Oaks from Acorns

As these pictures will show, it's a long term process starting oak trees from acorns.  In the fall of 2005, I collected acorns beneath one of our legacy white oak trees that are growing along the treeline between Pinefield and Sue and Chuck's place.  I was intrigued by not only the abundance of fresh acorns laying on the ground that year, but by the fact that they were beginning to germinate on the surface of the soil.  White oak acorns don't require stratification in order to germinate, so when a tree produces a crop of acorns, you can usually find them all with a small leader emerging from the bottom tip of the acorn.  Wildlife love acorns from the White Oak group which include White Oak (Quercus alba), Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa), Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor) and Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) which is far less common in our area.  Squirrels usually steal most of these acorns when they drop, so it's important to check for them frequently if you're planning on collecting them.  Squirrels are instrumental in helping distribute and plant the acorns in nature.

Acorns opening and starting to grow roots!

In the fall of 2005, I planted an acorn from the giant White Oak on the property line.  I located it in the yard near the barn so that I could keep a close eye on it while it grew and developed into a tree.

Spring 2006 - First evidence of top growth on my newly planted acorn.

Fall 2009 - After 4 growing seasons, this tree is just starting to put on top growth.

This picture is from my trip home this spring (2012) before leaf-out.
This tree now has a thick stem, lots of roots and is putting on 1-2 feet of height a year.

As the pictures indicate, it usually takes three to four years for the oaks to establish a taproot significant enough to really start putting on top growth.  Everyone says that oaks grow slowly, but really they are just slow to get started.  Once those roots establish, they actually grow quite fast.  Oaks are hardy and long-lived, making great shade and yard trees.  In nature, they contend heavily with faster growing trees such as elms and maples, so it's good to select them for yard trees which helps preserve them for years to come.  Oaks were once the dominant tree on the land at Pinefield farm, but years of fire suppression and bad land management have reduced them to the minority among maples, elms, cherrys and invasive shrubs.

This tree growing in the yard with plenty of sun and no competition will develop into an acorn producing monster over time and the squirrels will help plant the acorns around the property for future generations of trees to come!