The work aims to describe the impact of scarification and sorting of pedunculate oak acorns and the time of sowing on the germination, growth traits (stem height, root collar diameter, total leaves area, number of leaves, dry mass), and the quality indices of seedlings grown in the Hiko container. The experiment was conducted on two dates: March 25 and April 21 in a container nursery in the Rudy Raciborskie Forest District (southern Poland). In total, six experimental variants were used: acorns with diameter 15 mm, un−scarified (≤15−nsk) and scarified (≤15−sk), acorns with diameter >15 mm, un−scarified (>15−nsk) and scarified (>15−sk), and control variants, i.e. unsorted acorns, with (K−sk) and without scarification (K−nsk). The germination process, growth characteristics of the seedlings, and two qualitative indicators – sturdiness quotient (SQ) and Dickson quality index (DQI) were evaluated, which determine the suitability of seedlings for planting. Scarified acorns, compared to un−scarified ones, germinated earlier and more evenly. The poorest germination was observed in the un−scarified acorns with diameter >15 mm. The best seedlings, regardless of the sowing date, were obtained from scarified acorns with a larger diameter (>15 mm). The results showed that pre−sowing preparation of acorns, mainly scarification, has positive impact on even seed germination and favours better growth of seedlings. The sorting of acorns resulted in higher values of growth characteristics of seedlings. Sowing in March favoured an even course of germination, and a greater number of seedlings with higher growth parameters.
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