Oak trees can provide shade and shelter for wildlife, but they are also long-lived trees. An oak tree is a good choice if you are thinking of planting one in your yard. But how long will it take?

To become self-sustainable, oak trees will need to grow for 5-6 years. Even the fastest growing oak trees can only grow 3 feet per year. An oak tree can take decades to fully grow. Depending on the oak tree, it takes 20-30 years for an oak tree to start producing their own acorns.

This will show you the entire life cycle of an oak tree so that you can see how long it takes. We’ll also share some tips that will help you grow your oak tree faster and how to prevent any unwanted critters eating it before it can grow.

Which Oak Tree Should You Plant?

You will need to choose the type of oak tree you want to plant, regardless of whether you are looking to plant one oak tree or a large number of them.

Red oaks and white oaks are the two main types of oak trees. There are more than 90 types of oak trees in North America.

How do you choose which oak tree to plant in your yard?

It is the oak trees you live next to that will make the best oak tree. Take a walk around your neighborhood to see what oaks are growing near you.

Your local arborist will help you determine which oak trees are best for your area. It will depend on where you live, what temperature it gets in winter and summer, as well as how much rain it receives.

Some trees are more tolerant to drought than others. Each oak tree is unique and will adapt to different conditions. Make sure you choose an oak tree that’s local to your area. It may die or stunt its growth.

How Quickly Does An Oak Tree Grow?

There are many oak tree types, so there are many growth rates!

Oak trees such as the Nuttall Oak can grow up to three feet per annum. Some oak trees, such as the Nuttall Oak, can grow up to three feet per year, while others, like Post Oak, only reach two inches. It all depends on the type of oak tree.

The growth rate of trees can also be affected by the weather conditions. An oak tree that is in full sunlight will likely grow faster than one in partial shade. Oak trees can’t grow in full sun.

The speed at which a tree grows will depend on its soil conditions, including PH and drainage. A tree that is water-loving will have trouble growing in dry climates.

Oak trees grow faster and live longer than others. Here is a growth chart of the fastest-growing oak trees.

How Long Does It Take To Grow An Oak Tree? Full Timeline

You’ve now found an oak tree in your area and are ready to plant it yourself. What are your expectations? What will it take to look after?

Oak trees can be grown easily. These trees don’t need a lot of attention so even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can still plant them!

Let’s begin at the beginning, and then work our way up through the process of growing an oak tree.

Particularly, live oak trees grow at a different pace. Here is our guide on how long oak trees can live.

Day 1: Finding The Right Oak Tree Acorn

Finding a seed to plant is the first step in our oak tree timeline. It’s as simple as identifying the oak trees in your area and waiting for the right moment to plant them.

Fall is the best time to start looking for acorns. Mississippi State University suggests that picking acorns from the tree is not advisable as they can become immature.

Wait until the acorns start falling from your tree. After they drop, you should pick them up within 3-4 days. They could dry out, and the seeds may not be viable. Even if you are only planning to plant one oak tree, it is a good idea to get more acorns that you actually intend to plant.

Some will not work, so grab as many as possible! The unusable can be thrown out.

Here are some things to look out for in your acorns

• Color:Acorns should primarily be brown with a slight green tinge.
• Cap Scar: This is the largest part of an acorn. It should be brightly colored and firm to the touch when you press it with your fingers. You can gently throw away the cap if it is still attached to the acorn. If the cap is not easy to remove, you can try another acorn or one that does not have the cap.
• Check for holes in the acorns. This indicates that a pest or weevil has already made a meal out of the seed.
• Look for dark spots or mold: It’s possible to remove mold from acorns if they aren’t available. However, it is better to search for acorns with no mold.

After you have collected enough decent-looking oaks, it is time to see if they will grow. The test is pass/fail and only asks one question: Does it float in water or sink?

Acorns that flounder when placed in a bowl or bucket of water are not sustainable and should be thrown out. You can plant acorns from all acorns that sink.

Day 1 – Day 30: Planting an Oak Acorn in The Fall

Once we have viable acorns it is time to plant the puppies and watch them grow! Problem is, red oaks and white oaks need different handling during the acorn stage.

White oak acorns can be planted right after harvesting. Red oaks, however, require a dormancy time. Both white oaks as well as red oaks can be planted immediately. Red oaks won’t sprout until spring while white oaks will germinate within one to two weeks.

Your acorn can be planted in any location you prefer, or anywhere else that is more convenient. The tree can be transplanted within one year.

Prepare the area by tilling the soil. It is a good rule of thumb to plant the acorns 1 inch below the soil surface. Acorns can be planted up to five per square foot. This will enable you to select the best sapling to transplant. It is important that the acorn receives plenty of sunlight wherever it is planted.

If the acorn is already sprouting, you can place the root-side down. If the acorn has not yet sprouted, place it on its side in the soil.

If you have planted a white oak tree acorn, you will start to see stems emerging from the soil over the next two weeks. You’ll need to take out the small seedlings during this period to allow the larger, more vigorous seedlings to grow.

You should remove all weeds and grass that may appear, as they can hinder the growth of your seedlings.

This is the most vulnerable time of year for the acorn, as squirrels and other digging creatures love to dig up acorns, especially late fall and winter. You can avoid this by taking a few steps.

• Lay chicken wire fencing: this is a good deterrent to red oak Acorns since they take time to germinate. Once the stems start to poke out of the soil, remove the fencing.
• Use hardwarecloth: This can be used in the same way as chicken wire fencing. It should be removed when the seeds start to germinate. This is usually in early spring for red oaks and 5 days for white oaks.

After about a month, you will be able to identify which white oak seedling is fastest growing and the tallest. This seedling will be used for your tree. To ensure your seedling’s health, remove all other seedlings and transplant them to another location.

You can find our complete guide to the best oak trees here.

Month 1 – Year 1: Oak Sowing In The Fall

Your seedling will be very vulnerable in the next year. It will require protection from deer and other browsing animals.

This product can be used in place of the Voglund nursery mesh tree bark protector . This product comes in four sizes so that you can adjust the size to suit your seedling’s needs. Zip ties are included to make it easy to install.

You can use something lighter, such as ANPHSIN Tree Protector wraps. This will not only repel pests, but also protect your saplings from cold weather.

Wraps of this nature may not deter heavy critter browsing, according to some. However, it is relatively inexpensive so it might be worth the investment if there isn’t a lot of browsing in your area.

A sapling is a tree that reaches 3 feet in height. Woohoo! It can take from six months to several years depending on which oak tree you have. Congratulations if you have made it this far!

Let’s start by looking at those red oak acorns that are still in their senescence. How can you grow them?

Month 6 – Day 1: Sowing Oaks In The Spring

You can either store your acorns in the refrigerator or place them in pots indoors until spring. This applies to both white oak and red oak acorns.

Red oak acorns will not sprout until spring for them. Once you have collected them in the fall and stored them in a bag that is partially opened in the refrigerator for at least two months.

You should inspect them every two weeks for any signs of mold growth. You can wash them off and put them in new bags if you find any.

White oak acorns can be kept in moist sand for up to 4 months in the fridge. You will need to either plant them outdoors or transfer them to a container to get them germinating.

Red oak acorns should be out of dormancy by two months. You can then move the acorns to a container or outside. It’s easier to move them indoors than to outside because of the winter weather.

You can find the key differences between white and red oak trees here

Make sure the pot is at least one foot deep. Mixing potting soil with topsoil from your area is a good idea. You’ll need to plant several acorns in each pot, just like when you are planting outside.

Place the acorns in a sideways position about 1 inch deep in the soil. The acorns will only require watering once per week. They should start sprouting in two weeks.

Pro Tip For Planting Your Acorn

• To promote healthy and fast growth, use a slow-release fertilizer. The EasyGo Product Milorganite Slow Release Nitrogen Fertilizer is a great choice. It is easy to use and does not contain salt so it can be used even in areas of drought.
• Because of their shape, pots can cause root spiraling. This can be avoided by trimming or straightening the roots prior to transplanting.

As they grow, keep an eye on your seedlings and remove any smaller ones if you feel the need to encourage faster growth of your dominant seedling. You can only safely take your seedlings outside after April.

Month 6 – Year 1: Sowing Oaks In The Spring

Potted seedlings can be moved outside as soon as April arrives and birds begin chirping. You don’t have to worry if the temperatures drop below freezing. Oak trees can still survive frost.

Your potted seedling should be placed in a place that receives partial shade. We don’t want the tree to be exposed to full sunlight. Let your seedling adjust to outdoor living for the next month. Water your seedling if it hasn’t rained for more than a week.

You can start to move your seedling into full sun after a month! To protect your seedlings from predators, follow our tips. Your seedling will continue to grow for the next few months or years. It is officially a sapling when it reaches 3 feet in height, just like before.

Year 1 – Year 5: Growing Oak Tree Saplings

It may take several years to get your oak tree to its sapling stage, depending on which type you planted. Some take less than one year.

The best thing about saplings, however, is that they do way less work than our little acorns. This is when browsing, insects, and disease are the biggest problems. Our oak saplings, being young and fragile, are more vulnerable to these issues than an full-grown Oak tree.

Another issue is transplanting. It’s time for you to start thinking about where to place your tiny but powerful oak. You need to find an area where it can get full sun. Also, make sure that you have enough space for your oak to grow.

Oak trees can be transplanted within one year. The sooner you transplant, the better. Your oak tree’s ability to adjust to the new environment will be affected if you wait too long. This could hinder its growth.

How To Transplant Your Oak Tree Sapling

• Dig a hole of the right size
• Any spiraling roots should be straightened or pruned
• Place the sapling in the hole and cover it with dirt.
• Mulch can be added to your sapling as an optional addition to retain moisture and discourage digging critters such as mice, moles and voles.

You’ll need to be extra vigilant about browsing for the next five years. You can use tree wraps or guards to discourage deer. To discourage squirrels or deer from getting near your sapling, you can also use smells and scents they don’t like.

Oak saplings are susceptible to some tree diseases. Read our article on the most prevalent oak tree diseases here.

Year 5 – Year 50: Grown Adult Oak Tree

Your oak tree is generally ready to go once it reaches the five-year mark. This amazing tree will continue to grow, so you can take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the view from afar.

The average age at which an oak tree reaches maturity is around 30 years. However, this can vary depending upon the oak tree. Your oak tree is considered mature when it starts producing its own acorns, which you can see in the summer.

Your oak tree might be finished at this point. Some oak trees can continue to grow for many more decades, if they are lucky, even centuries.

Wrapping Things Up

This timeline should give you an idea of the time it takes to grow oak trees. It’s fun to plant an oak tree, take care of it, and then watch it grow.

Even though you might not be there when the oak tree reaches full maturity, it will still be available for generations to enjoy its shade and the wildlife. It’s a great legacy to leave!

Have fun planting!