Exactly 10 years ago, this tree was an acorn itself growing on the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest. Now in Sep 2010, the tree has produced a very heavy crop of acorns. About 2.5m (8 ft) high, there are around 900-1,000 acorns growing on it, grandchildren of the famous tree. This tree had 'a few' acorns in 2008, 'lots' in 2009, and survived a heavy ground frost on 11/12 May 2010 that killed most of its fresh new leaves (which emerged before 28 Apr) and catkins. See some facts about acorn production. In 2010, about 3,000 acorns were picked from 258 10-year old trees in the plantation, and scattered to start a 300 metre hedge along the South deer fence.

AC2502. Parent tree, looking North (14 Sep).

AC2493. Cluster A (13 Sep).

AC2566 Progress in ripening. Green acorns cling firmly to their cup. Brown fall out by themselves. When picking, experience tells what to expect and which to leave to ripen further. The top row shows an oak marble gall, a Knopper gall, and two Artichoke galls, see Galls. Clusters of up to 5 acorns on long stalks (leaves are on short stems), acorns about 25mm long, scaly cups about 18 mm across. Quercus robur should be planted as soon as they mature.

Acorns

A check for acorns on the young trees. 1=a couple, 2=several, 3=a lot. Sep 08 Sep 09 Sep 10 A8=(1) C3=(2) G7=(2) L6=(3) S5=(2) C3 C6 H6 H7 I1 I3 K7 L1 L6 NF NO G7=(1) D2=(2) I1=(1) R3=(1) T3=(1) Q1 S5 Z2 (all "lots") L1=(1) E1=(1) I3=(1) R5=(2) W5=(2) 93 (all "a few") P4=(3) F8=(1) L1=(3) S2=(1) 107 trees with acorns, 42%

Crop for 2010

Acorns picked 2-11 Oct 2010 900 L1 1170 (13x90) C3 C6 H6 H7 I1 I3 K7 L6 NF NO Q1 S5 Z2 930 (93x10) (see "a few" on map) 0 (151x0) (trees with no acorns at all) ---- 3000 approximately Collecting and sowing acorns. 1. About 1 Sept, walk all oaks and list those having LOTS and a FEW acorns. 2. About 1 Oct, start collecting acorns from trees. Those with a little brown or even yellow should come off the cup with a slight twist. Those all brown probably have insects inside. 3. Collect acorns in a small stout bag around neck. 4. Weigh acorns with a spring scale. 5. Sow acorns the same day in selected place, probably along the South deer fence. Freshly picked acorns penetrate grass if thrown smartly. Keep a count of number sown

Acorn census 2010

[few acorns], [[lots of acorns]], 30 Aug 2010. Upper case=OAK, w=willow, ash=ash, co=conker, sp=spindle, bi=birch, asp=aspen, Pm=poplar male, Pf=poplar female. *=deer-chewed, x potted spares in leaf, xxx=new hedge, ^=leaf soon, ?=un-moved w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w GATE ----------------| ash | ash ash A1 A2 | A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 ash ash | Pf ash B1 B2 | B3 B4 [B5] B6 B7 B8 ash NB | ash [C1] [C2] | [[C3]] C4 [C5] [[C6]] C7 C8 ash NC | ash [D1] D2 | D3 D4 [D5] [D6] [D7] D8 ash [ND] | ash [E1] E2 | E3 E4 E5 [E6] E7 [E8] [NE] | Pm F1 [F2] | F3 [F4] F5 F6 [F7] [F8] [[NF]] | [G1] G2 | [G3] G4 [G5] G6 [G7] G8 Pf [NG] | [H1] H2 | H3 [H4] H5 [[H6]] [[H7]] H8 NH | Pm [[I1]] [I2] | [[I3]] I4 [I5] [I6] [I7] I8 NI | Pf J1 [J2] | [J3] J4 [J5] [J6] J7 J8 [NJ] | Pm [K1] [K2] | K3 [K4] K5 [K6] [[K7]] K8 NK | Pf [[L1]] L2 | [L3] [L4] [L5] [[L6]] L7 L8 NL | Pm M1 [M2] | M3 [M4] [M5] [M6] [M7] M8 NM | sp Pm N1 [N2] | [N3] bi w. N5 N6 [N7] N8 se NN | sp w POND w sp at [O1] [O2] | . WELL bi O5 [O6] [O7] O8 Pm [[NO*]] | P1 [P2] | SCRAPE [P4] [P5] [P6] [P7] [P8] Pf NP | |---------| [[Q1*]] [Q2] | Q3 | [Q4] | [Q5] Q6 Q7 Q8 NQ | | NURSERY | Pm R1 [R2] | [R3] | [R4] | [R5] R6 R7 R8 NR | | | Pf S1 [S2] | S3 | S4 | [[S5]] S6 S7 [S8] NS | |---------| Pm [T1*] T2 | [T3] [T4] [T5] T6 [T7] T8 NT |---------| Pf [U1*] [U2] U3 | U4 U5 [U6] [U7] U8 NU | V1* V2 V3 | V4 V5 [V6] [V7] V8 Pm NV | W1 [W2] [W3] | W4 W5 W6 W7 [W8] NW | Pf [X1] X2 X3 | X4 [X5] X6 X7 X8 NX | Pm Y1 Y2 Y3 | Y4 [Y5] [Y6] Y7 Y8 NY | Pf [Z1*] [[Z2]] Z3 | Z4 Z5 Z6 Z7 Z8 NZ | Pm Za1* [Za2] Za3 | [Za4] Za5 Za6 [Za7] Za8 [NZa] | x [Zb1*] Zb2 Zb3 | Zb4 Zb5 Zb6 Zb7 Zb8 x x NZb | x x ash* [Zc1] [Zc2] [Zc3] | Zc4 Zc5 Zc6 Zc7 Zc8 x x | x x ash ash* WA co co | co co asp WF x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxGATExxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Catkin census 2011

[few catkins], [[lots of catkins]], 03 May 2011. Upper case=OAK, w=willow, ash=ash, co=conker, sp=spindle, bi=birch, asp=aspen, Pm=poplar male, Pf=poplar female. *=deer-chewed, x potted spares in leaf, xxx=new hedge, ^=leaf soon, ?=un-moved w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w w GATE ----------------| ash | ash ash A1 [A2] | A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 [A8] ash ash | Pf ash B1 B2 | B3 B4 [B5] B6 B7 B8 ash NB | ash C1 [C2] | C3 C4 [C5] [C6] C7 C8 ash NC | ash D1 D2 | [[D3]] . D5 [[D6]] D7 [D8] ash ND | ash [[E1]] E2 | E3 E4 E5 [[E6]] E7 E8 NE | Pm F1 F2 | [F3] F4 F5 [[F6]] F7 [F8] NF | [[G1]] [[G2]] | [[G3]] G4 [G5] G6 [[G7]] [G8] Pf NG | [H1] H2 | [[H3]] [H4] H5 [H6] H7 H8 NH | Pm [I1] [[I2]] | [[I3]] [I4] [I5] [[I6]] [[I7]] I8 NI | Pf [J1] [[J2]] | [[J3]] J4 [J5] [J6] J7 J8 [NJ] | Pm [K1] [[K2]] | K3 [K4] K5 [[K6]] [K7] [K8] [[NK]] | Pf [[L1]] [[L2]] | L3 [L4] L5 [L6] L7 L8 . | Pm [M1] M2 | M3 [M4] [M5] [M6] M7 M8 NM | sp Pm N1 [N2] | N3 bi w. [N5] N6 N7 N8 se NN | sp w POND w sp at O1 [[O2]] | . WELL bi O5 [O6] [O7] O8 Pm [NO*] | [P1] P2 | SCRAPE [[P4]] [P5] [P6] [P7] [P8] Pf NP | |---------| [[Q1*]] [Q2] | [[Q3]]| [[Q4]] | Q5 [Q6] Q7 [Q8] NQ | | NURSERY | Pm [[R1]] [R2] | [R3] | R4 | [R5] R6 R7 R8 NR | | | Pf S1 [[S2]] | [S3] | [S4] | [[S5]] [[S6]] S7 S8 NS | |---------| Pm [[T1*]] [T2] | [T3] T4 [T5] T6 T7 [T8] NT |---------| Pf [[U1*]] U2 U3 |[[U4]] U5 [[U6]] [U7] [U8] NU | [V1*] V2 [V3] | V4 V5 [V6] [V7] V8 Pm NV | W1 [W2] [W3] | W4 [W5] W6 [W7] [[W8]] NW | Pf [X1] X2 X3 |[[X4]] [X5] X6 X7 [X8] NX | Pm Y1 Y2 Y3 | Y4 Y5 Y6 Y7 [Y8] NY | Pf [Z1*] [Z2] Z3 | Z4 [Z5] Z6 [Z7] [Z8] NZ | Pm Za1* Za2 [[Za3]] |[[Za4]] [Za5] Za6 [Za7] Za8 [NZa] | x [Zb1*] Zb2 Zb3 | Zb4 . [Zb6] Zb7 Zb8 x x NZb | x x ash* Zc1 [[Zc2]] [[Zc3]] | Zc4 [Zc5] Zc6 Zc7 Zc8 x x | x x ash ash* WA co co | co co asp WF x xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxGATExxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

From www.wikihow.com 1. Collect green acorns in early fall. Choose ones that are free of worms, holes, and fungus. Ideally, the acorns should be brown or nearly black. 2. Put the green acorns in a bucket of water for a couple minutes. Discard any acorns that float. 3. Take out the remaining acorns. Place them in a large zipper bag with damp sawdust; you should be able to fit up to 250 acorns in these bags. Put them in the refrigerator for a month or longer, as needed to germinate the new oak. 4. Keep an eye on their growth. The root end will begin to crack through around early December (late fall, early winter). Once the root has cracked through, the acorn is ready to be planted. 5. Plant each acorn in 2 inch (5cm) diameter pot deep enough so the tap root can grow. Place the acorn about 2-4 inches (5cm - 10cm) below the surface with the root facing down. Water regularly. If preferred, just bury the root, and gently tuck the acorn to one side on top of suitable rich, soft soil. This will only work if the tap root is already well established, long, and has detached adequately from the acorn. 6. After the oak has grown about four inches (10cm), which should takes less than six months, it can be planted into the ground. In the meantime, continue to care for it in its potted environment. Ideally, the containers should have holes in the bottom that allow for drainage. Alternatively, the acorns can be planted directly into the ground by clearing a 2x2 foot (61cm x 61cm) area and placing two acorns into that space, with one or two inches (2.5cm - 5cm) of soil on top. 7. To transplant the oak seedlings into the ground from a pot, clear a three-foot (91 cm) circle of all vegetation. The circle should have full access to sunlight and good soil. Lay a mulch of bark chip about one foot around the tree, but make sure it does not touch the stems. In the middle, dig a hole about a foot or two deep (61cm-91cm) and a foot (30cm) wide. Place the oak seedling into the hole, sloping the soil away from the seedling so that the water does not sit at the trunk of the tree. Oaks do not like water sitting on their trunks. Next, pack down the earth and water the seedling. Watch it grow over the years!

Crop for 2013

Tree position & date acorns picked. Floaters and sinkers separated. Immersed in damp sawdust same day. Placed in fridge same day OR Placed on patio table in propogator. Removed and examined 10dec. --------------North fence------------------------------------------------ NO 12oct 23oct ------------Main plantation---------------------------------------------- C3 12oct E1 11oct 23oct E7 09oct E8 12oct F8 09oct H6 09oct 12oct 23oct J2 07oct I2 12oct I3 12oct I5 09oct K6 07oct K7 09oct L1 11oct 12oct 16oct 23oct 26oct 27oct L6 11oct M6 07oct O2 11oct 12oct O7 07oct P1 12oct P4 12oct Q1 12oct Q2 11oct Q4 11oct Q5 07oct 10oct R4 11oct R5 07oct 10oct S5 10oct S8 09oct T5 10oct T7 23oct ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pick 551 515 395 242 964 223 376 120 47 Float -83 -86 -4 -20 -144 -31 -34 -4 -5 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- Sink 468 + 429 + 391 + 222 + 820 + 192 + 342 + 116 + 42 Total 468 897 1288 1510 2330 2522 2864 2980 + 3022

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