Planting trees/seeds

[CXRAndy]

We have an English Oak next to our land. We dont have any on our land, we have a couple Turkey Oaks variety which looks like an English Oak, but it's seeds are very unusual

We gathered up a few hundred English Oak acorns, tested their viability (float test in water). We've just planted 120 acorns. 60 we are cultivating in pots to give them a good start, the other we placed around the local area. Dug a small hole, bit of compost and hope nature does the rest.

If the potted Acorns do well, we will plant some and give a number away to friends and family.

We won't get to see the magnificent mature Oaks, but maybe our grandchildren will.

 

[PeteXXX]

I've grown several oaks from acorns..
One died @ about 3' (my fault, I think) my daughter has one in her garden & the other two are doing well in my garden and are 6' & 8' tall.

Excuse the fence, it's work in progress 😂

 

[Reynard]

I have several oaks that were grown from seed. Some deliberately by me when I was a teen - these trees are now well over 30 years old, and some that just grew randomly, mainly because jays are devils at caching acorns.

I've also got some conker trees grown from conkers - most got put in the garden, but one lovely specimen, my mum put on a little bit of waste ground across the road, and it's grown into a lovely specimen tree that flowers spectacularly in the spring.

Also have self-seeded holly and walnut saplings.

Love living in my little patch of woodland.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

the other we placed around the local area.

If they are in an area visited by the council cutters, put some chicken wire or similar around them as a barrier for a couple of years.
The council decapitated a young, already fruiting, apple tree that I had planted in a nearby green.
I have planted a dozen fruit trees in my housing estate: the council grass cutters regularly mow over the barriers I made, I have to renew them in order to protect the trees from the next onslaught.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Good on you. Planting trees is one of the best things you can do for your state of mind, I love doing it. And so many benefits for wildlife, the environment etc etc.
Some wise philosopher once said "blessed is he who plants a tree knowing they'll never stand in its shade" or something similar. If it wasn't said, then I'm claiming it as my own.

 

[Speicher]

I have several oaks that were grown from seed. Some deliberately by me when I was a teen - these trees are now well over 30 years old, and some that just grew randomly, mainly because jays are devils at caching acorns.

I've also got some conker trees grown from conkers - most got put in the garden, but one lovely specimen, my mum put on a little bit of waste ground across the road, and it's grown into a lovely specimen tree that flowers spectacularly in the spring.

Also have self-seeded holly and walnut saplings.

Love living in my little patch of woodland.

I often find walnuts buried in the pots on my patio. Do they need any special treatment before I replant them?

 

[Poacher]

We have an English Oak next to our land. We dont have any on our land, we have a couple Turkey Oaks variety which looks like an English Oak, but it's seeds are very unusual

View attachment 788066

We gathered up a few hundred English Oak acorns, tested their viability (float test in water). We've just planted 120 acorns. 60 we are cultivating in pots to give them a good start, the other we placed around the local area. Dug a small hole, bit of compost and hope nature does the rest.

If the potted Acorns do well, we will plant some and give a number away to friends and family.

We won't get to see the magnificent mature Oaks, but maybe our grandchildren will.

Very laudable, but I would advise strongly against establishing a monoculture of English Oaks, particularly with the recent emergence of Acute Oak Decline. I've seen trees suffering from this in Ostler's Plantation, near Woodhall Spa, and it's pitiful. Aim for as wide a variety of species as your conditions will allow. Here's an example of a worthwhile exotic close to where I live. It usually has an excess of seedlings, but these have recently been severely strimmed, leaving only a few, plus a handful of suckers. If you want to dig up any of the remaining ones, I doubt anyone would object. It's at Carlton Square shopping centre, what3words ref paths.storm.bravo. First pic shows the fruit, second gives a general impression of size.

I thought of you as I walked by here this afternoon on my way to Tesco, and imagined it might appeal.

It's a Caucasian Wingnut.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

@Poacher that's interesting about acute oak decline. I volunteer at an arboretum in Cheshire and we have one of the National Oak collections and so far, none of our trees have been affected. Pity I can't say the same about our Ash collection and dieback.

We have a couple of those Caucasian wingnut trees and they sucker like crazy. Blitzing under them every year is a must!

 

[Reynard]

I often find walnuts buried in the pots on my patio. Do they need any special treatment before I replant them?

I can't really answer that as I've just found the saplings randomly, but I'd imagine leaving them in the pot, a good winter's freeze and they'll be good to go. I'd imagine putting some wire mesh over the top of the pot(s) will prevent the nuts being dug up / eaten.

 

[Poacher]

@Poacher that's interesting about acute oak decline. I volunteer at an arboretum in Cheshire and we have one of the National Oak collections and so far, none of our trees have been affected. Pity I can't say the same about our Ash collection and dieback.

We have a couple of those Caucasian wingnut trees and they sucker like crazy. Blitzing under them every year is a must!

Cheshire is a relatively safe area, according to the current distribution and predictive modelling maps here.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I often find walnuts buried in the pots on my patio. Do they need any special treatment before I replant them?

Squirrels!
I cover any freshly planted bulb pots with chicken wire cut to size, with a small layer of compost on top to hide the wire.
The bulbs will grow through.
About the walnuts, I'm not sure but I think they must be cracked open to sprout, if the squirrels didn't do it already.

 

[Reynard]

Squirrels!
I cover any freshly planted bulb pots with chicken wire cut to size, with a small layer of compost on top to hide the wire.
The bulbs will grow through.
About the walnuts, I'm not sure but I think they must be cracked open to sprout, if the squirrels didn't do it already.

Or corvids. Jays in particular are also big hiders of nuts and seeds. It's fun to watch them, because if they think they're being observed by their fellow Jays, they will pretend to hide their booty in one place, and then turn around and stash it somewhere else!

 

[Speicher]

Squirrels!
I cover any freshly planted bulb pots with chicken wire cut to size, with a small layer of compost on top to hide the wire.
The bulbs will grow through.
About the walnuts, I'm not sure but I think they must be cracked open to sprout, if the squirrels didn't do it already.

I cracked one open, but found that I split the (inside) nut bit as well. So the second one, I left whole, both are now in small pots (and labelled).

 

[Reynard]

Not the best year for either walnuts or conkers this year, but there's a real abundance of acorns. Saw loads dropped in the road / verges while I had a nice bicycular bimble yesterday.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Not the best year for either walnuts or conkers this year,

I noticed that!
Not nearly as many bike tyre threatening spiky shells, for now anyway.
Walnuts I never see, there aren't any walnut trees in my area.
I was wondering why the local authority seem to favour the planting of trees that don't produce edible fruit.