Germinating acorns from New Zealand

[annew]

Our neighbouring village had, within living memory, a very ancient oak tree. It unfortunately finally succumbed some decades ago, and the remains were still visible until fairly recently. It now transpires that some acorns were taken to New Zealand by villagers who emigrated there, and there are several fairly large specimens now growing there. SO! We've been sent 36 acorns which we are hoping to grow on and replant.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how best to treat them for good germination? Sow now? Keep in damp sand in fridge until autumn?
Thank you in anticipation.

[Rodger Whitlock]

I would simply plant them in rows in a bed, water in well just once, and forget them. Be sure to cover them with screening of some sort so squirrels can't dig them up.

As soon as they germinate, they should be lifted individually and potted in deep pots. When you do this, cut the tip off the tap root that forms so as to encourage development of fibrous roots.

My own belief is that plants want to grow, and if we give them the opportunity, they will. If, on the other hand, we endlessly fuss with them and chivvy them, all we do is interfere with natural processes. Left to their own devices, these acorns will adapt to the change in hemispheres.

[Onion]

I agree with Rodger,

the main risk by oak acorns is that the acorn lost to much water 5 to 10 %. That is enough to kill the acorns. Cover them after the planting. And hope the squirrels or mice don't find them.

[annew]

Thank you for your good advice. We will do as suggested and hope for the best.

[arillady]

Good luck Anne with the acorns. I have grown a few over the years for fun and to have some shade trees (in the future) and I would agree that the fresher the better and just plant them as Rodger suggested.

[annew]

They are now in the ground!

[Lesley Cox]

How interesting that acorns from NZ trees have gone back to the UK, grown from trees in turn grown from English acorns.

In Timaru in the grounds of the Timaru Boys High School, is a massive oak tree known locally as "The Lovelock Oak." It started life as the small seedling oak tree presented by Hitler to Jack Lovelock, an old boy of the school, on winning the 1 mile race at the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. (Hitler was reputed to be furiously angry that some upstart runner from a small country no-one had ever heard of, won the race, but had to swallow it.) Now, of course, if presented with such a seedling it couldn't be brought home because of MAF restrictions. At recent Olympic Games I've looked at NZers standing on the winners' podiums (podia?)and thought it sad that their bunches of flowers and greenery had to be binned and couldn't be kept and dried maybe, as souvenirs

[annew]

One year on, and sadly no germination of the acorns. I now have 3 more, which I thought I might try stratifying in damp sand/compost in the fridge. Any offers as to how long I should do this for?
Next year, can anyone advise as to the best stage to collect them - wait until shed naturally or pick slightly unripe and send early??

[Kristl Walek]

Ann,
I would agree with the previous comments---but obviously the fact of different hemispheres is an issue with germination. If this is an English Oak we are discussing.

I know its habits very well, as it is the most common exotic tree in this area & on my small property alone there are half a dozen trees & I do battle with millions of acorns raked away in the fall and thousands of seedlings the following spring/summer that plan to overtake every inch of available space.

Here, no matter how late the fall (into early December), there is never any germination until the following year (after winter).

I am hoping the 3 seeds you have are not desiccated---and (keeping in mind the NZ origin of the seed) I would do the moist/cold in fridge now- keeping them there until next spring or transferring to outdoors over winter when the time comes.

 

[Lesley Cox]

Kristl is quite right about the hemisphere thing. It often makes a difference of a full year added to germinating times, even of freshest seed. It can apply to trees or crocuses and fritillarias as well. So far a oaks coming up from the previous season's acorns, in K's garden, is it provable that they are the newest acorns? We have kowhai trees (Sophora tetraptera) which make small, very hard yellow seeds and we get seedlings every year but I am pretyy sure this years seedlings are from seeds of maybe 5 years ago or even more, the hard coats taking so long to break down. We didn't get any seedlings until 6 years after the first flowerings.

[David Pilling]

in K's garden, is it provable that they are the newest acorns?

In my experience, sow acorns in October, get seedlings in March - in pots there is no argument which acorns have germinated. It was also pretty much 100% success. But I picked them up off the moist ground and sowed them immediately.

[Anthony Darby]

I must get some Kermes Oak (Quercus coccifer) acorns. I grew some from Barcelona acorns back in Dunblane. Lovely wee things that looked like holly.

[annew]

Thanks, folks. I suspect the acorns are not good. I believe they were picked slightly underripe as the donor was coming over here and had to pick them then. The kernels rattle inside the shell, so they are probably dessicated. Anyway I have nothing to lose by planting them anyway.