Acorn Collecting and Handling Procedures

Collecting acorns preserves Virginia trees.

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) collects acorns to preserve native Virginia tree species. Growing Native is a year-round volunteer project that collects hardwood seeds and plants trees to help restore and protect rivers and streams in the Potomac River watershed. Citizens can help preserve native Virginia tree species by collecting acorns and delivering them to the VDOF nurseries.

Here's how to get started:

When To Collect

Beginning in late August and continuing through October, various species of oak mature at different times. Ripening dates vary throughout the state by as much as two to three weeks, making it difficult to use actual dates to determine maturity. Generally, the best time to collect acorns is the last week in September through the first week of October, a period when the most species will be ripe.

How To Collect

Leaves, limbs and other forest litter make it very difficult to collect acorns in a forest setting. Lawns or paved areas present fewer obstacles to collection. Locate open grown trees that are heavily loaded with acorns that are in or adjacent to parking lots such as at churches or schools. Trees chosen in this way also make identifying the acorns easier. Always identify the tree and place tags or mark the bags so the nursery will know what species you have collected.

Once good acorn fall has started, use leaf rakes or blowers to make collection easier. Simply rake or blow the acorns into a pile and then pick the acorns up, preferably selecting undamaged acorns, and place in a container, such as buckets, prior to dumping in the approved bags.

Collection Tips

Be very careful to remove sticks, leaves, rocks or other trash with the acorns. This material is very difficult to remove at the nursery and can cause damage to our acorn seeder.

Do not combine acorns from different species of oaks in the same bag.

Storing Acorns

The two most critical components for caring for acorns are:

do not allow the acorns to dry out for an extended period
do not allow the acorns to heat up.

Acorns will lose their viability, or ability to germinate, very quickly if allowed to dry out.

Collected acorns should be placed in bags and kept as cool as possible in a shaded location until transported to the nursery. If room is available, a refrigerator will work fine. Do not freeze the acorns. Bags should be wetted down periodically to keep the acorns from drying out.

To preserve viability, store acorns in bags that inhibit drying of the acorns but also allow air to flow to prevent heat buildup. Use paper grocery bags or plastic bags that are well-ventilated. Solid plastic bags that are poorly ventilated will preserve moisture but also preserve heat. A hot, moist environment will cause the acorns to spoil; a cool, moist environment is ideal for acorn storage. Acorns should not be allowed to stay in bags that hold standing water for more than a few hours.

Ideally, bags of acorns should be taken to the nursery within 7 to 10 days after being collected.

Seed Dormancy

Acorns fall into the following categories:

White Oak Group - These acorns mature in one season. They do not exhibit seed dormancy and will start to germinate very soon after maturing and falling to the ground. Transport them to the nursery within 7 to 10 days after collection.

Red Oak Group - These acorns mature in two seasons. The red oak group exhibits seed dormancy and generally does not germinate until the following spring. If stored properly, these acorns can be held longer prior to shipment to the nursery. Transport them to the nursery within 10 to 14 days after collection.

Ripeness

Acorns turn from green to various shades of brown as they mature. Generally, acorns are mature when they naturally start to fall from the tree, or fall when the tree limbs are shaken. The caps of mature acorns will come off. Very green acorns that fall from the tree early should not be collected.

Desired Species and Species Information

The following species are listed in order of importance:

Tree Name	Species Name	Information
Northern Red Oak	Quercus rubra	Seed matures and is dispersed in September and October. Acorns: 5/8-1 1/8" long; egg shaped, less than 1/3 enclosed by broad cup of reddish-brown, blunt, tightly overlapping scales; maturing second year.
White Oak	Quercus alba	Seed matures and is dispersed in September and October. Acorns: 1/2" – 1 1/4" long; egg shaped; about 1/4 enclosed by shallow cup; becoming light gray to brown; with warty, finely hairy scales; maturing first year.
Willow Oak	Quercus phellos	Seed matures and is dispersed in August to October. Acorns: 3/8"-1/2" long and broad; nearly round, with shallow saucer shaped cup; becoming brown when mature; maturing second year.
Pin Oak	Quercus palustris	Seed matures in September and October, and disperses in September to November. Acorns: 1/2" long and broad; nearly round; becoming brown when mature; 1/4 to 1/3 enclosed by thin saucer-shaped cup tapering to base; maturing second year.
Overcup Oak	Quercus lyrata	Seed matures and is dispersed in September and October. Acorns: 1/2" to 1" long; nearly round, almost enclosed by large rounded cup of warty gray scales, the upper scales long-pointed; usually stalkless; maturing first year.
Water Oak	Quercus nigra	Seed matures and is dispersed in August to October. Acorns: 3/8"-5/8" long and broad; nearly round, with shallow, saucer shaped cup; becoming brown when mature; maturing second year.
Swamp Chestnut Oak	Quercus michauxii	Seed matures and is dispersed in September and October. Acorns: 1-1 1/4" long; egg shaped, 1/3 or more enclosed by deep thick cup with broad base, composed of many overlapping hairy brown scales; stalkless or short-stalked; maturing first year.
Southern Red Oak	Quercus falcata	Matures in September to October. Acorns: 1/2"-5/8" long; elliptical or rounded; becoming brown when mature; 1/3 or more enclosed by cup tapering to broad stalklike base; maturing second year. Often with striations.

Other acceptable species include Black Oak, Chestnut Oak, Post Oak, Cherrybark Oak and any other oak that can be easily collected in large quantities.

Need more information? Contact the Augusta Forestry Center or the Garland Gray Forestry Center.

Last modified 2007-10-02