growing from acorns to oaks?

11 years ago

All this talk about trees, and I came across this site and this forum thread, seems like a hunting/wildlife type site...not my thing, but, they were talking about growing oaks from acorns (mostly Burs).

Some of these people got HUGE first-season growth from their trees, three, four feet! I've never seen an oak seedling do anything more the first season than maybe put out a few odd leaves at the top of a skinny 6 inch stem.

It seems they are starting the white oak (bur, white, swamp white, chestnut) in fall indoors under grow lights and pampering them to get these huge first-year seedlings!

Has anyone done this? My concern would be this...say I plant a few Bur Oak acorns NOW in my basement under grow lights and get these nice three foot seedlings in spring, put them out, and let them keep going. Since they've been growing nearly a year by the time fall comes around, would they go into a normal dormancy properly?

Here's the link:

http://www.qdma.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45088

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Comments (9)

Sarah80
Original Author
11 years ago
Here is an actual LINK to the page:

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Oaks from Acorns
greenthumbzdude
11 years ago
They were using special air-pruning pots.
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Hmm...not sure if its a live oak at all. It appears to be a Laurel Oak, which can look like a Virginiana Live Oak from tree to tree. A couple of differences, the Tree in the photo has multiple trunks, Live oaks have a single trunk with spreading branches. In Laurel Oaks, it's not uncommon to have a multi-trunk tree. Both trees stay green year round and then push out new leaves in Spring, both have leathery leaves. However, in the Laurel Oak the leaf may appear a yellowish green or olive green in winter. Kind of an unusual new growth cluster for a live oak, havent seen that before, but I guess not impossible. It's not a Fusiformis, also a single trunk tree, but Fusiformis leaves are different from Virginiana and Definately Laurel Oaks. Fusiformis have the characteristic bump on the leaves from young new growth until almost fully mature, when the leaves smoothen out, and even on most Fusiformis there are some mature leaves that retain the bump. This s not evident on the leaves in the photo. Last, Fusiformis do not have that 5 leaf growth pattern, they are all over the place, but generally grow in two's with every new 2 leaves offset 180 degrees. Laurel Oaks grow somewhat more northerly than Southern Live Oaks, throughout most of Virginia, North Carolina and some maps even showing a tiny portion of extreme SE Pennslyvania. Laurel Oaks are more cold hardy, down to -10. Still even if it's a Laurel Oak, kind of rare for northern Kentucky. I would like to see an acorn from the tree, that would really tell a lot.
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In my experience which is just with a couple oaks, ( Burr and English) direct sowing where the tree is to grow is the best thing I know of. Those 2 trees are growing great, the Burr did about 4-5 ft in the 2 years from acorn sowing, usually after a transplant, the first year is about 5 inches max height growth, vs. 2-3 ft from acorn, no watering needed in a dry spell. The tree will be stalled for a year or 2 to replace the root mass, to resume the maximum growth in a potted tree. I have dug up trees about 1-2 ft tall in the past, and the oaks have such deep roots, I swear they went to China. I'm talking a 1 foot tall red oak Q. Rubra, with a root system that I never did find the end of, and I THINK the red oaks don't have as deep a taproot as a White oak family oak. You can get an oak in a pot and it will transplant fine etc. but, if you've got the acorn, you know where you want the tree, you are prepared to protect it from critters til spring, it just makes sense to direct sow, maybe refridgerate a spare acorn or 2. I guess if your in a critter riddled area, you've got no choice but to pot, but if you can direct sow, that is the best in my opinion. And I have a limited amount of experience, I would say about 20 years since I planted my first oak. The first oak I planted is about 40+ ft tall, and is putting out acorns, it is a Q. Rubra, or Q. Velutina, likely Velutina, no real fall color. I will add that Sycamores can lose a ton of roots and bounce back like nobody's business. Poaky1 Oh, I have a Q. Alba from an acorn but it in a lot of shade so only did a foot from acorn, but I'm talking nearly full shade, the tree that shades it is on it's way out likely within 10 years, and the Q. Alba can hang in there in shade til this other tree croaks. But of course all this I said is for my yard, and YMMV. Poaky1
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Huggorm
11 years ago
I use to grow tree saplings indoor during winter, just to have some green foliage around me. Under perfect conditions like no wind, rich soil, even temperature, extra light and moderate watering I think an oak seedling could grow 3-4 feet in their first year. I have done this with catalpa, they grow about thay much feet from december to april, but stops abruptly when taken outside. The chock of cold nights and more light than they are used to gives them problem. But if brought outside in september instead, I think they would grow eight feet and still go inte dormancy normally. Oaks grow more slowly ofcause, but I still think they would grow four feet tall. They need a lot of extra light though, or they will be top heavy and bend over in the first wind.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
do you have any experience growing things indoors in winter ????

in my z5 adrian MI house.. though you can easily control light and water .... humidity is the hard one.. with a forced air furnace ...

not to mention.. having to build a light stand gizmo .. with lights adjustable from 6 inches to 3 or 4 feet ...

i have no doubt it can be done ... the question usually revolves around how much $$$ you have to invest ... in building the setup requisite to success ...

the converse being.. its usually cheaper to buy what you need in the first place.. see link as an example.. 5 two year old plants for $16 ... put oak in the search function there.. and they offer different kinds ... [otherwise i have not ordered from them.. and i am sure there are other similar places]

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
wisconsitom
11 years ago
Fluorescent light is ideal for plant growth. It has a major drawback though-it doesn't have much "throw" by which I mean all the useable light is right under the bulbs. So then you find yourself moving up to the big metal halides, high-pressure sodiums, etc. Now you've got some real electricity consumption going on. Next thing you know, the swat team is busting your place down to uncover your "grow operation"! Sound nutty? Well it is! This is the state of our culture in this nation today.

As regards indoor-raised seedlings going dormant at the proper time when moved outside, that is triggered by photoperiod so should still happen on schedule.

+oM
Huggorm
11 years ago
Just as Ken Adrian writes, low humidity is a problem when growing trees indoors. But some species can handle that better than others. I have grown northen red oak indoors without problem, but alder saplings died away after a while. I think oak is generally not as sensitive for dry air as many other trees are.

Extra light is very important for oaks, they need well over 12 hours of light each day. When I took that red oak inside in january it did not wake up from dormancy as a ginkgo and a black locust I had at the same time did. I had to expand the on time of my lamps to wake the oak up from dormancy.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
the further humidity problem.. is sopping wet media ... versus the dry air ... trees wont like wet feet.. so media will be very important ...

in other words.. water management ...

i see a bank of four or eight 4 foot tubes.. so.. 2 or 4 fixtures .. depending on reflectors ... per shelf ... on a timer set for 16 hours per day ... min ...

ken
Sarah80
Original Author
11 years ago
We actually have an old metal halide 1000 watt fixture that we haven't used in a while. I'd need to buy a bulb for it, but it should still work.

Hubby bought it for an ill-fated attempt at growing citrus indoors a few years ago from a guy who I am pretty sure is a personal friend of Cheech and Chong, lol.
poaky1
11 years ago
Letting a fan blow enough to make them sway a bit will help strenghthen the trunks. Not always but a bit each day. I haven't done it with trees but with tomatoes etc, in spring. Yah, err, tomatoes.... Joking of course. With their baby trunks it should be enough to get some movement. It may dry out the soil faster, but if your soil isn't that peat and perlite crap and holds water better, it should'nt matter. If you know where the trees will be planted already, you can direct sow the acorns and protect the seedbed from digging critters. I think some red oak family acorns need a cold dormancy period to sprout. If I'm wrong someone speak up.

growing from acorns to oaks?

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Sarah80
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greenthumbzdude

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growing from acorns to oaks?

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Sarah80Original Author

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