till they started to sprout before wasting my time planting planting them as there are so many duds that fall from the tree.
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Ljohnsaw

I have dozens and dozens popping up all over.  I have an area of river rock around a cluster of trees and then shredded cedar mulch around the rest in my front yard.  The acorns sprout sitting on top of leaf litter on the rock and directly on top of the mulch.  If I don't get them pulled by the time they are 2" tall, the tap root has taken hold and they WON'T come out.  They will snap off and re-sprout in a few weeks, it seems.  To me, they are a nuisance!  We have tons of squirrels but even more oak sprouts!

I would think just kicking back the leaf litter, drop a couple and cover them up would suffice.
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

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thecfarm

Just about the way my will grow too.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

drobertson

We have a white oak that drops and produces hundreds every year, I just now over them, pretty sure they will grow, and after hearing bout the f!oat test,  might as well, uping the odds is always a good idea.
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

opticsguy

My experience, oaks are relatively easy to grow. When I had a hobby nursery 25 years ago, seemed like everything I planted in seed or seedling grew just fine.  Living on 12 acres, I now want to increase the diversity of my forest. 2 years ago I planted over 200+ acorns all around in a random order and NONE have grown. This winter I gathered up a couple varieties of Acorns and planted in pots so I could more easily care for and grow and then plant in a more planned fashion.  A week ago I discovered EVERY pot had been dug up and the acorns removed by squirrels.  This could possibly explain the lack of any new oaks out on the property.  Purchasing seedlings is certainly a better way to go. 
In reference to purchasing seedlings, I have had a difficult time finding resources.   All my google searches find suppliers selling Sequoia tree seedlings at $8 - $25 EACH!!  So it would be nice to find suppliers of trees in batches of 50-100 for much less. I live in Washington State.
TK 1220 band mill,  1952 Ford F-2, 1925 Dodge touring, too many telescopes.

Catahoulakid

Hey Livemusic. My esperience has been the same as Magicman's.
I planted Northern Red Oak on our family farm property located in northeast Maine 3 years ago on a section that as logged the year before. Some I just scattered by throwing them around. I believe those were all eaten by deer, and red squirrels. The others I poked a hole and put them about 2-2.5" down. MOST of those sprouted and developed leaves. Over the past few years most have been killed by deer, rabbits, moose but quite a few are still around. Make sure you aren't wasting your time planting hollow acorns. You can gather acorns fall or spring, though all of my planting has been spring to reduce competition with rodents and squirrels. My method is going to be plant as many as possible, as often as possible, provide protection when possible in the form of a cage, etc. I am researching tree protection, planting alternative browse such as black locust as the seed is cheap on Sheffield's Seeds and i know our deer will eat it. Best of luck and let us know how it goes!! You may consider using a .22 to harvest those grey or fox squirrels during hunting season, they are good eating.

opticsguy

Planted about 50+ acorns last fall, ALL dug up by Squirrels.
Last week I see 5 oak coming out and then all were dug up.
Just bought a squirrel trap................................
TK 1220 band mill,  1952 Ford F-2, 1925 Dodge touring, too many telescopes.