COLLECTING ACORNS: Most acorns ripen from late October to early November, with seeds on the lower branches ripening first. Use tools, such as long-handled loppers, or sticks to knock them down. Fully mature acorns will dislodge easier than green ones, but birds, deer, and insects will quickly take their toll if acorns are not collected soon after ripening. The biggest acorns are usually best. Test by soaking them in a pail of water, keeping only sinkers. Acorns that float often have been damaged by insects or have not matured properly. However, if acorns were collected off the ground where they may have dried out, soak them longer - up to 24 hours- before discarding floaters.
PLANTING DIRECTLY IN THE FIELD: Direct planting of acorns eliminating the root disturbance that occurs with transplanting and allows maximum root development. Methods for planting vary tremendously, so feel free to experiment. Select a site with good drainage. Plant in the late fall or early winter when acorns will be well watered by rains. Dig a hole 6 inches in diameter and 12 to 18 inches deep. Break apart hard or compacted soil with a shovel. Place one teaspoon of nitrogen fertilizer in the bottom of the hold and replace the soil, tamping it down gently and leaving a one to two inch depression at the top. Remove acorn caps and place three acorns, on their side, in the hole. Cover with remaining material and tamp down gently. Use some protective device to exclude both above and below ground predators. Keep the soil covered with mulch and weed when necessary. Thin seedlings to one by the second year.
If the site is on a steep slope, cut into the hillside to create a pocket for the seed. Plant the acorns on the tip of the pocket with the cut sloping slightly downward and deeper into the hillside. This acts to reduce erosion and collect moisture for the seedling. It also keeps the seedling out of the seasonally saturated soil at the back of the cut.
If acorns are planted after heavy rains when soils are moist, watering is not needed. Otherwise, water thoroughly after planting. Periodic watering during the first several summers will increase seedling survival. Good sites may only need watering two or three times the first year, but dry conditions in poor or sandy soils may require watering as often as once a week. Always soak the soil thoroughly to stimulate root development and allow the surface to dry between waterings. Taper off watering during the second and third year.