Do you ever look at the Oak trees that tower above us and wonder how it all began for them? From a tiny little Acorn. This week we’ve been teaching our Mini Mumblers all about growing Oak Trees from an Acorn. From collecting the acorns, watching them sprout, growing their first leaves to potting them in their first plant pot. This free and easy activity is a wonderful way to spend a chilly Saturday and enjoy for months and even years ahead.
**Don’t fancy growing your own acorns? Drop them off at a local collection point. Scroll to the bottom to find more information about the Wakefield Council Seed Collection**
If you’re ready to start growing oak trees from an acorn, you’re going to need to hunt your acorns down first! Our first stop is Coxley Woods, it’s our local and favourite walking destination and full of oak trees. Check out your local parks and woodland to see if there are oak trees there.
Wrap up warm, wear warm gloves and welly boots and spend a few hours in the woodland. Be prepared to bend down, move a few leaves and hunt for those little brown acorns. (If they’re still green it means you’re about 2 weeks too early. Leave those for the squirrels and head back soon for the brown acorns). Look for bigger acorns without holes or cracks in the shell.
Once you’re back home with your collection of locally sourced acorns, pop them in a bowl of water. The ones that sink are the good ones, any that float can go back outside for the squirrels.
Put your collection of good acorns in to a plastic bag and cover with soil. You can choose from compost bought from a garden centre, or dig some soil from your garden. The bag then needs to go in the fridge to replicate the cold outdoors for the acorn to germinate. Don’t let the soil dry out but no need to water too much.
In 4 weeks time, check to see how many of your acorns have germinated. The shells should have cracked and a shoot and roots should be visibly creeping out of the shell. You can now gently clean the soil from the acorn and rest on top of a recycled bottle with the roots resting in the water and shoot heading upwards. Clear bottles are the best so you can spot the roots growing and reaching around.
Your acorns can stay resting in the bottle for a few months till your ready to pot in a plant pot full of soil. You can watch your oak tree grow it’s first leaves in the spring, and drop it leaves in autumn.
It will take 5-10 years before your Oak tree is ready to be planted in the ground. Till then, ensure your sapling is well watered and loved over the years.
Quick Instructions for Growing Oak Trees from an Acorn:
Seed bins have been distributed across Wakefield and your help is needed to reach an ambitious target of planting 3.25m trees by 2050. By collecting and dropping off your conkers, acorns, sweet chestnuts and beech nuts, you can be part of the Great Northern reforestation programme to transform our landscapes, connect communities with nature, help our district adapt to climate change, create new habitats for wildlife and make Wakefield a greener and healthier place to live.
Find out more HERE
Don’t forget to share pictures of your woodland walks and acorn collections on our Facebook Group. We love to see what you’ve been up to.
