Sawtooth Acorns

[DoubleRidge]

I have been given a sack of sawtooth acorns from this fall.

I'm wanting to start them in pots in the spring....then when they are big enough transplant them on the property.

My question is what's the best way to store them? I've read to store them in the fridge? Then read it's not necessary to store in fridge?...then store inside through winter?....or store outside?.....keep them moist?....keep them dry?

Looking for recommendations from those who have started sawtooth from acorns....hoping to get started correctly.

 

[diamond hunter]

Personally,Id get a pot and fill with good dirt then poke a bunch down about an inch and put them outside by the house,Cover somehow with a board to keep pests out.,then id put some in the fridge in the drawer with a paper towel with about 30 drops of water on it. Then in spring I would plant what comes up and then order some bare root saplings and plant them as well.Give them space and protect them and keep the weeds down. They hate competition,plant real high up as well.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Personally,Id get a pot and fill with good dirt then poke a bunch down about an inch and put them outside by the house,Cover somehow with a board to keep pests out.,then id put some in the fridge in the drawer with a paper towel with about 30 drops of water on it. Then in spring I would plant what comes up and then order some bare root saplings and plant them as well.Give them space and protect them and keep the weeds down. They hate competition,plant real high up as well.

Thanks.....do you have a recommendation on where to order bare root saplings? Appreciate the information.

 

[diamond hunter]

Native nursery has great trees

 

[muddyboots]

Native nurseries is where I order mine. Wildlife group has some good stuff also.

 

[Chapman]

I was given some dried sawtooth acorns. The guy picked them up from his trees and kept them dry in a bucket inside. I planted them and they sprouted good. Live oaks acorns need to be planted fresh, before they dry out, not sure about other types of oaks.

 

[Chickenrig]

Second the wildlife group
I went there last winter and purchased a 30 fruit tree bare root package and 20 bare root sawtooths and them trees are well on their way. I will be back there in Feb to get more sawtooths for sure. Good people right there

 

[DoubleRidge]

Second the wildlife group
I went there last winter and purchased a 30 fruit tree bare root package and 20 bare root sawtooths and them trees are well on their way. I will be back there in Feb to get more sawtooths for sure. Good people right there

Are you transplanting the bare root fruit trees & sawtooth directly into the ground? Or are you nursing any in pots?....if directly in the ground are you using tree tubes to protect them? or wire cage? or both?

 

[Tn_Va_Hunter]

I had a member here send me 25 acorns one year. Planted them in the mulch outside. Nice they hit about 10'inches tall I transplanted them. Only lost 4. I used tubes and cages. The ones in cages did much better.

 

[rukiddin]

I got all minr from the TN state nursery. I planted them feb of 17 as 2 year olds and had acorns this year!!!
As far as sprouting the acorns, I've sprouted a ton of'em just filling solo cups with potting soil and putting one acorn 1/2-1" in the soil. Move them to a bigger pot after they're up and going good. All mine were picked up and stayed in a plastic grocery bag on a shelf in my garage.
where I hunt, there are hundreds of sawtooth. We bushhog the place for the landowner. I've actually had a acorn sprout laying in the grass clippings on the bushhog.

 

[Chickenrig]

Sorry DR didn't see the blinky thing up top.
Yes i plant the bare roots right in the ground . Its nice bacause it requires a smaller hole than container grown . I was hesitant at first but now thats all i'll plant . I filled my big coolers with water and after i dug the hole i put the tree in , backfill and flood it with water to prevent air bubbles . I use a stick to stir the fill around to assure the roots are surrouned by mud . Just make sure to plant them high, just enough to cover roots . I dont have a serious deer problem so i only put tubes on the trees down back . My trees will be in the ground 1 year next month and plan on trimming the leaders back and start fert& oil spray regimen in the spring .
Good luck

 

[DoubleRidge]

Sorry DR didn't see the blinky thing up top.
Yes i plant the bare roots right in the ground . Its nice bacause it requires a smaller hole than container grown . I was hesitant at first but now thats all i'll plant . I filled my big coolers with water and after i dug the hole i put the tree in , backfill and flood it with water to prevent air bubbles . I use a stick to stir the fill around to assure the roots are surrouned by mud . Just make sure to plant them high, just enough to cover roots . I dont have a serious deer problem so i only put tubes on the trees down back . My trees will be in the ground 1 year next month and plan on trimming the leaders back and start fert& oil spray regimen in the spring .
Good luck

Thanks! Appreciate the information!

 

[DoubleRidge]

For the sawtooth acorns mentioned at beginning of this thread....I float tested them and they all passed.....got them planted in pots yesterday....hoping for the best

 

[jejeffrries71]

Good luck. They litter the ground in my CRP every year, but I never see any new ones coming up. Maybe just not shade tolerant?

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Good deal. I just put 10 American Chestnuts in pots I got from the American Chestnut Foundation, but they haven't germinated yet. Make sure the squirrels can't get to them, or they will sniff them out and dig them up. Don't ask me how I know!

 

[Hunter 257W]

JCDeerman, is absolutely right on squirrels and chestnuts and i suspect any nut tree where the seed can be dug up and eaten. I got almost 20 chestnuts from somebody on here years ago and planted them in pots all around the house. I checked them one day and found a bunch dug up and then remembered I had seen even more squirrel activity in that area recently. Made a bunch of wire cages to put over them and saved the rest.

 

[WanderingNomad]

Make sure if you put wire over them to either have wire that a squirrel arm can't go thru or leave space above the dirt so they can not reach in and grab the nuts.

 

[usanglure]

I had 6 sawtooth that i'd planted 4 years ago in 3 galloon containers and were doing great. I was gonna transplant them this year and the freeze took 5 of them unfortunately.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I had 6 sawtooth that i'd planted 4 years ago in 3 galloon containers and were doing great. I was gonna transplant them this year and the freeze took 5 of them unfortunately.

That's frustrating...... surprised the cold got them being 4 years old....wonder if they could bounce back?

 

[usanglure]

That's frustrating...... surprised the cold got them being 4 years old....wonder if they could bounce back?

Nope, checked all the way to the root, finally upended them Wednesday this week....

 

[DoubleRidge]

Update on the 13 sawtooth acorns mentioned earlier in this thread.....they have finally sprouted and are coming up....couple of the really cold nights I put them in the basement....other nights I didn't....so I was worried the cold might have gotten them.....so far looks like they are ok ...about 9 of the 13 are showing.

 

[Chickenrig]

Update on the 13 sawtooth acorns mentioned earlier in this thread.....they have finally sprouted and are coming up....couple of the really cold nights I put them in the basement....other nights I didn't....so I was worried the cold might have gotten them.....so far looks like they are ok ...about 9 of the 13 are showing.

Lookin good !!! Its up to you and God now

 

[DoubleRidge]

Lookin good !!! Its up to you and God now

They are coming along nice....all of them sprouted....but a couple of them are really jumping.....so far so good.

 

[TNTreeman]

Love sawtooths

 

[BSK]

Love sawtooths

Great early fall acorn. Generally drop about two weeks before other acorns.

 

[DoubleRidge]

So all of the sawtooths I started in pots look good except for one.....one of them is almost white? It's growing but it concerns me...this is my first time starting trees from seed and I'm curious if I should get rid of this one? Or give it a chance? Just don't want this one to cause issues with the others?

 

[DoubleRidge]

I sent the guy that I got the sawtooth acorns from a picture of the ones I started in pots this spring....and he sent me the attached picture in reply....he started this tree from an acorn 7 years ago....he estimates it to be 20 to 23 feet tall....amazing to me how quickly they grow and produce.

 

[Chapman]

I wonder how bad they are about sprouting new trees from the acorns that fall and don't get eaten. I have 3 on some pasture that haven't started making acorns and I really don't want them to start spreading. They held up pretty good during the 2 hurricanes we had in 2020. Here is one 8 years old, planted from a bare-root seedling.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I wonder how bad they are about sprouting new trees from the acorns that fall and don't get eaten. I have 3 on some pasture that haven't started making acorns and I really don't want them to start spreading. They held up pretty good during the 2 hurricanes we had in 2020. Here is one 8 years old, planted from a bare-root seedling.

Nice looking tree Chapman!!..... surprised it's not producing any acorns yet.... bet it will start soon.....if it's anything like around here the acorns won't last long on the ground.

 

[BSK]

if it's anything like around here the acorns won't last long on the ground.

Deer really wolf them down. Not only because they like the acorns, but because they are often the first acorn to fall.