How to Grow Pin Oak Trees - Complete Profile / Germinate Acorn

Important - One item I didn't stress in this video is for those who live in very cold regions. Acorns will die if they freeze completely. So, if you are in Zone 5 or less, keep your pots in an unheated garage, shed, or bury them in the ground and mulch them.
This video is a detailed plant profile on the Pin Oak Tree, Quercus palustris. In this video we will cover a detailed description of the Pin Oak tree including it's growth rate, height/spacing/characteristics. And how to harvest acorns, test their viability, and germinate them (including planting depth, etc).
To learn how effective the float test is, see our write up on it where I summarize several published studies - growitbuildit.com/float-test-...
For the detailed article on the Pin Oak tree, see link below:
growitbuildit.com/quercus-pal...
To learn more on cold stratification or winter sowing, see these guides below:
Winter Sowing guide -
growitbuildit.com/illustrated...
Cold Stratification guide -
growitbuildit.com/seed-strati...
Tree Shelters - amzn.to/3sVld5U (affiliate link)
Timeline:
00:00 - Intro
01:28 - Native Range / Characteristics
02:10 - Benefits of Pin Oak Tree
03:28 - Locating Pin Oak Trees / Natural Habitat
04:38 - Identification of Pin Oak Tree
06:44 - Harvesting Pin Oak acorns
08:00 - Testing acorn viability
08:46 - Cold stratification of Pin Oak acorns
10:48 - Planting Pin Oak Acorns
11:47 - Germination & Planting
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As always, if you have any questions, just ask in the comments.

[@GoneCarnivore]

I don't know why but growing trees is an addiction for me. Pin Oak is my favorite.

[@growitbuildit]

I'm in the same boat

[@andrewtilley1268]

What an awesome video about the pin oak! I have been following your channel for 5+ years and here I am discovering this video 2 years after you uploaded it that is extremely relevant, as I am beginning my homegrown national park project. Thanks for all the great videos I will continue to watch and learn!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Andrew! I'm very happy you found this video helpful. And congrats on starting the Homegrown Nat. Park project - good luck!

[@vincenttttt]

Thank you for this video. I was walking home from school in October 2022 and I walked pass one of the massive pin oaks it my neighborhood. Picked up some acorns and threw them in a pot. Now, my acorns have sprouted and they're growing 🌱

[@growitbuildit]

You are welcome Vincent - good luck with your newly germinated saplings!

[@aw5832]

I love that they hold their leaves all winter until spring. I'm thinking of using them as a hedge because of this and the fast growth rate

[@growitbuildit]

A row of Pin Oaks would look very nice.

[@brendarosenau5880]

I have watched so many of your videos and learned such valuable information! Thank you for putting your information out there and including written articles to help those who like to dig deep. I’m an avid seed started and native plant enthusiast. The videos you provide are right up my alley. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your hard work!🌾

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Brenda! I'm very happy to help and really appreciate the kind words. I'll try to keep up the quality. Good luck!

[@plumberrygardenpatch4869]

Your videos are always so clear and informative. When I’m looking for information about growing a particular plant, I like to check to see if you have made a video on it. You always cover everything I would want to know about it.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Zuzu! I'm glad I am able to help you out.

[@conniegriner1847]

Joe, your how-to videos are the best! I’m hoping to plant 70 native trees on my property in the next year, and your information is super helpful!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Connie! This is a great choice for any kind of landscaping. You will love it.

[@LaconicMind]

I planted pawpaw seeds recently and the squirrels dug one up. I just used your method of protecting seeds to keep them safe. Love your videos

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! You absolutely have to protect from squirrels and chipmunks! It is so frustrating when they ruin your work, thinking they got a lucky find.

[@midgerhodes2343]

We live in Utah and my husband planted a pin oak in 2004 the first year we lived in this house. It’s one of my favorite trees! It is fairly slender because we have a lot of trees, but it is beautiful!

[@growitbuildit]

They are awesome trees - I couldn't agree more Midge

[@peggymarshall5671]

Very informative, thank you for clarifying what to do with the acorns and how to germinate them!! I will pass this information on to my son that lives in the country and has room to grow them!

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent Peggy! - Oak supports more insects (by species count) than any other tree. Not that we ever see the insects....but the birds do.

[@___PK__]

Such an informative video, Thank You! Our back field Red Oak can now be classified as Pin Oak! It is about 60 ft tall, but does not seem very old as it still has a more cylindrical (even conical) shape. It does drop (some) acorns though. The tree was found untouched since sprouting in fairly thick brush among dogwoods, and even the first of it's branches remained. Although the lowest branches (up to about 8 ft up) were abandoned they were still very strong and could not be broken off easily. Even some approx 1" thick were not something you might just break over your knee. It is now limbed up to its second row of live branches (say 10 ft). The tree is dead straight. There are many seedlings in the vicinity, the biggest is about 20 ft, and others seem small enough to transplant (~ 4")!

[@growitbuildit]

You're welcome - I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sounds like you've got a nice tree that is starting to reproduce. You will probably notice some years are much better than others in regards to acorn production. Usually every 3rd year is quite good.

[@___PK__]

A lot of good work & results in this video! I am about 75% following procedure so far. Winter sewed about 30 of em but also have a few in pots. I need to make critter covers. Fingers crossed. Thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

Good luck to you!

[@markkeller9378]

Great video, thank you! I have always loved Pin Oaks. I want to start some from acorns and your direction and advice is most helpful.

[@growitbuildit]

You're welcome Mark - I'm glad you found it helpful. I've found this to be one of the easier Oaks to grow.

[@mantledlake]

i love pin oaks especially in the autumn. i remember when i was a kid and i would marvel at the red and bronze autumn colors. i hope to plant one of these one day. great video!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@pangoleen]

Your videos are super informative, thank you!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! That is what I like to hear!

[@roachant]

I’ve been growing many seedlings over the past few years and planting the on my 3 acre property in the hopes that they establish themselves. I have a large area on the land that floods every year and I’m hoping the pin oaks won’t Mi d their feet being wet for a few months. Thank you for all your amazing videos!

[@growitbuildit]

That is awesome - the Pin Oaks should do okay with occasional flooding (if I remember correctly). And I'm very happy you are enjoying my videos!

[@wjbowmangmc]

Great video straight to the point

[@growitbuildit]

You are welcome

[@jenwit56]

Thank you/ขอบคุณมาก

[@growitbuildit]

You are welcome

[@haqiproductions9179]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome

[@adiposerex5150]

Very informative and helpful.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Rex!

[@patthompson1253]

What a great video. All I need to know about Pin oaks - thank you! Greetings from Newfoundland

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Pat - I'm glad you enjoyed and found it helpful. Good luck!

[@keithc5966]

1 13:44 Very well done. Thanks for the help, I'll grow an oak now.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - good luck Keith!

[@liltreekid]

Update on my tree: It sprung up in April and it is now approx. 10 inches tall. Buds have formed at the top of it and should grow bigger in 2024! Edit: I'll post a video of it through out the year just for some scale.

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent - thank you for the update. And good work!

[@ec9401]

I LOVE this video. I’m inspired. Thank you! Last year I winter sowed a ton of native perennials - maybe 30 kinds. It was fabulous! I collected white oak acorns this fall and buried them out front, but I’d love to try your method next year. I never really considered trying to grow trees seriously - but why not, right? Worst case scenario, a rabbit gets a snack. Thanks again!!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Emma! I'm glad I could get you excited about growing trees. It is fun to figure out the different ways they reproduce and germinate. I'm going to try some double-dormancy shrubs this year. It should be interesting if I can get them to germinate in Spring, or if I will have to wait until the following year. Good luck Emma!

[@ec9401]

That’s fascinating! I would love to see a video on that in the future! Good luck to you as well; happy winter sowing.

[@lynnehoefer2064]

I enjoyed your video. I dug up a seedling and it has two sprouts. Should I cut one off? Or let both grow?

[@jesspatrick2]

I live near woods where ash trees are dying or dead and need to be replaced. Pin oak is one of the species I am using. I've been digging up seedlings, transplanting them, and then caging them and flagging them so that I don't mow over them. I hope to see around 20 oaks on the property in the next few years to replace some of the ash trees.

[@growitbuildit]

That would be awesome Jess - you may want to try to mix up some more species. That way if some new disease comes through it won't wipe out a monoculture. A couple suggestions could be Red Maple (easy to get seed in Spring, germinates readily), Persimmon, Butternut, Black Cherry, or Sycamore.

[@jennay3141]

Hey there. I am getting ready to buy a house that has a pin oak-planted by the woman’s grandfather ❤️ so I searched more about it, & came across this video! I also was reading the acorns could be boiled to reduce tannins & then used to make flour…super excited to try that if you have any videos Of that. Also, would love to start some fruit trees! Do you have any videos on that?!

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Jennifer - I have no videos on making the acorns into flower. And, as of now I have no videos on growing fruit trees from seed. I do however have some articles on growing fruit or berry trees via seed that I have done - growitbuildit.com/spicebush-lindera-benzoin/ & growitbuildit.com/pawpaw-tree-guide-asimina-triloba-pictures/

[@GoneCarnivore]

Nuttall Oak is taking the place of Pin Oak as far as it's landscaping popularity. Has all the good traits of Pin Oak and doesn't have some of it's bad traits.

[@mariarosabellini6646]

👏👏👏

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Mariarosa!

[@stardustxx278]

I think that is what is growing where the turnpike folks put in that fill. There are quiet a few of them popping up and they are so cute I was going to grab a few of them and see if anyone wanted them because I don't think they will let them grow where they are.

[@t6mal]

Nice job. Very helpful video, but for the fridge stratification, should I leave them in the fridge until march, because I know with some other seed stratifying in the fridge it is 6-8 weeks

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Tamal! I'm glad you found it helpful. I've only Winter Sowed these, but double checked the literature and that states they need a 30-45 day cold stratification period. But in general, giving the seed a longer stratification period should be fine. So you should be able to safely leave the acorns in the fridge until March.

[@bluebowser3121]

Crazy there is so many species of oak in America! Do you think a video explaining the best oak trees for different conditions / uses would be worth making? I reckon some might be perfect for certain conditions, whilst others are perfect for different uses. You could even have one on the list that is the most beneficial for wildlife. Just an idea if you want it, don't feel pressured. I know there is so many oaks that it might be a monumental task.

[@growitbuildit]

I really like that idea. I may have to add that to the list, although as you suspect, it will certainly take some time. I need to keep locating more species!

[@brucelarrow7897]

And the deer taste yummy too

[@joanp105]

I would love a video about how to identify the trees of the NE. I cannot seem to see the differences between the many oaks on our property, which turn different colors in the fall, have different acorns, and the barks all look alike😗. The only trees I know for sure, are white birch, river birch, weeping willow, and tulip trees. There are so many others that are also birches, cherries, ash?, several kinds of maples, chestnut, shag bark hickory, as well as conifers. I have been told by “professionals” that the huge and very damaged tree at the edge of our driveway, is an elm. This type of identification video would be of much use to so many avid gardeners. I have taken Michael Dirr’s book out with me quite often, but the bark and even the leaves are still not identifiable for sure! Help, please.

[@growitbuildit]

That would be a looong video! I would love to do it, but I am limited by where I can find the trees. There are so many different Oak species just around here, locating them all can be a challenge. In the meantime I will be adding some more profiles at our website this Winter, and plan on capturing the 4-5 most common species (Oaks). And will be covering hickories, maples....many more. It just takes time to do a tree justice in a video or article! And for pictures/video, I've got to be able to capture the tree in all four seasons. Feel free to email me with specific questions though, I will see what I can do. Just click on the 'about' tab on the channel, and you can see a button to reveal a contact email.

[@daisyrojas5]

❤❤❤

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you!

[@tarawatterson4188]

🌳🌳🌳

[@eagle17nz]

Hi there from NZ. This is a great video if you have time for or need to know the history of this tree. But, I think you could have made this into at least 2 videos, if not more. I wanted to know how to germinate it....not the whole 9 yards on its history and importance in the ecosystem; even though that is interesting. To me you diverted from your video title. I just wanted to know if I have to take the outer husk off, soak it beforehand and stratify it or not. Moving on! Thanks.

[@growitbuildit]

Roger that - thank you for the feedback.

[@thewarchariot1685]

Hello, So I have some northern red oak acorns that I just harvested and it's mid August. Can I sow them now in a container as you did in the video or is it to early?

[@growitbuildit]

If they fell from the tree naturally (not because of a windy storm) and are ripe (brown, not green), and pass the float test....then yes, you could do as I did exactly. Don't let the acorns dry out - keep them in a zip-lock bag in the fridge until you sow.

[@Vezmerize]

I've been binging your content since I discovered you yesterday. I have an oak coming up through a hedge that I thought was a pin oak and was going to take it down. But after watching your video, I think I will leave it. I'm not a fan of fast-growing trees because they usually die sooner, but your video convinced me that it is worth keeping. Keeping. My only concern after watching your video is that there is a possibility it is a black oak. So without the ability to do a side by side comparison of leaves, what do you think is the number one way to identify it as a pin oak? Thank you for your time and your wonderful content.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - Identifying young trees is very hard - especially those two. But you may need to wait until next Spring to get a definite ID. But Black Oak leaves are covered with very tiny hairs when they are young. Pin Oaks will not be completely covered. I don't think you can tell this when leaves are mature. I would say check the buds, but even those look pretty similar to me. But even still - I have nothing against Black Oak. It does make larger Acorns though.

[@Vezmerize]

@@growitbuildit great, thank you for the response. I will let it go as it is about 12-16 ft. tall already (I am bad at estimating distance). I just need to make sure I don't injur it while clearing some wild grape! Have a good one and look forward to your next video!

[@___PK__]

@@Vezmerize I have found just cutting the base of the grape vines and letting them stay in the tree is safe. For walnut, ripping down the vines can tear the header right off the tree. Just cutting at the base so the tree has time to outrun it a bit. Virginia creeper is actually beneficial and wont bog the tree down, wont take over the crown, so I leave it alone.

[@liltreekid]

hey so my pin oak sapling sprung up in april and i see a bud at the top of it. do oak trees grow in waves like they push out growth, stop growing for a couple weeks then grow again? also, should i wait until next year or this year to plant it because it's growing pretty slow.

[@growitbuildit]

If you've got leaves on top, you can plant it. The tree will grow to the size of container it is in. I would wait until it puts out leaves, then plant in it's final location. That would be the best for the tree.

[@brittanythode3728]

Thank you for this video! I am in Northern IL, Zone 5b. Can I use a greenhouse to grow oaks during the winter? I am having trouble finding good information on this topic. Thanks in advance. :-)

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Birttany - you could *probably* grow them, but these plants like to put out a taproot early in their life. That root will continue to grow after the leaves fall off, and it would probably be better if it didn't get stunted. I would strongly recommend you put it in a tree shelter and just plant it out. That way it will be protected from deer and grow faster via the greenhouse effect.

[@brittanythode3728]

@@growitbuildit Gotcha. Thank you so much for the help! 🙂 You guys are great.

[@SlobodanSljivar]

I am in Australia and have followed your instructions on germinating the pin oak from seeds, which has worked well out of 30 acorns 26 have germinated and are growing now. However there is some sort of disease on some of them which is causing its leaves to have small brown dots and in extreme cases large portions of the leaf go brown and even have holes in them. Four of them appear to be totally dead. Any suggestions?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Slobodan - there are a couple of different fungi that can cause this in US. I'm not sure if they would be present in Australia though. But if it is a humid environment this can create conditions for it. If the spots were more on the periphery of the leaves I would think perhaps it was just sunburn from water being on leaves during the hottest part of the day. But small brown spots indicate some kind of leaf spot fungus. It usually won't kill the tree, but this Winter when leaves fall off, throw them away. And try to keep it in a place with better air movement.

[@xanderhill8155]

How long do you think it will take for a seed to grow to the size of the trees featured in the video?

[@growitbuildit]

30-40 years would be my guess

[@dianesmith5763]

Guess my acorns in my summer planters will die as I left them out in Zone 5 winter. It was my first year for acorns on my trees, three of which I started from acorns. I am wondering how to trim a 3-year old pin oak that is having trouble establishing a main leader. Also, some of the side branches are really long. Can I cut half the length of those branches? Thx.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Diane - don't give up hope! You might get lucky. But in regards to pruning, I wouldn't trim anything back, but remove the whole stem if I didn't want it. When they are young I mainly focus on avoiding stems rubbing together or crossing over the main trunk. I suggest you read this US Forestry guide on pruning trees. It is basically what I follow, and what I do to my own trees: www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/prunetree.pdf

[@longhorns1502]

How do you spell both mixtures you used to winter sow the acorns so I can buy them?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - Sphagnum Peat Moss and Vermiculite. You can also substitute sand for Vermiculite, as that can be a bit expensive.

[@ntethelelondwandwe1062]

Can they grow in land that is dry like in South Africa? Most of the species here are thorny shrubs and short bushes.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Ntethelelo, unfortunately these trees like moist to medium moist soil.

[@DonaldDyas-fi7dh]

I have some valley oak and burr oak that I sprout from acorns but they just don't grow after they have grown a few leaves like they are lacking nutrition...do you have any suggestions? Do you sell any pin oak acorns?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Donald - in my experience, trees grow slowly the first year or two, then start to take off assuming they are in the proper growing conditions. If you think the soil in your yard is a problem, you could have it tested by your local ag extension office. They usually do this for free, but call before you bring it in. Sorry - but I don't sell any seed or acorns. But if you ask around, or just cruise older suburban neighborhoods, you may very well find some older trees growing. You could probably collect a few acorns from those. They were a very common/popular landscaping tree for a while.

[@liltreekid]

Hey, my pin oak seedling is doing well but it's not growing. It grew in spring but hasn't grown at all since April. I planted it in December 2023 (the 4th to be exact) and it's in full sun (10+ hours of sun a day) with a nice mulch ring. No mulch volcano and planted at right depth.

[@growitbuildit]

Sounds like it's in the ground. Give it time. It's working on the root system. It should grow an average of 2' per year. So it may not take off until year 2 or 3. Have patience. It sounds like it's in the right conditions.

[@liltreekid]

Okay. I was getting worried that something was wrong lol

[@growitbuildit]

You're good. I've got 2 pawpaws 6' apart that are going into their third year. One is 4.5 ft, the other is maybe 2.5 or 3 ft. Average of 2ft doesn't mean it's always 2 ft per year

[@wastedorion]

Thank you. I am growing acorns. I have some excellent information. I have liked and subscribed. Very informative.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! I'm glad you found the video helpful.

[@betsyolsson-mackowski7682]

I found this video because I wanted to understand what might be eating my pin oak seedling. I wasn't sure if it would survive because at one point every new fresh leaf was eaten. I moved the tragic little stick it became to a pot on my balcony and it seems to be flourishing now. It gets lots more sun and is no longer being eaten by rabbits.

[@growitbuildit]

Deer will do the same thing...only more destructively. I really recommend a tree shelter or cage.

[@ixhilkalaskiiver792]

hello, sorry, quick question: what is that pant at 12:05 with the heart shaped leaves, I've seen one sprouted near me where i live, i was thinking of collecting it, if it is anything worth while. thank you for your time.

[@ixhilkalaskiiver792]

im guessing maybe a redbud sapling but i am probably incorrect.

[@growitbuildit]

You've got it right - it is a Redbud.

[@ixhilkalaskiiver792]

@@growitbuildit tyvm

[@joanp105]

P.s. after this video, I realize that all of the seedlings I keep weeding from our garden are baby Pin Oaks. The leaves of the seedlings are so different from the mature trees. Is this also the case with seedlings of other deciduous trees?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Joan - sometimes leaves on seedlings will look a bit different, but most of the time I find they are just small versions of the mature leaves. Although in this case I believe that the features are present but just a bit 'muted'.

[@GoneCarnivore]

Very tough to identify a seedling. It could be one of several different oaks

[@KattaurusM-sx8pn]

Hello, my husband brought home a bag of acorns from our daughters and wants to start them in containers. You mixed peat and vermiculite, but I don’t happen to have any peat on hand right now. Can I sun coco coir for the peat? I have lots of coco coir on hand. I also have promix compressed potting mix. Thank you

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - The ProMix will work perfectly fine. I use it for most of my winter sowing, and the primary ingredient is Sphagnum peat moss. You could sterilize the acorns first, just soak in a 10% bleach/water solution for a minute or two...then rinse and plant/stratify in the ProMix.

[@KattaurusM-sx8pn]

@@growitbuildit thank you. Will I need to add vermiculite to it since it isn’t a 50/50 mix like you made?

[@growitbuildit]

@@KattaurusM-sx8pn The Vermiculite holds moisture very well. But if your mixture is moist, and stays moist you will probably be ok. You can also substitute sand.

[@noahv4503]

how deep do the pots need to be

[@growitbuildit]

In this video it was 6", but the deeper the better. Now I no longer use pots shorter than 8-9". And with most Oak tree's I've grown since making this video, I've used 14" deep pots.

[@sandramarshall1095]

Do pin òàķs tirivesh in norton CA?

[@growitbuildit]

I've heard of them growing up in Quebec. They are cold hardy to USDA hardiness zone 4

[@rajnarayananchal1552]

Where from u purchase these ?

[@growitbuildit]

There are places online. sheffields.com/ sometimes carries these

[@LittleJoeTheMoonlightCat]

Macgyver Made the Swiss Army Knife Popular. I have 1

[@LittleJoeTheMoonlightCat]

I think The (acorn pennywhistle) uses the Pin Oak Acorn as its LOGO. That or the Red Oak Acorn.

[@growitbuildit]

I just checked and I think the logo is the Red Oak, as you suggest.

[@LittleJoeTheMoonlightCat]

@@growitbuildit Yeah Because I thought it looked like the Pin Oak at First, Then on Closer inspection When I saw the Different Acorns, it Looked like the Red Oak.

[@bernie4268]

I’ve found the pin oak easy but the red oAk a lot trickier.

[@growitbuildit]

I've had some success with Red Oaks following the same process.

[@GoneCarnivore]

By the way those Floating acorns and even the ones with holes will germinate and grow a tree based on my own experience with germinating literally thousands of Acorns.

[@growitbuildit]

I've not been successful in germinating ones with holes. Floaters I have managed to germinate some.

[@ElliottG1995]

Where I’m from [UK], you’ll find the common English oak which grows over half a metre a year and is stronger than all other oaks and are capable of living for hundreds of years, some may even live to be 1000! You’ll also find it’s non-identical twin, the sessile oak which grows along the British isles that bears acorns with no stalks and have more leaf lobes, slightly smaller… 🪴🌿🌳🌲🍃

[@growitbuildit]

I would love to see them Elfred

[@ElliottG1995]

@@growitbuildit maybe when u visit my homeland across the Atlantic…

[@brucelarrow7897]

And the deer taste yummy too

[@growitbuildit]

Haha - yes they do.