How to Gather Live Oak Acorns

Gathering viable live oak acorns is the first step to growing healthy live oak trees. Live oak acorns are best gathered fresh in the fall when oak trees first begin to drop their acorns. There are a few simple guidelines to selecting the right live oak acorns to guarantee a healthy stand of oaks in the future.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Identify live oak acorns by looking for an acorn that is about 1 inch in length, widest at the base, and ending in a rounded point. The section within the acorn's cup is light brown.

2. Examine the live oak acorns for small drill holes. These indicate that weevils have attacked the acorn and it won't be capable of healthy growth.

3. Gently squeeze the acorn. If the there are any soft spots, the acorn could be moldy or rotten inside. Even when they are wet, the hull of the acorns should not be compressible.

4. Dig your thumbnail into the acorn. It should not pierce the acorn or cause it to crumble in any way. If there any deep blemishes or indentation, the acorn should be rejected.

5. Place any gathered acorns into a container which allows air to circulate over the acorns, such as a reed or plastic basket or a net bag. This prevents rot in case the gathered acorns are not planted right away.