RE: Placed acorns in specific locations for growing oaks but....
If you are in an area that previously had oaks or currently has oaks it is very hard to get young ones to grow unless you have some sunlight on the ground where you want them to grow. Oak is somewhat shade intolerant, meaning that they need sunlight on them. Cherry needs even more light. For example in a wooded lot with a large canopy you get very few young oaks that develop and grow, even if you have acorns dropping like crazy every year, but if you were to cut the trees and provide sunlight oaks would reseed themselves on their own. Other seeds may lay dormant for some time until they get the light they need to grow it all depends on the species. I don' t know how to stop the mice.