confused by an acorn mix and need help

[Shedder]

I got 280 acorns from my MA friend. He has a mix of white, SWO, and likely reds on his lawn and doesn't know the difference.

They were a week in the mail and some may have dried out or died. About half floated. I am soaking them for 12- 24 to see if it helps.

Some 20 caps were in the lot but it is hard to say what acorns were on them. Most of them are large with no weevils. If I had to guess I would say they are reds but they may not be. There was an alba leaf in the box.

I have no way of separating them by species that I know of. I am open to suggestion.

 

[j-bird]

Considering the variability you get in acorns I am not sure there is a way to really tell. the number of floaters is common - especially if get picked them up off the ground. It doesn't take long for them to go bad. I prefer to get them directly off the tree if possible as those off the ground can be lots of time with many bad acorns.

Are you direct planting now or in the spring or starting them inside?

Depending on when and how you plan on planting will determine what I would do in your shoes:

Direct plant now - plant away - to ME it makes no difference - simply protect them because the critters will dig them up and you get what you get.
Direct plant come spring - put them in the fridge with a damp towel and hope for the best come spring - the whites may or may not make it. They will need to be damp but allow air to circulate or they will mold and die. They may sprout a radical in the fridge as well so you will have to keep an eye on them and be prepared to plant them if they do.
Planting inside now - the whites should germinate given the proper conditions the reds need to stratify (be exposed to cold for some duration of time) before they will germinate.

IF it matters to you where you plant the reds or the whites will impact this as well. Until they produce a flush of leaves I doubt you will be able to tell which is which and you may not even be able to tell the difference between the white and swamp white until they are even older.

Of those I have grown - even the "good" acorns may not result in an actual seedling. There is a reason they produce so many - many critters eat them AND those left don't always survive. Good luck.

 

[Shedder]

Considering the variability you get in acorns I am not sure there is a way to really tell.

IF it matters to you where you plant the reds or the whites will impact this as well. Until they produce a flush of leaves I doubt you will be able to tell which is which and you may not even be able to tell the difference between the white and swamp white until they are even older.

I was afraid that there was no way to tell them apart. I had never seen it mentioned.

http://www.salicicola.com/photos/gallery/view/1444/1444

Info on this site suggests many may be black oak.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_velutina#Flowers_and_fruiting

Black oak from what I have seen is an acorn source that deer avoid due to bitterness. I don't want to plant trees of limited value but may have to to see what they are. The idea was to direct seed by this weekend.

 

[j-bird]

Plant away and wait and see- oaks are much easier to kill than they are to grow!