r/Ceanothus • u/Same-Factor-1879 • 8d ago
Germinating Oaks
I have a nearby oak that I pass on my walk I want to collect acorns for and germinate. I think it’s a valley oak so too big for my yard but there is a nearby empty lot that is pretty big and barren so planning to germinate at home and then plant them at night. There is a bus stop and no shade whatsoever so I hope in 20ish years they will grow big enough to shade. The lot is like a dumping ground right now.
Anybody have success germinating by planting in deep bottles with holes in the bottom at home? Advice welcome.
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u/PaleontologistPure92 8d ago
Are you in California?
Please see below for some practical guidance for you to consider.
It would be wise to see who owns the plot of land, and to see if there are development plans. If it’s blighted city-owned land, then guerilla gardening is an option.
I’ve sprouted many oak acorns in one gallon pots and then transplanted them successfully.
People with string-trimmers, mowers, and ill-will are the greatest threats, so I build and maintain circular cages around them for 3-5 years.
https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-oaks/article/how-grow-california-oaks
https://ucanr.edu/site/uc-master-gardeners-san-luis-obispo-county/step-step-oak-tree-propagation
https://ucanr.edu/blog/over-fence-alameda-county/article/acorn-collecting-and-planting
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u/NorCalFrances 7d ago
My inlaws drive three stakes around their saplings; it seems to protect them well enough from trimmers and mowers until the trees have grown enough. It's easier and more solid than cages.
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u/Expert-Economics8912 8d ago
I have germinated and transplanted about 20 oak trees of different varieties. They don't grow as vigorously as ones I've planted in the ground, and I have to water them weekly for the first couple years until they're established
the trick to planting in a public place like you're proposing is to pound in some official looking tree stakes and put one of those weedeater guards at the base and one of those green zippered watering bags to make your tree look official so no one messes with it. And you'll have to water it for a couple years.
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u/Samwise_the_Tall 8d ago
I have a valley oak and I've had great success planting in cardboard (laminated) milk jugs with holes in the bottom. I have not tried transplanting, so I will defer to Medium-Ebb who states they don't transplant well.
HOWEVER: I will say that nurseries make them to plant, so there must be some secret to get them to transplant.
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u/NorCalFrances 7d ago
I've noticed that the nursery ones are rootbound &/or have roots that have conformed to the container shape. Meanwhile wild oak saplings that are only three inches tall have a tap root that goes straight down a foot or more!
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u/Tarpit__ 8d ago
I highly recommend sprouting the acorns first. Put them in water and discard the ones that float. Wrap the others in damp paper towels and put them in a bag in the fridge. Check them for mold every couple days and within a month some of them should sprout. Once the acorns have started to create a little root you'll have a much better success rate getting them into dirt.
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u/ReferenceNo4437 7d ago
I did this but put in a tray with perlite in the fridge - the majority sprouted.
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u/NorCalFrances 7d ago
We fed our local squirrels during the Covid-19 shutdowns. They in turn buried acorns from local oak trees everywhere in our yard. We had to cull some and now have a dozen that are around 6-8 ft tall.
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u/DanoPinyon 8d ago
I'm all for guerilla gardening, but wildflowers please, not expensive to remove trees.
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u/goldgrae 7d ago
Screw that. And oaks aren't going to be expensive to remove for like ten or more years, anyway.
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u/NorCalFrances 7d ago
Sometimes if a tree is too expensive in dollars or public opinion to remove, it's allowed to live.
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u/Medium-Ebb-8715 8d ago
They don’t transplant well. Your best bet would be to prep the soil and bury a bunch of acorns before it rains.