Starting trees in pots help

[corelei]

Hi all

I'm new here, but I'm hoping some of you more knowledgeable folks can help me. I'm currently attempting to grow trees from seeds that I've picked up this autumn. So far, I have tiny silver birch seedlings and a few acorns germinating. My question is what size of pot should I pot them onto once they've sprouted? I'm hoping to plant them out when they're a reasonable size, but I don't want to when they're very small in case they get munched by deer and rabbits, but I'm worried, particularly with the oaks, which I know put down a serious tap root, that I'll ruin them. Plus I'm in the UK where we're just hitting the beginning of winter and so I wasn't sure how little seedlings would cope with the great outdoors at this stage of the game (didn't expect them to germinate quite so fast, but we've had a very warm autumn). Any tips or advice would be most welcome.

[tomc]

This year use 4 inch square (or round pots) with a very quick draining soil. I mix 1/2 sifted pine bark mulch and 1/2 gran-I-grit a granite chicken scratch (you could use sand). Your soil is going to look like bag of rocks with a little dirt in it.

Nest your pots up to their rim in the garden. add leaves if you have some on top.

The end of the week I am due to pack my tree babies up and ship them to new homes.

Next fall use a one gallon pot.

[ButterflyLady29]

I used a 2 liter pop bottle when I grew my daughter's little oak tree. It stayed in that pop bottle for nearly 2 years. It's 28 years old and planted in the backyard now.

[corelei]

Great to hear, thank you both for your advice. I'm obviously worrying unduly!