Bur Oak Acorns, vernalize or not?

[Flowerhouse]

I collected 8 solid acorns from a bur oak near my home. The first web article I read said to plant them within 5 days of collection. The next article said they had to be chilled for 30 to 60 days before planting. What do you guys think? If there's no consensus I guess I could vernalize 4, plant 4 now....

 

[0soyoung]

Being where they are native means that whatever vernalization they require occurs naturally --> plant now. However, stratifying in the frig may produce a higher rate of germination next spring.

 

[LittleDingus]

Many of the oaks native to the midwest..burr oak included...will germinate almost immediately when placed in the ground. They do not need a cold period to germinate. They generally will not sprout until the following spring, however. They spend the fall/winter creating a tap root our of the corn. In the spring, they form a trunk out of the corn causing them to have a funny little tumor where the corn is. That's energy reserves that get used up through the first year.

I dug up one of my chinquapin oak acorns shortly after planting them out last fall to prove they do germinate immediately. The progress is here[1] but the short version is: 5 days after planting (early October), there was the start of a root. Stems didn't emerge above ground until February. They shouldn't have emerged that early but the grow bag was in the garage safe from the squirrels who had dug up my other 4 sets of acorns I had moved it outside again at that point but then the tops all died off to regrow again at a more normal time.

The "plant them within 5 days of collection" comes from not letting them dry out too much. I've always heard never to pick an acorn up off the ground...it won't germinate. Pick them directly off the tree.

The "cold stratification" is best done in the ground if you can since the acorns will germinate readily and grow underground through the fall and winter months.

It is stressful waiting for them to pop in the spring though...I ain't gonna lie!


[1] https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/5...uehlenbergii-chinkapin-oak.46390/#post-794781

 

[Flowerhouse]

Thanks Oso and Dingus.

I've always heard never to pick an acorn up off the ground...it won't germinate. Pick them directly off the tree.

I read that too. The few remaining acorns on the tree are out of reach. I grabbed some that were on the sidewalk. They hadn't been grabbed by the deer yet so could only have been there a few minutes. All sinkers, so I'm hoping for the best. Bur oak are hardy here, but only occur naturally in the NE corner of Wyoming in the Devil's Tower area.

 

[sorce]

"Vernalization"

Sorce

 

[Potawatomi13]

Plant now just below soil level. Keep damp in semi shady area. May or may not sprout before fall but leave outside for natural dormancy/proper Sunlighting.

 

[Forsoothe!]

You can just lay them on top the soil and they will stick a foot out and poke it in the ground/soil.

 

[Flowerhouse]

You can just lay them on top the soil and they will stick a foot out and poke it in the ground/soil.

LOL if I had 100 acorns I would do just that. Because I have only 8 I will have to protect them from deer, squirrels, and whatever buggy things inhabit the soil looking for goodies to eat.

 

[Forsoothe!]

LOL if I had 100 acorns I would do just that. Because I have only 8 I will have to protect them from deer, squirrels, and whatever buggy things inhabit the soil looking for goodies to eat.

Yes, outdoors they are nothing but treats. Animals can smell them a mile away when they germinate, ~smell one and you'll see what I mean. (That's how squirrels "remember" where they planted them. They don't "plant" them, they "hide" them.) I germinate them in a flat on the cold floor of my greenhouse. They sit there until January/February and then stick that foot out.

 

[Wulfskaar]

I can only speak for Coast Live Oak acorns, but you do not need to take them off the tree. I collected many from the concrete and grass in my back yard last year and almost all of them grew. I hope this works for Valley Oak as well since I just picked some up from the ground below the big mama tree.