Grow Oaks from Acorns

You know the proverb “from tiny acorns, might oaks grow.” And it’s true and I’m making it happen in my landscape. I live in the woods, among pines, maples, sweetgums, tulip poplars and, of course, oaks. While cleaning up the shade garden this spring, I found several sprouted oak seedlings beneath a pin oak tree.

Instead of tossing them in the compost or trash, I decided to pot them up in gallon containers and let them grow into seedlings. From what I’ve read, keeping them irrigated in our sweltering summers is key to a successful oak seedling.

I potted three seedlings, all pin oaks. Pin oaks are a type of red oak that’s common in Georgia. They like full sun and moderate to wet, slightly acidic soil. That makes sense because I found these seedlings by our shady creek bed that fills with water after heavy rains. Pin oaks produce acorns after 15 to 20 years. I will be an old lady who wears purple in 2039 when these oaks start producing acorns.

How to Grow Oaks from Acorns

If you’re lucky enough that Mother Nature has started the process for you, do what I did and gently tug the seedlings from the earth. Plant them in gallon-sized, or larger containers, filled with a mixture of garden soil, compost and soil conditioner. (That’s what I used. The goal is to make a moisture-retentive, well-draining potting media.) Keep the pots in a shady area and water throughout the year. Oak seedlings grow one to two feet each year, so plan on sizing up the pot each year until it is ready to planted in the ground.

To grow an oak tree from found acorns, try these steps.

1. Start with freshly gathered acorns in fall. Try a float test for viability: if the acorns float in a glass of water, they’re too old to force. Same for acorns that are soft.
2. Plant acorns in containers or milk jugs that have been cut into two, with a hinge on the handle side. Make sure there’s drainage holes in the bottom of the planters. Fill containers with potting media like garden soil and pine bark. Place two acorns in each container.
3. Protect the seedlings from hungry critters. The milk jugs work really well for this. Remove the cap to let rain in.
4. Place containers in a part sun area to grow. Check in spring for rooted seedlings. When leaves appear, you can move the seedlings to gallon sized containers.

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