Acorn Planting Method?

[PackerBacker]

Pulled the cage off the chestnuts on Sunday to have a look. They are doing much better since you all suggested to replant them in the larger containers. Starting to wonder if I should be moving them to larger containers again or getting them put in the ground.



The oaks that I didn't have caged have really slowed down in growth. I'm thinking either all the direct sunlight is hurting them or once again, the container isn't deep enough for the roots to be growing properly.



This bucket is a little hit or miss. I can't remember if it was all oaks or if I ended up putting a few of the chestnuts that I didn't think would grow into the bucket.

 

[PackerBacker]

Daughters & I finally had time to transplant the oaks to little larger containers tonight.


The chestnuts in the screened cage seem to be coming along nicely. Wondering when I should move to even bigger buckets or transplant into the ground?



Couple little ones were underneath those above. My daughter is hoping sunlight will help but thinking they are a lost cause at this point.



For those who have been doing this for years - if I collect a bunch of gallon ice cream pails, are they large enough to hold oaks for one summer? My daughters want to collect more acorns this fall again and don't want to repeat the same mistake with the small containers.

 

[dipper]

Pb-are those Chinese chestnuts? Where are they from?
I've got a couple dozen trees I started this winter. They are almost 3' tall, but I don't know if they will survive winter.

 

[PackerBacker]

Pb-are those Chinese chestnuts? Where are they from?
I've got a couple dozen trees I started this winter. They are almost 3' tall, but I don't know if they will survive winter.

Yes, those are Chinese chestnuts. Wdpdeer on the QDMA website sent me 60 chestnuts last fall. Little concerned since he is down in Tennessee that they will be able to tolerate a WI winter. Hoping a can find a different source this year to get some from a more northern climate. That said, I planted 4 dunstans last spring (2014) and they made it through last winter and are growing well.

 

[PackerBacker]

If you purchase rootmaker 18 starter pots/trays you can air prune them and then switch to larger pots at 12 weeks or so. If you don't air prune them then they'll "J-root" and bend the tap root unless you use deep buckets/tubs like JBird does.

You could also start them like you did and after the first flush of leaf growth plant them in their final location. Remember to remove the nuts though. If you're in dryer sandy land location you might want to leave some surrounding weeds and plants up for the first month or two to give them shade and get their feet replanted. Then clear later on. That seems to be working fine for me.

I have the "j-rooting" going on now with the oaks. I haven't looked at the chestnuts since those are in the larger containers. Are the larger containers in the picture big enough to start them in and keep until fall for planting? I get can a bunch of those bigger ones free from a local nursery. Plan for next year is to focus more on the chestnuts and experiment with direct seeding the acorns since I can get those by the 50 gallon barrel.

 

[dipper]

Yes, those are Chinese chestnuts. Wdpdeer on the QDMA website sent me 60 chestnuts last fall. Little concerned since he is down in Tennessee that they will be able to tolerate a WI winter. Hoping a can find a different source this year to get some from a more northern climate. That said, I planted 4 dunstans last spring (2014) and they made it through last winter and are growing well.

I got a bunch from him too. He was on here for a week or so and bailed. I had a lot of his nuts rot on me and not germinate. Also a good amount of worms in the nuts. The ones I do have are doing awesome. I've got 2 trees in a 3 gallon rootmaker pot and they are pushing 3'. I don't think I'm gonna plant them until next spring, to see if they survive the winter, first.
You got a lot working against u when it comes to direct seeding acorns. Turkeys and deer will gobble up every acorn if they are left on the service. I have 200 trees or so in my nursery, and they will be two years old in spring. Digging them up might be an issue, but getting to this point was almost 0 work. I just scattered them super thick on bare soil and covered them with straw, and window screen. Haven't touched them since I removed the window screen, that kept the rodents out

 

[dipper]

Nothing, there is no grass or cover for them within hundreds of yards. Not an issue here

 

[PackerBacker]

I got a bunch from him too. I had a lot of his nuts rot on me and not germinate. Also a good amount of worms in the nuts. The ones I do have are doing awesome. I've got 2 trees in a 3 gallon rootmaker pot and they are pushing 3'. I don't think I'm gonna plant them until next spring, to see if they survive the winter, first.

Yeah, of the 60 chestnuts, there is probably only 20 that ended up being viable. The amount of worms in the bags during the winter were ridiculous and a portion rotted (could have been my planting). I cant complain though - I think he only billed me for 25 of them so I got what I expected out of the order.

Been debating the direct planting technique. Last year my buddy used his tree planter and dropped acorns in as fast as be could. Worked well to get them in the ground and covered. His property is in Shawano county so other than the areas he put a little fence around, the deer ate them to the ground. I dont think I will have that issue up on my property.

 

[PackerBacker]

It helps having an understanding wife that will put up with nuts in the refrigerator crisper for 3+ months, trays inside the house, trays outside on the deck, and allows you time to plant and care for these projects.

The wife hasnt been the issue. She enjoys the fact that it is something mh daughters enjoy doing with me. Big issue is the I have 4 daughters in a 3 bedroom house so we currently dont have room to do any growing inside. I need to come up with a setup that I can transfer the nuts to trays outside and somehow protect that many from the squirrels. My deck isnt big enough for that big of a cage.