The fruits of oaks, chestnuts and sycamore are extremely perishable. They are shed at a high moisture content and, unlike most fruits and seeds, are killed by very little drying. They are also frequently infected with fungi which thrive in the moist conditions necessary to avoid dehydration damage. The best advice is to nursery sow (or direct seed) these fruits in autumn as soon after collection as possible. This Note is aimed principally at commercial seed collectors, foresters and nursery managers who want to collect, handle(and if unavoidable, store) large quantities of seeds of these species as a prelude to raising commercial quantities of trees. But the same principles apply to small quantities of seeds.
