Grow an Oak Tree from an Acorn

Growing your own oak trees from acorns is a great science experiment for kids and teens or something new for those green thumb gurus to try.

Steps

 * 1) Collect green acorns in early fall. Choose ones that are free of worms, holes and fungus.
 * 2) Put them in a bucket of water for a couple minutes. Discard any ones that float.
 * 3) Take out the remaining acorns and place them in a large zipper bag with damp sawdust. Place about 250 acorns in the bags and place them in the refrigerator for a month or more.
 * 4) *The root end will begin to crack through in early December. Once the root has cracked through, the acorn can be planted.
 * 5) Plant each acorn in 2-inch diameter pot deep enough so the tap root can grow. Place the acorn about 2-4 inches below the surface with the root facing down and water regularly.
 * 6) After the oak has grown about a foot, which usually takes about one year, it can be planted into the ground. Or the acorns can be planted directly into the ground by clearing a 2x2 foot area and placing two acorns into that space, with one or two inches of soil on top.
 * 7) To transplant the oak seedlings into the ground from a pot, clear a three-foot circle of all vegetation. In the middle, dig a hole about a foot or two deep and a foot wide. Place the oak seedling into the hole, sloping the soil away from the seedling so that the water does not sit at the trunk of the tree. Oaks do not like water sitting on their trunks. Next, pack down the earth and water the seedling.

Tips

 * Place a stake into the ground with a screen around the seedling so animals do not eat it.
 * Even small oak trees lose their leaves in fall, so don't be discouraged if all the leaves turn brown or fall off.  Just wait for spring.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Plant an Avocado Tree
 * How to Grow a Tomato Plant
 * How to Grow Herb Gardens from Seed
 * How to Grow Golden Barrel Cactus
 * How to Care for Orchids
 * How to Care for a Bromeliad

Sources and Citations

 * http://www.elkhornslough.org/andrewway/how_to_plant.htm