How to Grow a Tree from An Acorn

Acorns can be easy to grow trees from and easy to handle at the same time. Some tree species such as oak trees are purely grown from acorns. It’s quite a process since we have to collect and sort them before we are able to plant them. However, we have to understand the process properly before we can say we know how to grow a tree from an acorn. When planting trees from acorns it might be important to mention that direct seeding of the acorns on the site has more advantages than growing them somewhere else before planting them. Growing trees from acorns basically range from the earliest stage of identifying suitable acorns, picking them, preparing them to the time they grow into young tree seedlings. 

Here’s How to Grow a Tree from An Acorn

Collecting acorns for tree growing 

When collecting acorns, we need to be careful about where we get them from in relation to where we are planting them. It may be important to collect the acorns from trees growing a short distance from where we will be planting them. This will help us match the environmental conditions on the other side, we might need to match the environment, for example, if we picked out acorns from a riparian area, we might need to plant them in the creek, it might be easier to match the needs this way. 

Collecting acorns needs us to be careful. Acorns that are ready to be picked are those whose acorn cap can easily be separated from the acorn without tasting the seed coat. It is advisable to pick the acorns directly from the tree since acorns that are picked off the grounds are usually insect-damaged. They can be picked by any suitable means available but a bamboo stick of medium height can be helpful. Usually, when tapped, they might look green but with time in storage, they turn brown. 

Storing acorns 

After the collection of acorns, it is necessary to store them properly if they will not be planted immediately. They need to be stored well in a cool and moist place. To do this effectively without triggering unwanted growth, we can put the acorns in a plastic bag and chill them in a refrigerator. 

This way, they will stay cool and moist without germinating but in the right conditions. Note that they should not be placed in the refrigerator directly since it damages them and might fail to germinate. This may be for a little time when the preparation for the planting site is underway. 

Sorting the acorns before planting 

It is very important to sort good from bad acorns before we can comfortably plant them. We should check them properly for insects and germination during growth. If an acorn germinates during growth, we can transplant it if it has firm roots and light-colored roots, this has high possibilities of germinating. 

The reason why we check for insects is that during the storage period, if we had an insect on the acorn at the larval stage, by the time they are brought out of storage, the insects would be pupating. We ought to be careful with little holes since most acorn insects often make holes the size of a pencil lead and they might be not easy to notice. This is where we get rid of infested acorns as well as those that germinated but are not viable for transplant. 

What’s the best site for planting oaks? 

For instance, if we are planning to plant oaks for shading, we might have to select a site south or northwest from our living structures. We also need to select a site with enough space to accommodate an increase in the maturity of the tree. Water pipes and underground cables would need to be dug out at some point. We also ought to be a little careful on the distance to ensure the trees will have a distance safe enough from where we live. 

How to plant acorns 

Planting acorns will need us to be a little careful in the preparation of the site as well as the planting itself. It is advisable to plant the acorns immediately after collection since stored acorns often tend to be less fertile. We should therefore prepare the planting site early enough before we go collecting the acorns. 

If we are to plant them in a large space of the homestead, we need to wait for the rains to wet the soil before we can plant the acorns. However, if we are planting them in a space where we can manage to irrigate them, we can still have them planted and irrigated. 

The planting holes need to be like 10 inches deep and 6-8 inches from each other to allow the possibility of some not growing. Measurements are a very important part of how to grow a tree from an acorn and we need to be careful with them. 

Sometimes the depth may vary due to some factors such as irrigation. If we are to plant them in irrigated holes, they need to be like a foot deep and they should be given some time to dry a little before the planting is done to make it easy. 

Taking care of seedlings 

We should have some mulch around the planting holes after planting so that when the trees grow, they find it easy to adapt. We should generally make sure they are insect-free and get rid of any hindering factors, make sure they have enough moisture around them up to a stage when they can successfully support themselves. 

Final Thoughts: How to Grow a Tree from An Acorn

Planting trees from acorns sounds a little difficult but it is way easier than the seeds we are used to. The most common trees grown from acorns are oak trees. They may be easier to try since they’re commonly grown. However, the most important thing is how we culture them until we come up with trees for whatever purpose we need them for. The process above is simply how to grow trees from acorns and it is that easy to follow. 

If you have questions regarding growing a tree from an acorn, we suggest you to contact your local tree service in Danbury, CT today to provide you assistance as to how you should culture it and tend to its needs.