|
| I am a college student and where I grew up we have beautiful Bur Oak trees that are over a hundred years old. I am interested in collecting the acorns and growing them in a pot or bucket. I was wondering how many years they could survive before being planted at a place of my own. Any information would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 13, 12 at 19:21
| until they outgrow the biggest pot you can handle ... [what did you expect me to say.. lol] the trees themselves.. planted the acorns last fall ... you might find some sprouting.. this early spring.. if you have a spot where they fell ... i have gently pulled such out.. with the nuts still attached ... and potted them up ... but that involves walking across my yard.. so if travel is involved.. you will need a method to protect them while they travel.. they will dry out real fast .... trees dont like common potting media.. too much peat.. so if you get to that point.. do a new post about potting media for trees ... WELCOME to GW!!!!! ken |
|
| I usually try to transplant Bur Oak out of 5 gallon pots the very first winter after they have sprouted. Any longer than that and most of them will start to get root-bound or may grow out the pot. Bur Oak is one of the trees that are not particular as to what is in the pot. I have grown them with blackland clay topsoil and they did ok. (of course they may have done better with a different mix). |
|
- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Tue, Mar 13, 12 at 22:48
| Given the tap rooting tendency of oaks, bottomless pots are in order, to force the production of a fibrous root system. Of course, the pots are not really bottomless, having a mesh in the bottom to hold the medium. These then should be placed on slats or some arrangement such that air is present. The answer to how long is, as Ken alludes to, as long as you are able to continue "potting up" a size as the trees grow. Theoretically, one could continue this for some years, but the things are going to get big and heavy. +oM |
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 14, 12 at 8:59
| unless of course.. you move towards bonsai ... until you actually own property ... which would mean you at least have a tree around ... ken |
|
| Thank you for the input. Is there a way to estimate the size of the roots compared to the size of the tree?? Thanks |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Trees Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.