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Thu, Sep 27, 12 at 0:30
| Hello,
I want to plant dozens of Oaks (Red, White, Pin, and Sawtooth) and Red Maples. I have ordered acorns from a seller that says they are collected in Vermont and Iowa (though I don't know where mine came from). I'm in Tennessee, zone 6-7. My concern is that the Oaks growing in Vermont will be suited to the very northern climate and have different genetic traits that might not do so well in the much warmer zone 7 climate. Is this concern valid? Anyone have a good source for acorns and red maple seeds from a southern seller? Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by akamainegrower none (My Page) on Thu, Sep 27, 12 at 5:25
| The provenance of seed can be an important factor, but I can't think of any way seeds from a northern source would not be fine in a more southerly location. It's the reverse that can present problems. Seeds from a southern population - redbud is a notorious example - are often not adapted to the cold winters farther north. Someone else may have a differing view or experience, but north to south should be fine while south to north may not. |
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| The major issues of growing southern seed in northern zones are obvious....the minor issues not so much. When going the other way (northern seed in a southern locale), the issues tend to be minor but can compound into big problems. They include: - earlier break from dormancy (northern season transition tends to be distinct unlike the long cycling springs of the south). Late frosts are obvious but 1-2 weeks of 60+ followed by 0-10 degrees can be just as bad. - insufficient cold degree days to satisfy dormancy requirements - optimized for one flush, determinate, or semi-determinate growth resulting in an overall slower growth rate - less adapted to fungi and mildew (facilitated by higher temperatures, humidity, and soil temperature) I'm sure there are other issues as well. The most pathetic white spruce (Picea glauca) I've ever seen was in Lisbon, Portugal (zone 10a). I've seen better growing at the northern tree line. |
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| If you are 6-7 and can grow a Southern live oak Quercus Virginiana in your zone, you are pretty mild. If there are no live oaks of that species you are pretty cold and I would'nt worry about not enough cold for the other oaks. I have lots of oaks from a nursery in Alabama or Louisiana, about a zone 8-9 and they are ok in zone 6. Mossy oak natives is where I got them. Check out the nursery web site, they have lots of oaks, they are about 2-3 ft tall when you get them but for the price, you can't beat e'm. The specialty and hybrids are a little more but species oaks are about $4.00 a tree. They have Live/ Overcup hybrid Comptons oak there. Sorry, I sound like a spokesperson, but check the site out, for the heck of it. |
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| We have a Shumard Oak from Walden Pond (Mass.)that has been growing well down here for 10 years. So sometimes it will not make a difference. In general, though believe your concerns to be valid. I prefer to get trees from the same general area if possible. Believe it improves the odds of success. |
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| AG, I'm just north of the KY/TN line. Play around with bur oaks - have seedlings from Manitoba to TX/OK/AL, VT to ID. All do fine here, though some of the south TX trees are still in green leaf when freezes hit, but no damage or issues that I can see 18 years or so into the plantings. |
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- Posted by AmericanGardner none (My Page) on Tue, Oct 2, 12 at 23:11
| The Mossy Oak site looks impressive, and they are a lot closer than Vermont, perhaps 1 zone warmer than me. I might get a few of their $3.49 oaks this fall to see how they do. Didn't see anything specific on the site about how large the bare-root seedlings are, or if they have the same "rapid-mast" tecnique used to form very fast root growth. |
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| All the Mossy oak seedling I've ordered where about 2' to 3' tall and have pencil thick trunks. I have not received a bare root tree from them for many years. All my recent purchases, this past summer actually, come in a sleeve and you pull the tree out and plant. The roots arent "loose" like you regularly see. You dig a shallow hole about 4-5" inches down and 4-5" inches across put tree in and cover. Make sure the top of roots is level with the soil. That is in good soil, other soils may need different instructions. |
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| I forgot to say to water well. And mulch helps the tree keep it's soil moist. You know this I'm sure. Keep mulh from touching the trunk. |
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