Oak observation, has anyone seen this

[KY wild]

Here, around my parts of Western Ky, red oak trees are loaded this year but White oak acorns are much more rare this year. I have found about 20 or so white oaks and Chinkapin oaks on my property that are dropping heavy and 100% are on the edge receiving full sun, next to a field, in the field, next to the road, in my yard. I have rode around on side by side in woods with full canopy and mature trees and cannot find a white oak acorn with my binoculars. Now I realize my sample size is small but seems like a pattern in my area this year, I realize a mile away this could be totally different and probably just a coincidence but it could also be a thing that happens sometimes in nature when certain criteria fall in place. Has anyone ever noticed this before?

 

[Native Hunter]

Red oak acorns that mature this year are dependent on what the weather conditions were like at pollination time last year. The acorns form over two years. They produce acorns every year but mature seed is two years old. White Oak acorns this year are dependent on what the weather conditions were at pollination time this year. They are formed in one year. That can sometimes explain a lot.

 

[Native Hunter]

One more thing - In regard to the sunlight and good acorn production on the white oaks, I am not surprised. Dr. Harper has stated many times that you could go into a mature oak forest and cut down half of the trees and get more total acorns than you had before cutting. To do this you would need to cut down the lowest producers and keep the best producers. The extra sunlight received by the best producers from the opened up canopy would result in the increase.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Here, around my parts of Western Ky, red oak trees are loaded this year but White oak acorns are much more rare this year. I have found about 20 or so white oaks and Chinkapin oaks on my property that are dropping heavy and 100% are on the edge receiving full sun, next to a field, in the field, next to the road, in my yard. I have rode around on side by side in woods with full canopy and mature trees and cannot find a white oak acorn with my binoculars. Now I realize my sample size is small but seems like a pattern in my area this year, I realize a mile away this could be totally different and probably just a coincidence but it could also be a thing that happens sometimes in nature when certain criteria fall in place. Has anyone ever noticed this before?

Most of us share your experience and observations

Although white oaks are capable of producing acorns annually , red oaks are more consistent producers on a biennial basis

In East Texas, my post oaks are very inconsistent with production. The turkey oak and willow oak carpet the bottomlands with acorns

bill

 

[Lucky_P]

Last year was a HUGE mast year for white oaks here (Christian Co. KY.) Same for hickories, pecans, black walnuts.
There are almost no pecans, hickories, walnuts. The only oaks I really pay any regular attention to, anymore, are the ones in the yard here... mostly bur oak and bur-hybrids, which are mostly open-grown and tend to crop annually. Moderate crops on those (I shipped 36 lbs of bur and burenglish acorns to a client yesterday) , and due to prolonged drought conditions here, a lot of the acorns are poorly filled and 'punky' inside, and are mostly smaller than normal.
There is one NuttallXPin hybrid ('Macon') here in the yard that has a decent crop, but not yet dropping acorns.

 

[KY wild]

I appreciate the input but my main point was that the only white oaks that are producing a large crop are the ones out in the open and all the ones in the woods are empty. I know it is normal for only a few scattered white oaks to produce in a given year but this pattern I have not seen before

 

[g squared 23]

My observations in central IL have been similar: very light white acorn crop, bordering nonexistent after a mega crop last year. Seeing a moderate red oak crop. Has made finding an early season buck very difficult


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jsasker007]

Here in Central Minnesota we have had good moisture all summer long and oaks are loaded up again for the second year in a row. Places where I have cleared out a bunch of "junk" trees to open it up for oaks are doing better than areas with more growing competition. More sunlight equals better growth.

 

[bigboreblr]

Red oaks are usually found closer to sources of water than white oaks. Got a dry year? Any oddball frosts this spring?

 

[b116757]

All fruit and nut trees produce better in full sun conditions there is likely some understory plants that maybe the exception but generally speaking full sun is the best for mast production.