Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: 1 Sprouting Acorn = Potential for 1 Ton Tall Oak Tree, 1 by browhann

browhann wrote:
While laboring with his new fancy weeder, my husband uncovered a sprouting acorn! Looks like it was buried somehow last fall, spent the winter underground, and was almost mistaken for a weed! Very wondrous to see for me, a former Boston street kid!

Fortunately my DH is a master gardener and was curious enough to look below the surface where he found a sprout emerging from an acorn still in its shell, and new roots growing down from it. I've always dreamed of growing a tall oak tree from a little acorn...As a little girl, I searched the sidewalks for perfect acorns, and even planted some in my 5' X 5' patch of front yard. Of course, nothing happened.

I took the sprout inside, washed it gently with warm water like a baby (totally unnecessary, but I wanted to see the whole miracle beneath the dirt), and planted it in a flower pot. As you can see, my "oak tree" is doing well...I look at it and imagine the potential in that sprout, probably at least 60' tall and 1 ton :-) As it grows warmer, I'll put the pot outside in the sun...step by step..."From a small acorn, a mighty oak does grow." Yup, I'm hooked on my mighty oak tree (and proverbs about them)!

Lila P.S. Several days later 2 more sprouting acorns were found in the same place in garden. I gave one to an amazed friend who had never seen such a small oak "tree," and the other was planted in another pot by me...so now I'm beginning to grow a forest! :-)