How to Grow Oak Trees

While oak trees tend to grow slowly, they are hard to beat for a good shade tree once they become established, and having a mighty oak tree on your property lends grace and beauty that few tree varieties can match. Unlike many other varieties of trees that are easy to pick up at the nursery and transplant into your chosen spot, oak trees are best grown from seed. Oak trees develop a deep tap root that can grow up to 5 feet into the ground during the first year, making them poor candidates for successful transplantation. However, adding an oak tree to your landscaping is not difficult if proper care is taken and the seeds are easy to come by--just ask any squirrel. Acorns fall to the ground freely every year from oak trees making them easy to collect and plant.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Collecting acorns is the first step in growing oak trees. Acorns should be gathered in the fall when they begin to fall from the oak tree, then held dormant over the winter to be planted in the spring. Choose plump-looking acorns for the best chance of healthy sprouts and be sure to collect more than you will need, as not every acorn will sprout. Place the acorns in a blend of peat mix or leaf mold and barley, equal amounts in each, all placed inside a plastic bag. Refrigerate these packages at a temperature between 32 and 35 degrees, keeping them slightly moistened. This process provides the acorn with the period of dormancy it will need to sprout easily after spring planting.

2. Nurturing acorns into seedlings is the next step, a task most easily accomplished by starting them in containers. Purchasing a good potting soil is advisable, as it can be trusted not to transmit diseases or parasites to your tender young seedling. Mix some milled sphagnum moss into the soil to give it a sponge-like consistency, then punch holes into the bottom of a Styrofoam or paper cup to allow drainage. Fill a cup to the top with the soil mixture, then plant the acorn on its side, just below the surface. Soak the soil with water until it begins to run out of the drainage holes. Place the cup in a sunny, south facing window and keep the soil moist at all times.

3. Setting an oak tree seedling outside during the daytime once they have reached a height of five to six inches tall will acclimate them to the outdoor environment, giving them a better chance at thriving once they are planted in the ground. If roots begin to become crowded as the seedling grows, transplanting to a larger container may be necessary. Outdoor planting can be done in the fall, or you can keep them over the winter in a cellar or garage, so long as the temperature will not rise above 45 degrees and slight moisture is maintained in the soil. Once planted outdoors, the seedlings should be caged for protection from deer, rabbits, and other animals that would love to snack on the tender oak tree seedling.