Acorns

As I walked along the lane to Brentwood library today, what did I spy but acorns lying there on the ground.

"Probably fell off the back of a truck", I thought, in the time it took me to scoop up two of them and slip them into my pocket, hoping no one saw me doing so.

Into the library, collect the books on hold, out again, home.

Thursday, October 22, 2008 - Good morning.

Made my FIRST sale through my online digital download store ( DLGuard , since you ask), and am now thinking "From little acorns do mighty revenues grow", or something.

The ice cream is still being digested.

I'm staring at these two minor contributions to my life, and wondering, if anyone out there knows, what's the best way to germinate acorns?.

I know about putting them back where I found them, as my mother used to nag me, or heeling them into the earth, as my grandpa would've nagged me had he caught me.

It's only two acorns.

Surely Mother Nature won't begrudge me the gleaning from her rich autumn harvest?

I think it would be "neat" to start growing an oak tree the day I brought a new revenue stream on line.

Besides which, I could always, er, branch out into other products.

Jezza tells me:

There are various methods but one we used to do as kids was:

First

REMEMBER cool, dark and moist

1) Get an old baking tray or seed tray and lay out some old newspaper or paper towels and wet them with a spray bottle.

2) Put your 2 acorns on the wet paper

3) Place some more paper towel/newspaper over the top of the seeds and wet them with your spray bottle.

4) Place in a warm, dark place (possibly the airing cupboard)

5) Check every other day and wet as required with the spray bottle for up to a month

6) Acorns will be ready to when the shoots get to about 2 inches long

Secondly

1) Get a large 4 inch pot and place in 5 inches of soil and cover with about an inch of soil

2) Place on sunny window sill

3) Guard against cats from using it as an impromptu litter tray

4) Wait a week or two and enjoy your oak tree.

So here we go.

As usual, preparation is important.

You will need a deep saucer-like container. My preference is for the lid of a 2-litre tub of ice-cream, so in the late afternoon I trot to Bruno’s store and purchase some delicious ice cream from the Sicilian Ice Cream Company.

Very few people can eat a 2-litre tub of ice-cream in one sitting, and I’m not one of them.

Luckily I’d brought home a good DVD from the library, so I settle down for the evening with over six hours of “Yes Minister” and get to work.

Of course, come the morning, the lid is rinsed and ready, and I’m back on my diet of boiled rice. Hence the jar of Basanti Brown waiting for lunch ....

I obtain a scrap of old cloth and fold it in thirds. Two-thirds will make the bed for the acorns while one-third will be draped over the acorns.

In the photo above you can see the acorns sitting on their little bases, waiting to be tucked in for the simulated night.

Here we are, tucked into bed, with some water soaking the cloth and a little excess water sitting in the lid.

They may as well sit up there with the bean sprouts for now.

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