How to Plant Pin Oak Seeds
Easily one of the most popular landscape trees in Northern America, pin oak trees beautify landscapes with their wide-sweeping, shade-providing branches. The popularity of pin oaks is largely due to the trees' strong fibrous root system. Pin oaks do not require high quality soil but rather hard, nutrient-lacking, water-retaining clay. This makes them especially good candidates for suburban areas. Planting pin oaks is a fairly simple and very rewarding process. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Obtain pin oak acorns. The best way to locate pin oak acorns is to first find a pin oak tree. Likely locations include the areas surrounding your neighborhood, wooded hiking trails and parks. If you are collecting acorns from a tree on property that does not belong to you, make sure you obtain the owner's permission before you begin collecting. Collect only acorns that have already fallen from the tree. The acorns should be hard, plump and brown. Pin oak acorns can also be ordered from forestry suppliers in your area or online.
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Determine which acorns are suitable for planting. Many acorns begin to decay quickly or become infested with worms shortly after they fall to the ground. To determine which acorns are candidates for planting, simply float them in a glass of water. Damaged, moldy or wormy acorns will float to the top, while viable acorns will sink to the bottom.
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Stratify your acorns. Place the acorns into a re-sealable plastic bag and fill the bag with slightly moist potting soil. Place the bag into the refrigerator for six to eight weeks. Check the soil periodically and re-moisten as needed. You may notice that some acorns have sprouted. The seedling may be planted once they have sprouted.
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Plant the acorns. Pin oaks have extremely long tap roots, so containers must be a minimum of 10 inches deep to accommodate the root as the seedling grows. Fill the containers with potting soil, and plant the acorn approximately an inch below the soil's surface. Water the acorn lightly. If you are growing the seedlings indoors, provide them full sun. If they are grown outdoors, partial sun is acceptable.
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Maintain the seedlings. Rotate the seedlings' pots periodically to avoid a crook growing in the trunk of the tree. Water frequently, and once the seedlings are a month old, begin fertilizing them on a weekly basis with diluted houseplant fertilizer. At a year of age, your seedlings are ready for transplanting outdoors.
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