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Replanting self seeding oaks
Elamarg
Posts: 2
I've found about 10 self seeded oaks grouped together in a bag of builders sand. I can only assume I've discovered a forgotten squirrel hoarding of acorns that have decided the growing conditions are to their liking! I'm jolly excited about this and would like to plant them on but can't find any advice other than to wait until they are dormant.
Ideally I'd like to move them now as a) we need to use the sand and b) I'm worried there will be limited nourishment in the sand to keep them growing. Can anyone advise what is the best route to follow?
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If they're first year seedlings I'd pot them up til they're a bit bigger. You're right, sand won't keep them going for long. If you have good soil (not heavy clay) you could put them in the garden but it would be easy for them to be swamped in summer
In the sticks near Peterborough
Next door have a large oak tree which over hangs our garden. We have to keep digging up the acorns which seed . The squirrels bury many in the lawn but they get mowed off.
I planted three up and decided to stop. If you want to supply the national forest or whatever it is they like their seedings to be about 3 yrs, I could not manage looking after them in pots that long.
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
Agree with the above comments. Pot them up and keep them well watered this summer.
Try to use soil in the pots rather than bagged compost (unless you have leaf mould, then use that) and keep the pots somewhere fairly shady if you can. They'll probably need to be at least two year old 'maidens' (skinny sticks) to be big enough plant out 'in the wild'. I've acquired quite a few trees this way - hazel mostly
. Squirrels with poor memories ....
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Many thanks for the advice, that's really helpful. I'm gradually restoring a Devon hedgerow so luckily the oaks will fit well once they're a bit bigger and I'm not going to complain so much about the squirrels now that they've left me this wonderful gift!