Oak trees

Discussion in 'Trees' started by xf8u39, Feb 11, 2023.

  1. xf8u39

    xf8u39 Gardener

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2014
    Messages:
    37
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Mechanical Designer
    Location:
    East Manchester
    Ratings:
    +14
    Hi Guys,

    At work today, I grabbed a handfull of acorns from the back garden of a client.

    I want to pot each one and see if I can get them to grow.

    I'm not sure if this is the right time of year, but any suggestions welcome as to how to get these acorns going.
    Shall I just pot them and place the acorn an inch deep and wait? Or is there anything better I can do.

    Rgds

    Michael.
     
  2. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2005
    Messages:
    51,076
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Mid Kent
    Ratings:
    +93,857
    Quite often acorns will already have a root coming from them by now, so I wonder if yours are viable still.
    Take the outer casing off one and see what its like inside.

    They normally grow like weeds once planted so just potted up an inch or so deep and left outside should be OK, could be May before you see a shoot though.
     
  3. xf8u39

    xf8u39 Gardener

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2014
    Messages:
    37
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Mechanical Designer
    Location:
    East Manchester
    Ratings:
    +14
    Cheers,
    I have potted 7 acorns 1" deep in small pots.
    I have left them outside.
    Let's see what happens.

    Michael.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Loofah

      Loofah Admin Staff Member

      Joined:
      Feb 20, 2008
      Messages:
      13,925
      Gender:
      Male
      Location:
      Guildford
      Ratings:
      +24,350
      I've got about a billion of the bloody things self seeded everywhere!
       
      • Funny Funny x 3
      • pete

        pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

        Joined:
        Jan 9, 2005
        Messages:
        51,076
        Gender:
        Male
        Occupation:
        Retired
        Location:
        Mid Kent
        Ratings:
        +93,857
        Have you thought of buying a squirrel.
        They usually plant them in someone else's garden.
         
        • Agree Agree x 1
        • Loofah

          Loofah Admin Staff Member

          Joined:
          Feb 20, 2008
          Messages:
          13,925
          Gender:
          Male
          Location:
          Guildford
          Ratings:
          +24,350
          Billion of those too!
           
          • Funny Funny x 3
          • Janet mahay

            Janet mahay Gardener

            Joined:
            Oct 24, 2018
            Messages:
            517
            Gender:
            Female
            Location:
            Uk west mid
            Ratings:
            +617
            Well pete the squirrels who come in my garden plant all kinds of things in my grass then dig them up when they feel like it
            Last year the oak tree back of my garden fence i had loads of acorns but this year instead if acorns monkey nuts so xf8u39 keep in eye you never know what can happen lol
             
            • Like Like x 3
            • NigelJ

              NigelJ Total Gardener

              Joined:
              Jan 31, 2012
              Messages:
              6,771
              Gender:
              Male
              Occupation:
              Mad Scientist
              Location:
              Paignton Devon
              Ratings:
              +23,009
              If I remember right oak trees produce a tap root that will want to go straight down; so you might be better planting the acorns either in the ground in a nursery bed or using deeper pots, root trainers or similar.
               
              • Useful Useful x 2
              • Like Like x 1
              • Agree Agree x 1
              • Retired

                Retired Some people are so poor all they have is money

                Joined:
                May 30, 2019
                Messages:
                1,674
                Gender:
                Male
                Occupation:
                Retired.
                Location:
                West Yorkshire
                Ratings:
                +5,879
                Hi,

                16 bags of acorns this year; bin bags filled with just enough to prevent the bag splitting as they were lifted; the bags were heavy and taken to the tip being dumped in the green waste skip; leaves although lots of them were easy to gather using a Makita cordless blower saving no end of time over trying to sweep with a brush. Last weekend I spent two days up our overhanging oak tree removing the bottom three branches these needing roping to control their descent otherwise lots of damage could have been caused resulting in even more work; 75 year old and up our oak tree using a 20" petrol chainsaw.

                The branches were logged and then a neighbour collected them for his wood burner; I didn't want to tire the neighbour out by helping me; on Monday I had the pleasure of shredding a big pile of brash which I enjoyed it being a nice warm sunny afternoon.

                Last March I felled 15 very tall trees and disposed of them in terrible conditions; our rear garden was like a mini park.

                11 Feb 2023_0002_01.JPG
                Access was terrible on the steep slope struggling to stand upright. The garden hut; new steps with fence & handrail in the way.

                11 Feb 2023_0003_01.JPG
                Ladder was roped to the tree for safety; each branch was double roped one rope near the trunk the other rope well out at the other end; these oak branches are very heavy on the ground even worse up in the air. I made a bow & arrow to fire a string over the outer end allowing the heavy rope to be pulled over an higher branch.

                11 Feb 2023_0004.JPG
                It's a big mature oak overhanging the garden hut and bungalow roof.

                11 Feb 2023_0005_01.JPG It sure opened up daylight and less acorns and leaves next year; I wanted to do this job before new leaves appeared.

                Our acorns don't need planting they grow where they drop in the garden and then tiny saplings are so hard to pull out I think they're welded to the ground.

                Sorry to hijack your thread Michael but I'm sure you won't have any difficulty in growing from acorns; the trouble comes in 70 years or so when faced with this kind of heavy job; good luck.

                Kind regards, Colin.
                 
                • Like Like x 4
                • Loofah

                  Loofah Admin Staff Member

                  Joined:
                  Feb 20, 2008
                  Messages:
                  13,925
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Location:
                  Guildford
                  Ratings:
                  +24,350
                  Very smart job there too :)
                   
                • burnie

                  burnie Total Gardener

                  Joined:
                  Jun 2, 2016
                  Messages:
                  1,204
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Occupation:
                  Retired engineer
                  Location:
                  Angus, NE Scotland
                  Ratings:
                  +5,592
                  I found Sessile Oaks less easy to grow from seed, do you know which one you have?
                   
                  • Friendly Friendly x 1
                  Loading...

                  Share This Page

                  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                    Dismiss Notice