Anyone growing trees?

[Jethro]

I know it might sound crazy, what with the drought and all we had last year. I love growing things though, and improving habitat. I have 96 of the Rootmaker 18 cells that will be loaded with trees within 2 more weeks. I am growing Bur Oaks, Sawtooth Oaks, a few Goobler Sawtooths, some Wildlife Chestnuts form Empire, and a few Sauls Oaks. Growing all of them from seed/nuts. Not to mention I have already planted about 50 bare-root Allegheny Chinkapins and a few Dwarf Chinkapin Oaks over the last year, most of them this fall after it started raining. I even kept about 6-8 of last springs plantings alive through last years drought!!!!

Anyone else like me and do that kind of thing?

I know they will take many years to produce (some are MUCH faster than others), but I figure if no one every plants them, then they will never be there. Someones gotta do it and maybe at least my children can enjoy it. The Bur Oaks I collected the seed from a local tree that produced during last years drought, and they are already 6" tall and coming on like gangbusters.

[Hornfan]

Yes we are too at our family land in Wise county. We're planting a bunch of persimmon trees in our river bottom over the next 10 years. I grow them from seed in my greenhouse and have 1, 2 and 3 yr old trees. The problem we will have is deer eating the new growth so we'll have to fence them I think. The deer, turkey and hogs will love the fruit.

[txbonemadness]

Yes we are too at our family land in Wise county. We're planting a bunch of persimmon trees in our river bottom over the next 10 years. I grow them from seed in my greenhouse and have 1, 2 and 3 yr old trees. The problem we will have is deer eating the new growth so we'll have to fence them I think. The deer, turkey and hogs will love the fruit.

I have some property in Southeastern Oklahoma and have been thinking about planting persimmon trees. I love any tips you could offer on growing them from seeds and transfering them to the field and maintenance.

[Jethro]

Go over onto the QDMA forums and go to the Native Vegetation and Forest Management forum. Alot of tree growing guys on there, you can find out all you want.

[txbonemadness]

Go over onto the QDMA forums and go to the Native Vegetation and Forest Management forum. Alot of tree growing guys on there, you can find out all you want.

Great, thanks!

[HER-MAN]

I like planting trees to. Planted 11 live oaks 2 weeks ago.

[salth2o]

I love planting and growing stuff. All of the tree's in my yard (bur oak, red oak, shumard oak, three cedars, and one elm) were all planted and grown by me.

[Hornfan]

Txbone-all I've done so far is plant a ton of seeds in pots from seeds I've collected the last 3 years. This winter is the first year we will plant. I have a lot to learn about keeping them alive once in the ground. Will provide updates as we go.

[wickll]

I have a small sideline business planting trees, primarily liveoaks but do plant a few palms as well. I bought potted trees (1,3,and 5 gal) and staged them out over several years. Sell them when they are about 4 inch caliper (trunk diam.) Will be planting about 30 this year with my tree spade. Just planted a couple last week at an elementary school and worked with the teachers to teach kids about the process.

[Jethro]

I am growing all of mine from seed, I love it! I germinate them in damp peat moss, then when they start sending down a root I plant them into the Rootmaker Cells using Miracle Grow potting soil. Main thing is to not keep them too wet. Quickest way to kill a drought loving plant is to overwater it.

I have a small setup in an extra room at the house that has has 15 trees in it. Another in my office that has 12 in it. My big setup is in the bathroom here at work. Sounds crazy I know, but we are a production shop and don't really worry about customers coming in, and it is a big bathroom with lots of room. I have a big tray that sits above the baseboard heater that heats the bathroom, it works perfect for keeping the roots warm and the plants growing strong. It has 69 cells in it.

My Burs went in about a 3-4 weeks ago, the oldest ones are 9" tall and popping their first growth flush of leaves right now. Second batch is just about a week behind. I have a few Sauls oaks in their first growth flush too. My first round of Sawtooths are just starting to send up a shoot, and I planted my first batch of chestnuts yeasterday.

Those Bur Oaks are monsters though. Alot of stored energy in those nuts, they are growing like crazy. Another month or 6 weeks and they will be ready to transfer into 1 gallon Rootmaker pots.

Here is a link to the QDMA native habitat forums. There is a thread about growing oaks from acorns that I have alot of pictures on with my setups and trees. Tons of good growing info there if you are interested.

http://www.qdma.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=16

Edit to add: Some of those guys over there are growing persimmons as well, if you need some info on that they would be glad to help. It is a really good forum, alot like the GS as far as folks helping out.

[burn'n feather]

I have been planting seed for the last 5 years and i am now have about 12 nice white oak trees ready to plant

[yanta61]

how long does it take the oak to germinate? how are you germinating them?

i put some in potting soil around thanksgiving and nothing has come up yet. i was just wondering if they need longer or if the acorns were bad.

[Jethro]

Depends what kind of acorns and where they were at. White oaks do not have to cold stratify, red oaks do. My Burs I peeled out of the shell and kept them in damp peat moss indoors where it was warm untill they germinated. My Sawtooths had to cold stratify so I kept them in damp peat moss in the fridge for about 80 days and then brought them into the warm to germinate them. If yours are outside, I would say either it is too cold or the squirrels have got them.

But to answer the question more directly, once all the proper conditons for the acorn are met, they germinate pretty quickly. My Burs have gone from a little 1/2" taproot four weeks ago, to a 9" tall seedling. Thats pretty fast.

[yanta61]

thanks i think it still too cold. i have them in a molasses tub outside. i have a wire top on it so that nothing can get to them.

i have one bur oak and about 25 Spanish(i think). i did the float test and all of them tested good so hopefully they will come up. i picked up another 30 or so acorns the other day i think i will try and germinate these inside and see how that works

[wellingtontx]

Jeff - you got any pics of any trees that you have hinged ?