Among all the tree species growing in our country, one of the most beautiful, of course, is oak. It has a luxurious crown and has long been a symbol of health and longevity for many people.
Each owner of a summer cottage can create a beautiful shady area on his land in which comfort will reign. To do this, you just need to plant this tree.
The lifespan of oak is 300 years , so not only you, but also your children will be able to enjoy its beauty. In order for your idea of planting it on your own plot to be a success, you need to contact a nursery and purchase a seedling. However, there is no guarantee that the planted young tree will take root and grow well. Many gardeners who have extensive experience in growing shrubs prefer not to purchase planting material, but to germinate acorns. Having received the necessary knowledge, every gardener can decorate his plot with a miniature seedling; with proper care, the young tree will turn into a beautiful and majestic tree .
Growing from an acorn tree
You will not have problems growing a young tree from an acorn Taking a walk through the forest in early autumn, you can easily find acorns that you can plant in your garden to grow seedlings. The best time to collect them is the end of September-beginning of October. You should choose as planting material those specimens that have not yet fallen and are on the tree.
Having gone for a walk in the forest, you can collect a packet of seed material for your purposes, and while at home, carefully examine them and choose the most suitable acorns for planting.
Preparation of planting material
In oak forests, fallen fruits overwinter under snow cover, and under the influence of low temperatures their peel softens. The same conditions should be created at home, that is, stratification should be carried out. The best option is to wrap the fruits in paper and put them in the refrigerator or cellar until spring. You can simply dig it in the garden, but there is a risk that the acorns will disappear. They may be eaten by pests, or the planting material will dry out or rot due to drought or thaw.
There is no point in leaving fruits in a heated house - they will simply dry out. In addition, stratification involves exposure to low temperatures.
Correct selection of seed material
The most important point when growing oak from an acorn is the competent selection of seed material . If an adult oak tree has signs of any disease, then the seedling that you get from the seed of such a tree will be of poor quality.
Experts identify several signs that a gardener should focus on when selecting seed material:
- the acorn cap should be removed without any difficulty;
- there should be no cracks or holes on the surface of the oak;
- When selecting a suitable acorn, the following test must be carried out: specimens collected in the forest must be placed in a bucket of water. Those oak fruits that immediately sank should be used as seed material.
Types of oak and places of their distribution
There are many varieties of oak, each continent has its own type. For aesthetic purposes of landscape design, the following types are mainly used:
- English oak;
- sessile oak;
- red oak;
- Mongolian oak;
- chestnut oak, and others.
As we can see, natural zoning binds this type of flora to fertile soils, with moderate water and temperature balance. For example, it cannot be found in Australia, Africa, or Antarctica.
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Species differences lie in the color and shape of leaves, chestnuts, the texture of the bark and crown of the tree. Consequently, pedunculate oak has shiny green and even yellowish leaves. The tree trunk is covered with grey-brown, cracked bark. Grows in Europe. Sessile oak has leaves with a pale green color, chestnut green. Grows in European countries. Red oak is characterized by dark green to brown-brown leaves, smooth gray bark, and brown-brown acorns. The habitat of red oak extends to temperate latitudes. Mongolian oak has dense, light green leaves, light brown acorns, and gray bark. Grows in the countries of the Far East. Chestnut oak has gray bark, dark green leaves and a grayish acorn. This tree is not only broad-leaved, but also evergreen.
Features of planting an acorn in open ground in the fall
Young oak from an acorn can be grown in various ways. If we talk about the simplest thing, then this is planting a tree seed in open ground in a garden plot. This method is as close as possible to natural germination conditions. This is exactly how oak trees reproduce in the forest.
This tree loves sunny places, so you should choose an open clearing to plant the seed.
If you choose a place on your site that is shaded by other trees, the seedling will wither rather quickly. Taking into account the fact that as the oak grows, it reaches significant sizes, it is necessary to plant it at a distance of at least 6 m from other trees and buildings located on your site.
The optimal soil for planting oak is fertile and loose. Experts advise taking soil in the place where the mother tree grows. A couple of buckets will be enough. Soil from the forest should be added to the planting hole. Using it, the chances of successful development of the seedling will significantly increase. If the soil on your site is depleted, then the bed where you decide to plant an acorn must be carefully dug up, and leaf soil or humus must be added as additives.
Seed material must be washed in warm water. Carrying out this procedure will allow you to get rid of the following problems :
- pest larvae;
- fungal mold spores.
After this, it is necessary to make a hole in a previously prepared place in which the acorns should be laid horizontally. This arrangement is chosen so as not to confuse the top and bottom. The planting depth should be 5-6 cm. This will be quite enough to prevent the seeds from freezing in frosty weather. Next, you need to fill the hole with soil, and then water it regularly until the first frost begins. This planting method is quite simple, but its disadvantage is that not all the acorns you plant will be able to take root. Therefore, several specimens should be planted at once.
Choosing a landing site
Planting oak seedlings takes little time if you know the technology for choosing a plant and selecting a place for planting trees. The place for planting a strong oak tree should be sunny (with maximum rays) and spacious. The young cuttings should be planted at a distance of 3 to 6 meters from other trees. Oak roots are very powerful, they can even destroy the foundation of any building, so the nearest building should be located at a distance of at least 3-4 meters.
In order for the tree to grow, the soil must be very nutritious, so it is recommended to prepare the planting hole in advance (about 20-25 days before the planting date). Spring is a warm time of year, when the earth is warmed by the sun's rays and a perennial plant can be rooted.
The first step is to dig up a piece of land and dig a hole. Pit size: length and width - 1 meter, depth - 0.8 meters. Drainage is poured into the bottom of the recess, the layer of which is 15-20 centimeters. The gardener can use small stones for drainage.
The next step in preparing the land for planting a seedling is mixing the soil with fertilizers. For this you will need:
- 2 buckets of manure (you can also use compost or natural humus);
- 1 kg of ash;
- 1.5 kg of superphosphate;
- 1.5 kg of special lime;
- 65 g each of potassium sulfate and potassium chloride.
Half of the substrate is placed in the hole, and the rest is left to sprinkle the soil on top. Oak should be planted so that the root collar protrudes slightly above the soil surface, but no more than 2.5-3 centimeters. After planting, the soil around the roots of the tree is carefully compacted (the gardener must ensure that there is no air left in the ground).
Then the seedling should be watered with a sufficient amount of water (from 10 to 15 liters). Dry grass, humus, leaves or peat are laid on the surface of the ground. To prevent a young specimen from staggering from strong winds, it is advisable to drive 3 wooden sticks around it and lightly secure the trunk with a strong cord.
Planting an acorn in a container
If you decide to abandon the idea of planting an acorn in the ground on your site in the fall, and prefer to do it in the spring, then you need to hibernate the harvested seed material. To do this, you will need a container that can be tightly closed. It should be filled with dry sawdust, wood shavings or chopped moss. Acorns are placed in this substrate, after which the container should be placed in the refrigerator, maintaining the temperature at 0 degrees.
The seeds must remain in this state for 60 days before germination. During this entire time, it is necessary to carefully monitor the substrate and, if necessary, spray and mix it. It should remain slightly moist at all times.
When you notice the first roots and sprouts of acorns stored in a container, this means that it is time to plant them in open ground. It is best to plant several specimens on your site in case one of them dies. To plant an acorn in a container, you must first fill the prepared container with soil, which is intended for growing seedlings. Next, you need to plant the acorns with the roots down, while maintaining a planting depth of 2 cm.
If the weather is already warm outside, then acorns, which have a developed root system, can be immediately planted in open ground. When planting, the side with the roots must be dug into loose soil, and then lightly press the seeds into the soil.
Acorns application
Oak has long been considered a sacred tree not only due to its enormous size and longevity. Its fruits, acorns, were also held in high esteem, from which in the old days effective medicines for many diseases were made. Acorns have an extremely rich composition, which includes a large amount of fatty oils, tannins, tannins and starches. To prepare traditional medicine, already fallen acorns are collected; young, unripe fruits are also used, but for different indications.
Today, many people underestimate and sometimes reduce the beneficial properties of acorns. When the time comes to collect acorns, the era of culinary experts begins. In North America, flour, coffee, and porridge are made from the fruits of the tree, as well as sweets and the most delicious dishes. In Korea, acorns are consumed fried with the addition of spices, and they are also used to make jelly (tothorimuk).
Growing a seedling
After planting seeds in a container, the gardener should pay special attention to watering. The soil should be moistened quite often, but care must be taken to ensure that the soil does not dry out. To grow seedlings, it is best to place the container with the crops on the windowsill of a south-facing window, while protecting them from sunlight in the middle of the day. For a long time, the plant will direct all its forces to the formation of the root system and its development, so the appearance of sprouts will occur only after 2 months.
Life span of oak
Can you imagine how long it takes an oak tree to grow? The average lifespan of such a tree growing in urban environments is up to 400 years. There are “historical” trees that have been growing for more than 2 thousand years. Their trunk diameter reaches 4 meters.
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As you understand, when you decide to plant an oak tree, you are making a decision for many future generations of your descendants. If you choose the right place, you can leave a living trace of yourself after your own death.
Planting a seedling in the garden
When the plant reaches a height of 15 cm in size, it can be planted on the site. Some gardeners replace the container with a larger container if they plan to keep the seedling indoors until next spring. Here everything largely depends on the preferences of the owner of the site.
Young seedlings should be planted in open ground in early spring. In this case, the acclimatization of the plant will be fleeting.
The place that the gardener has chosen to plant an oak tree must be carefully dug up and humus added to the hole. The hole should be made such that a clod of earth with a seedling fits freely in it. If the soil is too dry, you should water it. In open ground, the young tree should be at the same level as in the container. When planting a young oak tree is completed, it is necessary to compact the soil, and then thoroughly water the planting. The surrounding circle is covered with mulching material. Experts recommend using:
- sawdust;
- small flail;
- bark
In this case, the situation of the land drying out will be eliminated.
After planting, you should not be surprised when a young oak suddenly drops all its leaves. There is no need to worry about such a change in the seedling, since this is a normal reaction of the tree to a change in conditions. A little time will pass and you will notice the first leaves appearing on your seedling.
How to care for oak
Like any plant, young oak requires care and attention. At first, “new settlers” may feel uncomfortable in an open space - the new place, the soil, the lighting. It is important to constantly monitor their condition.
Young shoots are attractive to birds and rodents. To prevent uninvited guests from spoiling the plant, they arrange protection - a small, frequent fence around the planting. To avoid insect attacks, the foliage is treated with pesticides.
Any type of young oak requires high light and constant moisture. To avoid competition on the site, the area around it must be cleared of foreign plants and fast-growing trees.
At first, the oak tree requires constant watering.
You need to care for the plant until it gets stronger, on average up to 4-5 years. Upon reaching this time, the dacha will already have a young tree up to 1.5 meters high.
Oak replanting
Before replanting an oak tree, you need to do the following:
- Prepare an area with a diameter of 20 m, which is what an adult tree will need.
- In the center we dig up an area with a diameter of 1.5 m to enrich it with oxygen.
- We dig a hole in the middle of the site, allowing us to freely place the root system of the seedling, and fertilize it with humus.
- We take the seedling out of the pot along with the soil and place it in the hole, cover it with soil and compact it.
- Fill the landing site well with water.
- We lay mulch around the seedling to conserve moisture.
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Conclusion
In this text we looked at how oak grows. It is clear that this is a fairly serious tree. Whether to plant it on your personal plot is up to everyone to decide.
However, if a person’s ambitions and the size of the plot allow this to be done, then a properly planted oak tree under proper supervision will be a wonderful decoration for a private yard.
Caring for young seedlings
The first shoots appear only after one or two months. Soon the first few leaves will appear. If the acorns were planted in containers of several pieces or in small pots, then you need to pick them. This is done when the seedling has reached fifteen centimeters in size and has formed several leaves.
Young oak trees grown from acorns require constant care. They need to be watered regularly. And also the oak seedling needs to be gradually hardened. After all, by the time it is planted in open ground, it must be adapted to low temperatures, winds, and rain.
To do this, pots with young trees are periodically taken outside. You just need to do this gradually. Starting with fifteen to twenty minutes, then increasing the duration of stay in the fresh air.
After two years, the trees can be planted in a permanent place.
Advantages and disadvantages of oak at home
The decision to plant such a tree must be approached responsibly. Before planting an oak tree on your property, you need to weigh the pros and cons. After all, it will take up a lot of space.
The tree has dense foliage, which provides great shade. Nothing grows near it. It has a powerful root system that can destroy the foundation of a building built nearby. You can use this to your advantage.
A strong root system can prevent soil movement. Taking advantage of the shade of a tree, you can put a gazebo under it and relax on a hot summer day.
Germination and care of seedlings
Sprouted acorns must be handled with care, as their roots are very easy to break. After the acorns germinate, they are planted in small pots, plastic cups or containers with a diameter of about 5 cm. Planting containers are filled with ordinary garden soil, adding a little peat moss. The acorn is planted not very deeply with the root down.
In each glass or pot, you need to make holes on the sides to allow excess water to drain out. If the acorn has a well-developed long root, it is planted in the garden in light, fertile soil. But such seedlings may die because they have no protection from various rodents.
After planting acorns at home, they are watered so that water flows out of the holes in the glass. The first few weeks, seedlings need to be watered very often.
It is placed on southern windowsills to provide good lighting. The acorns will sit unchanged in the soil for some time. This is a natural process, since at this time all energy is directed to the formation of the root system.
Caring for young oak trees
After planting, oak trees require special care. After all, young seedlings are a source of food for animals that eat foliage (rabbits, deer), including rodents, which often dig them up. Therefore, you need to take all necessary measures to protect young trees at home. You can put up a strong fence made of plastic or mesh lattice. In regions where deer live, it is necessary to create protection for the tree crowns by making a fence made of mesh. To protect oak trees from chafers and aphids, it is necessary to use pesticides.
Oak trees have a long root that is capable of extracting moisture at great depths. In autumn and winter, watering is reduced. But in summer, young seedlings require frequent moisture. Many gardeners use drip irrigation, which provides constant and even moisture to the trees at home. For about two weeks you will need about 30 liters of water. A drip irrigation system will be required in the first years of the trees' life. It is installed around the trunk of the seedlings to prevent moisture from accumulating, which can ultimately lead to rotting. With every year of life, the oak tree requires less and less attention and careful care. Its root goes deep, and its crown becomes tall. Further care consists of timely watering in hot and dry weather.
After about 20 years, the tree will give you its first fruits. Although this period occurs differently for each variety. Some varieties may not bear fruit for up to 50 years. Oak trees, regardless of age, shed their leaves, and young seedlings are no exception. Therefore, you should not be upset, you just need to wait for the onset of spring.
If you want more information, you can see detailed information on how to grow an oak tree from an acorn at home.
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Oak is a majestic tree with a spreading crown, considered a symbol of health, strength and longevity. By planting a tree on your garden plot, you can create a cozy, shady recreation area. The lifespan of an oak tree is at least 300 years, so more than one generation can enjoy its beauty. For planting, you can purchase a seedling from a nursery, but there is no guarantee that it will take root, so some gardeners prefer to germinate an acorn. Knowing how to grow an oak from an acorn, you can get a miniature seedling within a year.
Irrigation of trees in dry weather
Trees have large and strong roots, with the help of which they easily obtain water from the soil, even if it is completely dry on the surface. In winter and during the rainy season, young animals should not be watered. But in dry weather it is wise to install an irrigation system. On hot days, the tree needs 30 liters of water for 14 days. During drought, watering will be relevant for 2 years.
Important! Water should not be allowed to pool around or onto the trunk. It may start to rot.
In addition to the fact that oak decorates summer cottages, it also brings many benefits. Oak bark is used to make medicine. It relieves inflammation in the mouth and helps cope with diarrhea. You can even plant truffles under this tree. Holm oak bears edible fruits, from which they not only prepare various dishes, but also brew aromatic coffee.
Growing a tree from an acorn is a difficult process, but it is possible if you follow the rules described above. Oak takes a long time to grow, but its powerful appearance is worth waiting a few years.
Adviсe
In autumn, small oak trees shed their leaves, so there is no reason to worry if the crown of the tree turns yellow and falls off. To prevent animals from touching them, a stick is stuck into the area and fenced off with a protective net.
Before collecting material, it is worth inspecting the tree. The main thing is that it looks healthy and beautiful. It is recommended to keep the seedlings at room temperature until spring.
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How to determine the readiness of seedlings to change location
You can determine that seedlings are ready for planting by several indicators:
- the seedling has grown no less than 15 cm and significantly exceeds the size of the pot;
- about 5 leaves have formed on the tree;
- the root system is well formed;
- At least 2 weeks have passed since the dive.
When can seedlings be planted in the soil?
Young shoots are planted in spring in prepared holes. The bottom is covered with a drainage layer about 20 cm thick. Small pebbles or broken bricks are suitable for this.
Note! The soil is also prepared in advance: the soil is mixed with two buckets of humus, a kilogram of ash and mineral fertilizers.
