How to Plant a Gambel Oak Garden

Prepare the soil before you plant gambel oak. As noted by the United States Department of Agriculture, gambel oak grows best in soils with a medium or coarse texture. If your soil has a very fine texture, you can amend it by adding fibrous soil amendments such as wood chips, straw, tree bark or peat.

Obtain a soil analysis to determine the nutrient and pH levels of your soil site. Gambel oak grows best in soils with a pH between 6.5 and 8.0, according to the USDA. If you need to decrease your soil pH, add a sulfate product, like aluminum sulfate or sulfur. To increase pH levels, add a liming material in the amounts recommended by your soil analysis.

Store the acorns in a plastic bag, sealed and in the refrigerator, for a month before planting. This will help the acorns germinate faster. Don't expose the acorns to freezing temperatures, and check them frequently for mold buildup. If the acorns do become moldy, simply wash off the mold, dry the acorns and place them in the fridge again.

Select a sunny location for your acorns. The trees are intolerant of shade and will not germinate unless they receive enough sunlight.

Plant gambel oak acorns about an inch below the soil surface, or about three times the depth of the seed, as recommended by the Mississippi State University Extension.

Water the acorns thoroughly after planting and once a week if you do not receive any rain throughout the week. Acorns should germinate within a few weeks.