The Float Test: Separating the Good from the Bad Acorns / How to Float Test Acorns For Germination

When growing acorns the first step should be to float test them to check for viability. Float testing your acorns helps you separate viable seeds from ones that have been bored by insects or dried out too much. Float testing is simply taking the seeds and putting them in a bucket of water. Then you give the seeds about 24 hours to absorb the water. After 24 hours any acorns that are still floating are assumed to be no longer viable and you can plant all the acorns that sunk!
It's an easy way to separate the good acorns from the bad acorns. Hopefully this spring we'll see some nice germination of the acorns and be able to plant them up in individual pots. From there we could give them away, plant them on our property or sell them locally to interested gardeners!
Oak trees can provide food and shelter for over 200 species of insects and animals. They are a keystone species of plant that essential for our native insects and animals here in Tennessee and across the country.

[@Growingthehomegarden]

More detail on the float test: growingthehomegarden.com/float-testing-acorns-for-viability/

[@juneramirez8580]

Does it work on small seeds?

[@Growingthehomegarden]

It might but on smaller seeds I would recommend a wet paper towel to check for germination. I've done mostly seeds like redbud, beans etc with the float test. Medium to larger sized seeds.