Sawtooth oaks

[Someday isle]

A local home in the neighborhood has a sawtooth oak tree. It dropped so many acorns this year and it can’t be ten years old. I picked up 75 acorns when they were dropping with the thought of planting some. I’ve got so many projects in my plans already but this is kind of a spur of the moment thing. I don’t have any fruit trees so I was thinking of starting an orchard. I’ve got some clearing to do first but walking past this oak tree all the time I thought it might make a nice addition to the orchard. I have mostly oak and hickory forest already and certainly don’t need acorns. I just thought it’d be a fun project and having both acorns and fruit in the same spot might make a good draw.

So my question - right now the acorns are in a freezer bag in my basement. How do I store them and when should I plant them? I thought I’d start them in pots at home and then I can transplant them if and when they’re ready, and when I have a spot prepared.

It might be a project that goes bust but I thought it’d be fun to try.

 

[Catscratch]

Store in a ziplock bag with a damp paper towel (I wet it and then squeeze the excess water out). Leave the top partially open for gas/moisture exchange. Put in the crisper of the fridge. Check ever month or so during the winter to make sure it doesn't dry out.

I start my potted sawtooths indoors in Jan or Feb. They WILL grow a long taproot! If you don't have the right container the root will circle the bottom (you don't want that). Rootmaker type pots work, but so does Jiffy pots. They will prune the root and cause lateral branching. Be prepared to to upgrade to larger pots as they grow. I plant potted sawtooths in the fall (right now actually) once things go dormant. They will grow roots in the winter, not need watered as much, and have a strong start for next summer.

Direct seeding is another method. Your trees will end up using their taproot more effectively this way. I can give pointers here if you want...

You have lots of seed, I would try both potted and direct seeded.

 

[Someday isle]

Thanks - I’m open to any and all advice you have to offer. Usually I do lots of research on things but this was literally spur of the moment. I was walking by and just thought I’d pick up a bunch. I just filled my pockets and ended up with 75. I figure if I get 1/4 Of them to grow it’ll be a worthy project.

 

[Catscratch]

Did you float test them?

 

[Someday isle]

No - can you explain that?

 

[Catscratch]

Throw them in a bucket or sink of water. The one's that sink are likely good, the one's that float are likely dehydrated or have worms. Sometimes floaters can germinate and grow, but it's a lower percentage of them.

 

[Someday isle]

Throw them in a bucket or sink of water. The one's that sink are likely good, the one's that float are likely dehydrated or have worms. Sometimes floaters can germinate and grow, but it's a lower percentage of them.

Okay - so I did that. Literally every one sunk. I picked these up off the ground on the first day or two they were dropping. I just put them back in the bag with a damp paper towel and put them in the crisper drawer in my garage refrigerator.

Should I now just leave them until January and plant them then?

Thanks again!

 

[Catscratch]

Yep, leave them and use this time to figure out your pot situation and what kind of potting soil you want to use.

Personally, I would direct seed some now just to do it. I don't imagine you will want to pay for 75 pots and growing medium... and take care of that many trees all summer. The number 1 rule when direct seeding is to protect against critters. Damn near everything will eat them! I've got methods of protection that I like but there are tons of ways out there. Research "direct seeding acorns protection" and devise a way that works for you. I use a short section of PVC with a window screen cap until mid summer. Then I pull the screen out and either stake a tree tube over it or let it fend for itself.

 

[j-bird]

Cat sent me some and they did real well for me.....I tried several different planting situations. I planted some in containers, some direct seeded into an orchard type setting and others direct seeded into a more wooded setting. Essentially any of them that got sun and water grew! Those in the wooded setting didn't do real well at all, but I knew those would be a long shot. Those in the orchard setting did fine and those in containers did the best....which I figured would be the case. For direct seeding I made little 12" to 18" tall "germination cages" to protect them and staked them and they did just fine. I will be tubing mine this spring.

 

[Catscratch]

My method of protection: A little PVC with the folded up window screen pushed inside. You've got to watch to make sure they don't grow into the screen though. Just remove the cap and add a tube or cage if you want to continue protection.

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[bigbendmarine]

Sawtooths have proven the easiest thing to propogate down my way... link speaks to just how easy. Only thing I'll say is that for those pot grown be sure to transplant when dormant. My survival rate is around 95% when planted dormant. Let even a few leaves bud out in the spring before transplanting and my success rate goes down to about 50%.
http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/hope-i-dont-get-banned-for-this.8012/#post-149578

 

[Someday isle]

Okay, so we’re in mid January now and I was thinking of gettting my sawtooth oak acorns into pots. Any advice to get started? They’ve been in my refrigerator in the garage for about two and a half months.

A couple specific questions if I can actually get them to grow in pots.
1) What do you use to plant them in at home? Both types of pots and soil?
2) when do i take them out of the pots and plant them in the ground?

 

[TreeDaddy]

Have you considered direct seeding?

My personal observation with oaks is that they do better when the taproot is preserved and not "air pruned"

Particularly in arid regions

"Respect,DONT resect" the taproot!!!!

Hopefully,Jack and the other deities on the subject will weigh in for us

bill

 

[DrDirtNap]

I have found Sawtooths to be easy to grow with high germination rates. Be sure and do a float test on those acorns and discard the floaters.


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[Someday isle]

I thought I’d just close this thread for now. I had these stored in my garage refrigerator. They were in a plastic bag with a moist paper towel. We had a long stretch below freezing and many of them cracked or split. Since my property is mostly oak forest I decided to order some fruit trees instead. I know where I can pick up a bunch of sawtooth acorns again next year though so maybe I’ll just try direct seeding a few next time. I’ll go ahead and focus on the fruit trees, my food plots and creating more cover for this year.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice though. Sometimes things just don’t go as hoped for.

 

[WaRPheagle]

I've found sawtooths and Dunstans much easier to grow than fruit trees. Maybe you'll do better than I did. My fruit trees seem to always struggle with various bugs and diseases, while my Dunstans and sawtooths just keep growing.

 

[Apple Junkie]

Nice to know someday, I am encouraged by your experience finding so many acorns on a fairly young sawtooth. I planted around 50 seedlings, about 30 years ago. These trees are scattered around, and some are very tall and seem to be doing well, but... I have yet to see one acorn from them! I am in zone 5, NY State. My understanding is that the Sawtooth is more of a southern tree, so while they grow OK up here, they don't seem to bear very well.

Any thoughts?

 

[NY Hunter]

Where did you get your sawtooths from Apple Junkie? Somebody told me Sawtooths with southern genetics don't bear as well in the north as ones originally from northern states.

That being said they are zone 5 trees so you would think they'd produce something?

 

[Apple Junkie]

I bought these as small seedlings about 30 years ago. At the time, they were supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, and I am sure I got them from a southern supplier. As with a lot of things, I didn't know then, what I know now. I am not sure what, if anything, has changed. Again, the trees survive fine, but as far as nut production, I just don't see anything in my neck of the woods.

 

[ksgobbler]

Out of the half dozen sawtooth oaks I have planted most have done very little. One has really taken off. May have to do with location but even the ones I planted in the yard have grown very little.