This post is a story about the acorns, that I collected from Carnegie Primary School (my
Introduction
In my post on using Plane Tree leaf mulch for vegetable gardens, I have referred to the giant deciduous trees that grow on my farm. These trees were reportedly planted at the instigation of Baron Ferdinand von Mueller. He was the father of Melbourne’s and many of Victoria’s Botanic gardens. The size of my trees makes this scenario seem quite possible.
One of the Baron’s Giant Oak Trees that are intermingled with the Plane Trees on my farm.
While preparing the ‘plane tree mulch post‘ I thought that I should confess (or boast) about my continuation of the Baron’s desire to spread beautiful European ‘Weed Trees’ around Victoria.
My decision to post came about during a chance meeting with a lady who was active in a Carnegie community group Laz’s Lane that has made a lovely outdoor art gallery/garden in a twisting laneway leading from Koornang road to Graceburn Avenue and then to Carnegie Primary School.
At the time I told her about a kind and thoughtful headmaster (he had silver hair and seem terribly old to me at the time) who provided each of us with a hand full of sunflower seeds to grow at home as a competition. The largest flower was awarded the honour of being the source of seeds for the next years competition. I suppose we were learning plant breeding by selection and the miracle of life and DNA. He also had us collect acorns for feeding to animals at the zoo.
We followed a shortcut down Laz’s Lane and enjoyed the plants and artworks and arrived outside my old primary school. Out of curiosity, I visited the site where many many years ago, I had collected a shoebox full of acorns from below my favourite Oak Tree for my acorn planting spree in Gippsland.
The current day tree was quite substantial but disappointing. It was not as big as in my childhood memory and nowhere as big as it progeny from my plantings. “This may be the odd effect of objects seeming to shrink in size as we become full-grown (or the result of ‘time travel’). However, I suspect my original trees were cut down, for OHS reasons and replace with other Oaks.
Unlike most tree seeds, acorns carry their own big store of starter nutrients to help them establish under harsh conditions. It also means that they make a lovely projectile to throw from a car or launch from a tennis racquet into places that, by the Baron’s philosophy, needed some genetic enrichment.
“To be fair to the Baron, he did study Victoria’s plants in great detail and he came to see them as not inferior to European plants. Indeed, he sent Australian plant seed around the world” This was in addition to a vast number of other activities such as extensive explorations around Australia, Bourk & Wills exploration committee, Antarctic exploration committee and support for exploration in New Guinea. He had a record number of scientific publications, membership of prestigious scientific organizations and international awards for his achievements. Mueller letter- Regardfully yours “Just the task of listing his achievements would be a life long job.”
Keeping up the Baron’s tradition
The following photographs are of some of my plantings that are intermingled with some photos of the Baron’s trees.
Oaks, that were planted by me, that are growing beside Hazeldean Road Ellinbank.
Tim
gge
Hi Valerie, Thanks for your comments. Regarding growing acorn trees from acorns, I realised at a very young age that they germinated very easily and put down a long taproot that went looking for moisture. This happened when some of my ‘school’ acorns fell onto my father’s stack of builders sand. This showed me that they would grow anywhere, given half a chance. They needed no further help from me, as can be seen in the photo of the seedling in the crushed rock above. I plan to add annual phots of the seedling to monitor its progress. To improve the chance of success, I distribute plenty of acorns into a range of locations by throwing or using a tennis racquet.
They also can be germinated in a pot and transferred to their eventual growing place taking care to keep the taproot intact in a ball of soil.
Tim
I enjoy reading your thoughts & finds, was a bit disappointed that you didn’t write how you grew your acorn trees from the acorns, Best wishes to you & future trees