8N Related, Barely!

We planted 200+ walnuts on a 1' x 1' grid in nice, well-composted ground and kept it weed free for two years and only got four saplings. Now the walnuts that the squirrels buried or fell in our veggie garden sprouted up a dozen saplings... Go figure.

I've been fortunate on our prairie-restoration project to have a few old oaks right near the field edge. The squirrels and chippies bury enough acorns to have dozens of seedlings sprouting every spring and we just transplant the ones we want at about 5' tall as soon as the ground thaws.

If it were me, I'd hand scatter as many FRESH acorns as I could find and turn them under with a light application of the disc. (shoot for 1"-3" based on how well a squirrel can dig.) Your germination rate will be pretty poor, but with enough 'corns, you'll still get a bunch of seedlings.

my $.02

J-

I think Bruce is right to suggest storing them in a cold & damp place (a bucket filled with moist sawdust works great!) over winter and then putting them in pots for a summer. The pots need to be large enough for the tap root to develop. I've used 1/2 gallon plastic nursery pots. Plant them the following spring. You won't have much germination if you direct seed them.

The caps can stay on.

Colin, MN

frank

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