How to Grow an Oak Tree From Seed

Plant acorns to grow oak trees.

Oak trees are very popular and often adorn many yards and forests. The slow-growing trees provide shade, as well as beautiful decor and natural ambiance. Oak trees are available as seedlings at local nurseries, but you can also simply plant an acorn and get the same results for a lot less money. Planting your oak tree from seeds requires a bit more work than simply planting a seedling, but the satisfaction you will likely feel from watching your seed grow into an adult will be worth the extra effort.

Things You'll Need

• Sealable bag
• Leaf mold or peat mix
• Barley dampen
• Styrofoam cup
• Potting soil
• Sphagnum moss
• 16-oz. cup

Instructions

1. Look on the ground for mature acorns. Typically, acorns that are plump and swollen are mature. Try to collect them as soon as they fall off the tree.

2. Place the acorns in heavy, 4-mil polyethylene bags and place them in a refrigerator that is set between 32 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the bag in the fridge for 30 to 90 days. This process is called stratifying, which promotes germination. After 30 days, inspect the acorn for signs or germination and plant the acorn if it shows the signs. The germination signs include a broken seed coat and shoot development.

3. Plant the acorn once it has begun germinating. Punch three or four pencil-sized holes in the bottom of an 8-oz. Styrofoam cup and fill it with potting soil that is mixed with sphagnum moss. Place the acorn on its side in the dirt. Push it down until it is just barely covered with soil. Pour water over the soil until it comes out of the bottom of the cup and place it in a window that faces the south. Check the dirt daily and water it whenever it looks dry.

4. Set your seedlings in their cups outside for a few hours each day to allow them to harden off, or get used to the climate, about four to six weeks after the acorns were planted. Do this for a few weeks.

5. Transplant the seedling into a 16-oz. cup, if the roots are starting to curl out of the holes in the cup it is in. By now you can likely keep your tree outdoors. Always keep its soil moist and apply fertilizer to the tree when you first place it outside. During the winter, keep the seedlings in an area that stays between 5 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. Plant the seedling into the ground the following spring. Dig a hole in the ground that is a bit bigger than the tree's roots and place them inside. Cover the oak tree's roots with the soil.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to plant the oak tree in a location that can handle a large tree. Avoid planting the tree too close to your house or driveway.

References

• Wild Birds: Acorns to Oaks
• Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service: Growing Oak Trees From Seed