Acorn Germination

Sam Collie

Acorns I had been storing in compost in the fridge for germination inadvertently got thrown in the wheelie bin still inside their clear plastic compost bag before Christmas. Retrieved and they have sprouted still attached to their acorn shells inside the bag but look ‘bolted’ ie long blanched fragile shoots and difficult to tell what’s root and what should be upward growing stem. The acorns were collected from an area of special interest to me and I won’t be back till next year so I’d like to try and salvage these. Any suggestions grateful. I thought of potting them up as best I can and leaving under cover in my mini poly tunnel for the remainder of the winter to see if they harden up and begin to grow more normally. Not sure what way to put them in soil though as root and shoot growing same direction and I can’t tell which is which.

Live at Three

Sam Collie wrote: »

Acorns I had been storing in compost in the fridge for germination inadvertently got thrown in the wheelie bin still inside their clear plastic compost bag before Christmas. Retrieved and they have sprouted still attached to their acorn shells inside the bag but look ‘bolted’ ie long blanched fragile shoots and difficult to tell what’s root and what should be upward growing stem. The acorns were collected from an area of special interest to me and I won’t be back till next year so I’d like to try and salvage these. Any suggestions grateful. I thought of potting them up as best I can and leaving under cover in my mini poly tunnel for the remainder of the winter to see if they harden up and begin to grow more normally. Not sure what way to put them in soil though as root and shoot growing same direction and I can’t tell which is which.

I planted acorns a few years back and pretty sure they didn't break ground till early spring. I didn't bother stratifying them in the fridge or anything, just pots outside.

I would bury them into pots of compost and leave them outdoors. I'd point them upwards, as I'd rather the root turn around and figure out the right direction than the shoot. Not an expert, but just my thoughts!

And leave some sort of mesh or wire over them to protect from birds or mice. (I used an old fire guard)

Sam Collie

Thanks! That makes sense.

New Home

Just a thought: would you plant them sideways, so that both the root and the shoot are parallel to the ground? That way they'd both have less "road to travel" to turn themselves the right way up or down.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I've grown many oaks without stratifying. Just put the acorns in pots and leave them outside.

If you can't determine which way is up, plant them on their sides. Acorns don't always end right way up when germinated in the wild.

Sam Collie

Thanks for the above tips. My concern was also the fragile stems as they ‘bolted’ but I’ll just lay them sideways in pots and partly protect them and hopefully they’ll toughen up and grow the right way. ��

riffmongous

New Home wrote: »

Just a thought: would you plant them sideways, so that both the root and the shoot are parallel to the ground? That way they'd both have less "road to travel" to turn themselves the right way up or down.

Yep, they'll sort themselves out.



I'd put them under light inside at this stage if possible