The Old Oak Tree

We're at the peak of summer right now.  The days are long and hot - outside work is generally restricted to early hours of the morning and then late afternoon, say after 6pm.  The middle of the day is basically spent indoors, or in the shade, trying to keep cool in 38 degree temperatures. I decided to take my dog Roy for a walk late in the evening, just before sunset, to stretch our legs after being stuck indoors.

There are some beautiful oak trees that I usually walk past and once again I stopped to admire them.  I know they are a slow growing tree, and these trees are of a great size; they are undoubtedly decades old.

I have often wished I had oak trees on the farm.  They would be a great resource to have.  Broad leaves that cast shade in summer and then fall to enrich the soil in autumn, and there is also the potential to create food for animals, such as pigs, when their acorns fall.

A few months ago, I watched this great video on Youtube called, 'The Man Who Planted Trees'.  Here is the link to part 1 below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ampqPdTV_z0

The title itself gives the premise of the story; I won't go into detail, other than to say the man patiently plants acorns over many years and brings back a forest where there was a desolate landscape.  It really moved and inspired me.

So as I stand there with Roy to admire the oak tree, I notice that some have fallen onto the ground.  I look over trees canopy to realize that the acorns have grown to full size and are now dropping, a natural means of self propagation for the mighty oak.

So I picked some off the tree and gathered those that were in good shape from the ground until I had a bag full of them.  I am going to plant these seeds all over the farm.  I will simply put them straight into the ground and see if they will sprout; just like they did for the man in the video.

I have never grown anything from seed that could grow into something so big before.  In truth, I don't know if it will even work as I don't really have a lot of knowledge in growing this sort of thing.  What I will do is give it a red hot go with the knowledge and intuition I have.  I stored the acorns in a cool place and will wait until late autumn, when the weather is cooler as we go into winter and the earth becomes softer with rain.  There is little chance that the seeds will germinate, but what do I have to lose?

This is of course, a long term project, but one I promise to keep you updated with.