yoderjac
5 year old buck +
Well, I'm entering the ranks of the DCO growers. I've gone through this thread a couple times. I received my DCO nuts today. Many had tiny root radicles starting. For now, I placed them in a ziplock bag half closed with a handful of damp long-fiber sphagnum and put it in the fridge.
I just order a couple trays of RM 32s. Once they come in, I'll plant the nuts in them with promix and keep them at room temperature for a week or two. I then plan to water them good and place the entire tray in one of the large ziplock storage bags and place it in the fridge.
I'm going to try this method with several other nuts that sprout in the fall as well. I've just done it with 10 ACs accept I used 18s instead of 32s cause they were on hand. I also have seguins on order scheduled to arrive in December.
My plan is to try vernalizing them for different periods, none, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months and then look at the results in the fall.
Blitz,
Last year I tried growing ACs for the first time. They sprouted in September when I picked them so I just planted them. They grew well under lights in 18s. I kept a few and transplanted them to 1 gal RB2s and 5" bags. They seemed to stall in the spring. While these look healthy, they were only a foot or so tall when I planted them in the field yesterday.
I didn't know what to do with the rest. I didn't have enough large containers to handle them indoors so I tried a long shot and attempted to force them into dormancy. They were too young and it killed them all.
I realize Allegheny Chinquapins are more like chestnuts than DCO, but because they germinate without cold stratification, they are similar to DCO in that regard.
I've ben interested in any thought you have on how DCOs would perform if you didn't vernalize them at all. If you simply planted them in 18s and then transplanted them into larger containers when appropriate.
If you already have a good answer as to how much or little vernalizing affects their growth, there is no sense in me completely reinventing the wheel.
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Jack
I just order a couple trays of RM 32s. Once they come in, I'll plant the nuts in them with promix and keep them at room temperature for a week or two. I then plan to water them good and place the entire tray in one of the large ziplock storage bags and place it in the fridge.
I'm going to try this method with several other nuts that sprout in the fall as well. I've just done it with 10 ACs accept I used 18s instead of 32s cause they were on hand. I also have seguins on order scheduled to arrive in December.
My plan is to try vernalizing them for different periods, none, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months and then look at the results in the fall.
Blitz,
Last year I tried growing ACs for the first time. They sprouted in September when I picked them so I just planted them. They grew well under lights in 18s. I kept a few and transplanted them to 1 gal RB2s and 5" bags. They seemed to stall in the spring. While these look healthy, they were only a foot or so tall when I planted them in the field yesterday.
I didn't know what to do with the rest. I didn't have enough large containers to handle them indoors so I tried a long shot and attempted to force them into dormancy. They were too young and it killed them all.
I realize Allegheny Chinquapins are more like chestnuts than DCO, but because they germinate without cold stratification, they are similar to DCO in that regard.
I've ben interested in any thought you have on how DCOs would perform if you didn't vernalize them at all. If you simply planted them in 18s and then transplanted them into larger containers when appropriate.
If you already have a good answer as to how much or little vernalizing affects their growth, there is no sense in me completely reinventing the wheel.
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Jack