Oak trees dominate the beautiful hardwood forests or the south central United States. The Northern Red Oak can live hundreds of years, grow to heights over 80 feet and boast trunks 3 feet thick or thicker. These trees are harvested commercially for lumber, firewood and charcoal. They are the most important hardwood in the North American forest.

Hickory belong to the walnut family of trees. These great American beauties have smooth bark when young, but develop their characteristic shag bark as the tree matures. These trees are sought commercially for their fine "springy" hard wood both for lumber and for the aromatic smoke the wood produces when burned. In fact, the shovel, hoe and rake you use to plant your hickory trees probably have hickory handles. We often use them for our fine Tennessee Walking Sticks.

There is nothing like a beautiful American hardwood tree to give cooling shade in the Summer, beautiful colors in the fall, and glorious green for the rebirth of Spring. Trees always add to the value of property, as well as produce many useful side benefits. Their leaves make good leaf moulds and mulches for the garden, the falling nuts provide food for squirrels, deer and some domestic farm animals and birds; and their branches and leaves draw hundreds of birds.

Have you ever wanted to add some good old American hardwood trees on your property? If so, what are your options? Go to a local nursery and pay a small fortune for saplings (which usually come with a one year guarantee because they so often die from the shock of being transplanted) put them in the ground and hope they grow. We have another option for you, one that is a lot less expensive and one that you may like a lot better. You can get the seeds for quality Hickory and Oak trees from us, at a very reasonable price, then plant your own trees. Many of our fine acorns and hickory nuts are sprouting naturally. You could be so successful at starting new trees that you will become a nursery to all your friends and family.

Our acorns and hickory nuts have been selected from fine looking trees (two of which are pictured here) which are both beautiful and healthy. These seeds should make for a very good crop of trees.

You may plant these trees in the Fall or Spring. It is a good idea to soak the seeds for about 12-24 hours before planting. Nuts that float are no good and should be discarded. If you are going to keep the seeds over winter, you will need to keep them in a cool, but not freezing, dry place till you sow them in Spring. In the Fall, when the nuts have just fallen, simply poke a hole in the ground about two or three times the depth of thickness of the nut, drop in the nut, and then, cover it and lightly tamp the soil to get the air out. You will likely want to put a chicken wire hoop or cone over it to keep enterprising squirrels from digging it up or rabbits from chewing all the young leaves and stems off. Once the young tree is 6-9 inches tall, you can take the chicken wire off the top and make a wire cylinder around the base of the young tree to continue to protect it. You can space the trees 15-30 feet apart. If you know exactly where you want the new tree to grow, you could even plat 3 nuts in the spot and then choose the stoutest and most promising sapling, uproot or transplant the other two.