How to Grow a Big Sawtooth Oak From Seed
Sawtooth oaks (Quercus acutissima) add year-round ornamental value to landscaping, with their large, spreading growth habit and slender, lightly serrated leaves. They grow best within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 9, where they will reach a mature height of 35 to 65 feet if planted in a sunny bed with moist, loamy soil. Sawtooth oaks grow best from seeds, which germinate reliably in spring. Although they require little monitoring or care once planted, sawtooth oak seeds must be cold stratified to break their dormancy and kept under consistently moist conditions to ensure successful germination.
Harvest the Sawtooth Oak Acorns
Gather sawtooth oak acorns in autumn after the hulls turn light brown and the spiky cap dries out to a solid, pale beige color. Gather the acorns directly from the tree branch rather than collecting them from the ground.
Give the Acorns a Soak
Place the acorns in a bucket or deep bowl filled with cold water. Soak the acorns overnight to determine which are viable. Discard any acorns that float to the surface, since they probably are hollow or rotten inside. Plant those that sink to the bottom.
Prepare a Planting Container
Prepare a planting container for each sawtooth oak acorn. Fill 10-inch nursery containers with a mixture of half sterile potting soil and half coarse sand. Sow one acorn in each container at a depth of 3/4 to 1 inch.
Cold Stratify the Seeds
Chill the sawtooth oak acorns for one to two months by placing them inside a refrigerator or outdoors against a north-facing wall, where temperatures stay around 40 F. Keep the soil lightly moist at all times during the cold stratification period.
Transfer the Acorns to a Bright Location
Move the nursery pots to a warm, bright area, such as inside a cold frame or a sheltered porch, after the cold stratification period has ended. Water the sawtooth oak acorns to a 3-inch depth whenever the top inch of soil dries out. Avoid overwatering or allowing the soil to dry out completely.
Keep an Eye Out for Germination
Watch for germination in spring after daytime temperatures top 65 F for one to two months. Move the nursery pots to a sheltered area of the garden with light shade after the seedlings emerge. Shield the pots from direct sun at midday.
Care for the Sawtooth Oak Seedlings
Grow the sawtooth oak seedlings under light shade with 1 inch of water weekly during their first summer. Acclimate them to direct afternoon sunshine in autumn. Grow them in full sun once they are acclimated. Provide supplemental water in winter only if no rain falls for longer than one week.
Transplant the Sawtooth Oaks
Grow the sawtooth oaks in their original nursery pots until they reach 12 to 18 inches in height. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Plants Database reports that the seedlings should be about 1 year old at this point. Transplant them in autumn into a moist, loamy bed with full sun exposure. Space multiple oaks 30 to 50 feet apart.