I have 20+ Live Oaks (Quercus virginiana) available for trade. These are 2 year old whips, approximately 18" in height. They will be shipped bareroot with the roots wrapped in dampened material and encased in plastic to ensure save delivery. These plants have been developed in isolation to ensure that they are healthy and that they are true live oaks. I would like to trade for native species I do not have... particularly other Texas native trees and shrubs ...permaculture plants... and will consider suggestions for plants that I do not have... Thanks.

The mix of sowing medium is probably fine, what you've done incorporating the Jiffy mix into the Miracle Grow is lighten up your end product with more peat and vermiculite. All of the nutrients for germination and early growth are already contained in the acorn, you don't need to concern yourself with that right now. Thoroughly wetting the sowing medium initially is good. From there, rather than on a schedule, you'll want to insure it's continuously damp, neither wet nor allowed to dry. It sounds like you may have your acorns a little shallow - "Stratification: Cold stratify for 30 days or until radicle emergence. (this has been done for you by mother nature and you are seeing the radicle/root in the acorns you collected) Germination: Sow seed 1 to 2 inches deep, tamp soil, keep moist, mulch seed bed." (suggestion for sowing outdoors) There is the chance if rain has fallen since the tree incident the chemical was moved through the soil to the area from which you collected the acorns, but don't despair - it seems propagation of these trees has been in effect for quite some time. Not to say you should not be attempting to grow your own, but "Auburn University's School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences has been growing -- and selling -- baby Toomer's Corner oak trees grown from acorns from the same historic trees"...From what I'm reading they have some at different ages now - it will be years before the original trees can be replaced with the now seedlings but there steps are being taken to decontaminate the soil, reinstate them.

DEFINITELY a Laurel Oak, Q. laurifolia on further investigation. In fact, now that I think about it, I think there is one of them growing at a park in Columbia, MD. It seems to be evergreen (full green leaf in January last year when I drove by it), and looks like that tree. So I collected a few acorns from the tree here at Disney, as well as some Live Oak acorns. How do I germinate them? DO either need stratification? If not, will they winterkill in MD? Will they survive even at the post-seedling phase? I've seen both Q. virginiana and Q. laurifolia in my area, the Laurel Oak at a park in Columbia (Z6b/7a) and a few Q. virginiana at the National Arboreatum in Washington, DC. Are these the best evergreen/semi-evergreen oaks for my area? Are there other good choices? What are the hardiest evergreen oaks overall?

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