UPDATED: FREE Sawtooth Oak Saplings

[big bend gyrene]

If anybody on the forum would like to get their hands on some FREE sawtooth oak saplings, please let me know.

Little over a year ago, a contact I made through the Q.D.M.A. forum sold me 100 acorns for a fair price (basically he seeks to just cover shipping). He said the parent trees in North Georgia are his latest dropping trees with acorns falling through October and even into early November. His prices for the acorns were reasonable enough I wasn't even concerned if the "late-dropping" claim proved true.

My reason for giving some up is that I bought the acorns before drawing up a planting plan / knowing exactly how many I would plant. I carefully grew the saplings from acorns and ensured that none developed circling roots. For reference sake the saplings look VERY similar to this linked picture from the QDMA site though most of mine are just a bit taller and have even better root development.


Since those I have remaining now have broken dormancy I'm willing to give them away for free to a "good home." Joking aside, the bulk I planted dormant but the last 10 or so were leafing out and they definitely showed signs of some initial stress whereas the dormant saplings did not. Appreciating they'll either need some babying if field planted OR cared for if potted one more year I'm happy giving them away if anyone wants to play with them.

Anybody interested just let me know. Work in Tallahassee very close to where Thomasville Road and I-10 meet and can bring them into town for pickup.

[big bend gyrene]

Should add for anybody who might be interested but hasn't planted sawtooths before that at this size they're very easily planted. Not like larger potted / bagged trees where you have to dig a wide hole. Can plant like young pine saplings using either a dibble bar or even a drain spade shovel rocked and forth a bit to open a planting cavity. Lots of youtube videos show this quick / easy method.

[silverking]

Sent you an email, BBG.

[redcodefsu]

What do you do to get acorns to sprout?

[big bend gyrene]

Redcodefsu, sawtooths germinate considerably easier / more quickly than other acorns I've tried... here's what I did and it worked fine:

1) Acquire sawtooth acorns and be sure they're viable with float test (full/heavy viable acorns will NOT float but any acorns with wevil / worm holes will float and can be discarded). Acorns are best picked up quickly after dropping or even knocked from tree as acorns on ground often invite insect boring activity.

2) Store sawtooths together in a ziploc bag with either a damp paper towel or a bit of damp peat moss in the bag over the winter in a refrigerator. You're basically simulating winter dormancy.

3) After three months or so you'll likely see tap roots start breaking through the acorns. Even if you don't, after that length of time if you take them out and put them in a shady spot with room temps they'll pretty quickly send the taproot out.

4) Then just need to pot them... THOUGH WILL ADD YOU WILL ALSO WANT TO SQUIRREL PROOF THEM. I actually planted 15 at a time about half inserted into regular good ol' dirt from our place, and then covered the pots with chicken wire. Over the first year they grew between 1' to 2' and put out taproots about 6" to 8" long.

5) Final step is to take the saplings when still dormant in early spring, plant them, AND THEN PROTECT THEM WITH TREE TUBES. They're quite hardy acorns / plants and, again, easier to keep viable than other oak species.

Here's a QDMA thread if you want to read a bit more on various folks' methods / tips.

https://www.qdma.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44665

[big bend gyrene]

Message received, Silverking. Working to fertilize pecans this moment (and know I'm late on that task )... will give you a shout back about meeting up first chance I get.

[Crippledminnow]

Interested in saplings. Please email me at redfisher57@hotmail.com

[MudDucker]

I'd like to get some as well.

[big bend gyrene]

Will try to get a count tonight on what I have left but likely have just enough to take care of Silverking who reached out to me first.

THAT SHARED, again I've got 100 extra acorns that already have taproots out and if they do as well as the first bunch I should have good DORMANT saplings available this coming winter. Will definitely share another post at that time!

[big bend gyrene]

Project "Hug A Sawtooth" now underway! Just wanted to share a couple of pictures to show how healthy the sawtooths were when I dug them up this a.m. Know they may not make it through transplant shock, but for those who might be interested in dormant trees this coming winter, here's what I got this year and if you plant when dormant early next spring they should look this pretty after leafing out next year.

[big bend gyrene]

No circling roots at all, and a bit better root development than other pictures of saplings I've seen.

[silverking]

Appreciate BBG letting me have the oak saplings. We got them all planted in pots in anticipation of permanent planting in the fall, when conditions are better. Some have wilted from shock, but hopefully they'll come out of it in a day or so. The rest look good and will summer on the screened back porch away from the varmints and hot sun.

Excited about the prospects of some towering oaks with lots of acorns in a few years. I will enjoy watching the deer, turkey and maybe bears gorge on the nuts on my property in southeast Leon County.