The Baby Trees

Last fall, or maybe over the winter, I mentioned that I had collected acorns from our yard in order to replace some trees we've lost in the last several years. I think I may have even complained later that I had planted a lot of them and only a couple were sprouting...and then they all began sprouting like gangbusters.

In late May I pulled out the boxes in which I'd planted the acorns with the idea of putting three or four seedlings in a flower pot. I soon realized that the seedling roots had already hit the bottom of the boxes and had continued to grow sideways. At best, I would be planting two seedlings per pot...and I don't have near that many pots.

Suddenly I found myself with WAY more baby trees than we needed. I gave the two biggest boxes to my Father-in-law and told him to plant them where ever he saw fit - I think he said they ended up by the pond.

The seedlings I'd already moved to pots remained below the window in the garage (lest the squirrels dig them right out of their pots for a snack). We did plant two in the front yard...and then added a third to another part of the yard. When I began naming friends and family I thought might be interested in a baby tree Rob became highly amused at my treatment of the seedlings like a litter of puppy and my attempts to find a good home for all of them.

N: What? You would just plant what we needed and put the rest in the yard waste bin?

R:Yes.

E's: GASP! DAD!

One friend said she didn't know where they'd plant it. Umm, you have a yard. And she didn't want to have acorns all over the yard... Even though I assured her that I had to work quick to get the acorns I did pick up because the squirrels usually eat them all she still wasn't interested.

Rob's uncle has taken some and a cousin is getting some this weekend (and not a moment too soon - I think they're outgrowing their pots). The rest I guess will get planted up by the pond like their brothers.

Mama Oak

They don't know what they're missing.