How do i germinate an acorn from an oak tree?

Question

do i need to bake it at a certain temp or just dry it ?

Answer 1

Neither.
My experience comes from pin oak trees, a sub species of oak tree fairly common in eastern forests.I have divided the contents up by subject for easy reference.

Selection: Look for an acorn with these characteristics in mind;
-Large, smooth and egg-shaped in appearance
-Even coloring
-Either light yellow or greenish in color
-Clean end, not damaged
-Should be particularly heavy- indicates freshness

Germination-
You should try to mimic their natural habitat; cool, dark and moist
Use a baking sheet to lay out paper towels on. Use enough to cover pan with one layer, then wet it with a spray bottle- tap water is fine.
Place acorns on their sides, about 2'' apart with their ends all facing the same way. Cover with another layer of paper towel and wet.
Place the pan in a dark, room-temperature place; not the basement!
The pan should be checked weekly for up to a month, weting again as needed. The acorns will be ready when the roots are 1 to 2 inches long.

Planting-
Start off each acorn in its own pot- about 4'' in diameter and 5'' deep.
Place the roots downward and cover the acorn with about 1/2'' of soil
Pat very lightly. Place the pot in a windowsill where it should get about 3-4
hours of sun each day.

In a week or two you'll have sprouted your very own little oak tree!

Answer 2

Acorn Germination

Answer 3

There is no need to do any of that. Do exactly the same thing you see squirrels do: bury it where you want the tree to sprout. In fact, bury a bunch of acorns or for that matter, bury some walnuts too, if that's the kind of tree you want. If it's just a case of where you want to germinate a see and watch it grow, plant the acorn in a pot and I can almost assure you it will sprout. Seed growers do use dryers at times to dry seeds, but I would not recommend putting the acorn in an oven -- that would kill the plant found inside the seed.

Answer 4

Do not bake it. The best thing is to plant them in pots place them in a protected area outside and wait to see what happens. I do not think they will germinate until spring as a lot of tree seed require a cold spell to germinate. The tree seedlings can be planted out in a garden bed or transfered to larger pots which encourages a more fibrous root system.

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How do i germinate an acorn from an oak tree?
do i need to bake it at a certain temp or just dry it ?

Answer 6

Hi Mazda,
Sometimes large seeds like that are hard to start on their own. To give it a boost and send the little roots out, scratch the side of it a few times with sandpaper and then plant in some potting medium, water it well and cover with a plastic bag. Leave covered and watered for about three weeks until the roots emerge and the plant starts coming up.
Sounds like fun, I started a Kentucky Coffe Tree that way.
It's about six feet tall now!

Answer 7

to germinate an acorn you need to collect a ripe and mature one. make sure it has no damage, ex. small holes from borers or saw flies. don't bake it, rather dry it for a couple months at 40 - 50 degrees F. it could be in the basement or a garage . don't use the frig as there may be to much moisture and it may likely mold. then plant it in a waxed paper drinking cup in a loamy soil mix,water and place in a warm location, room temp. The cool phase = winter. gOOd luck.

Answer 8

Baking will kill. If you need a small tree the best way is to just go look around any drainage area and check for seedlings already started by nature that are a few inches tall. Soak the ground around it and just pull up a pregrown specimen.

Answer 9

I have them growing all over my yard either due to squirrels or chipmunks. They just seem to bury it and it grows. I'm not sure of the time frame, because I don't see then do it, but this year they are just all over the place and when I pull them up the shell is still attached.

Answer 10

Plant it in a pot in good soil and it will sprout if you keep it watered and place it in a sunny place, even indoors. After it gets started replant it outdoors in a protective area so it won't get mowed down.