before the squirrel get them????

ken

When they fall you can pick and stratify them. Or let the ground stratify them for you this winter. Just make sure there are enough the squirrels don't find them all.

Should have mentioned its white oak hybrid.

How deep would you plant it? Thinking about putting it right under the mulch in a more moist location.

I figured I pick it as soon as it gives.

come on will ... intuit it..

be the squirrel previously mentioned ...

how would he plant it ... 2 inches deep.. ??

i would favor sideways.. as i am never online to research such ... i would fill a pot with at least 50% mulch and 50 media ...

and i would put it on the north side of the house.. near the sliding door to keep the rats with furry tails away ...

and when it froze solid.. i would tip it over until april ...

let ma nature take care of it ...

i learned this system.. when some idiot squirrel planted a bunch of acorns.. unbeknownst to me.. in a pot i ended up throwing in the pole barn ... and come next spring.. i found a bunch of oaks growing in a hosta.. lol ..

there is no nut reason to throw the pot in the barn ... if its growing in your yard.. it is a zone appropriate nut... but for a black pot heating and reheating in sun in winter.. the best would be.. if it were buried in snow all winter ...

that is a very long story.. for letting ma nature do it.. and not overthinking it all ..

why in the world.. you would want to stratify them.. and grow them indoors is beyond me.. other than for the very good reason of experimenting ....

be the squirrel ... they surely know how to do it ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: i suppose you arent old enough for this obscure reference????

whaas,
I have collected them when they become lose in the cap and will fall out into your hand with just a tiny push. Once they fall to the ground they are quickly attacked by a variety of insects, which is the reason I try to collect them from the cap when possible.

Arktrees

I'd be interested to see what the acorn turns into.

Fagistate traits in oaks seem pretty dominant, but since Crimson Spire is an alba x robur hybrid, this would be an 'F2' seedling of a Quercus x bimundorum, unless you have other White, English, or even another oak in the white group (Post, Swamp White, Chinkapin, Chestnut, etc)...could be an interesting cross if another tree pollinated it!

ark,
the 'insect holes' you're seeing in those acorns on the ground are exit holes from weevil larvae that were already inside the acorn before it dropped from the tree.

Agree with hairmetal. I have F2 seedlings of Burenglish and Bimundors oaks from OIKOS. Both with fastigiate Q.robur grandparents - and both seedlings still pretty much fastigiate/columnar in habit. Unfortunately, my Bimundors oak is not much in the fall color department.

From what I see, most F1 crosses with Q. alba have little fall color, as if the "red or reddish fall color" trait is recessive. Q. x bebbiana rarely colors any better than a Bur Oak, and Q. x bimundorum rarely better than English Oak.

However, the F2 seedlings of the first cross can have red fall color, probably in much the same way as Gregor Mendel's pea crosses from centuries ago. I wonder if 'Crimson Spire' is itself an F2 seedling since it has passable fall color. Makes you wonder.

The one exception to the above rule might be Q. x beadlei, since Quercus michauxii (the other parent) also can have pretty good red fall color from what I've seen.

I've never seen one, but I'd also expect Q. x fernowi (not sure I have the spelling right), which has Q. stellata as the other parent might also have a chance at good color, since Post Oak can also have a nice red fall color, at least in some areas.

From what I see, most F1 crosses with Q. alba have little fall color, as if the "red or reddish fall color" trait is recessive. .... However, the F2 seedlings of the first cross can have red fall color,

==>>>

you know how i read that.. from my hosta training ????

grow that acorn for 10 to 20 years.. to wait for it to produce the next generation nut... and then wait 5 to 10 years.. to see how the mature tree colors ...

ya know.. my attention span is about 20 minutes.. not really calculated in decades.. lol ...

besides the lack of space to grow a couple hundred of them.. to finally find the one that is way cool ...

obviously.. everyone has to have a hobby ... like watching paint dry.. or nut trees grow ... lol ... but if it makes you happy ....

go for it will ...

the kids will gone and married.. and you will be boring the hell out of your grandkids with tree lore ....by the time you get there ... lol .. now that is perspective for a dude with a child in diapers... lol.

ken

One day away and looks like I have plenty to catch up on!

Its just one acorn, yes one acorn and I just got the plant this year (suprised to even see an acorn at this point) so I'm curious what this acorn will produce, perhaps simply a fastigiate oak with little to no fall color.

If I can pick it at its prime and plant it to improve my odds I'm game. Don't want to overthink it or over invest, just curious at this point.

Thanks for the comments!

What ended up happening? I have a seedling from a crimson spire oak and it's only about 6 feet tall, but so far it looks like my crimson spire oak. The leaves are bigger but the fall color is red like the Crimson Spire. Should be interesting to see what it turns into. I'm a little nervous it will be bigger than I want.