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Feb 22, 2014 9:51 PM CST
Name: Rick R.
Minneapolis,MN, USA z4b,Dfb/a
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greene said:Collect when freshly fallen, place in a bag of slightly dampish sphagnum moss in the fridge, wait for 1,000 hours. Basically, you plant not in the Spring after you collect them, but rather in the next Spring - the second Spring.

1000 hours is only 42 days. Planting a year and a half later seem a bit incongruous. Confused

Acorns are susceptible to drying that will reduce germination rates. When acorns are fresh, a float test in water is a good indicator of viable seed. (Bad ones float.) I am not sure how reliable the test would be on your stored seed. If you have stored them thus far dry, my guess is that germination will be poor. Recommended for the red oak group is one to three months at fridge temp (35-45F) in damp media. This will provide the stratification needed before you plant. As far as I know, all oak seeds germinate in warm temperatures. They shouldn't germinate in the fridge.

Acorns also have quite a few different insects that love to eat and grow inside them. I would cut open some of the light weight ones (they would probably be dead anyway) and see if there is any evidence of insects present (weevils and various larvae, mostly). If the acorns have been stored at room temperature thus far, I would expect any insects to have already grown and vacated the acorn. Look for exit holes on the shell about a millimeter (or smaller) in size.
When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the losers. - Socrates

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