Acorn production

[capetrees]

I've been hunting during the past couple of months, here and in NY and have been reading about food plots and deer management for years. The areas I hunt don't allow me to cultivate anything, based on the fact that I don't own it and the areas are secluded so macines can't access amongst other things. I was wondering however if it's possible to enhance what I hunt around, namely trees in the areas that produce fruits and nuts like apples and acorns. Is there something I could do to help the trees produce more fruits and nuts without altering the tree like trimming and cutting or the soils in a great way like cultivating, maybe a fertilizer or even a liquid product? The areas are distant so anything I do would be brought in by hand and applied the same way. Watering would be natural of course. Any ideas?

 

[lego1970]

I can't remember but I think Oaks in the Red Oak family take two years to develop acorns and acorns from the White Oak family produce every year. If that is true you might be able to harvest more from white oaks, however not only am I not sure if the above statement is true, but I'm also not sure if the acorns on a red oak produce acorns in two year cycles or if the trees produce acorns yearly but it takes two years for the acorn to develope. Also I'm not sure what the average acorn production rate is for different oaks but I would imagine steps could be taken to increase production. For whatever reason I've noticed that Burr Oaks seem to take hold in areas where woodland is taking over an abandoned field. Maybe it's due to acorn production? Don't know. Good question and hopefully somebody will chime in with more knowledge.

 

[kkottemann]

Red oaks take two yeas to develop the acorns, but drop every year. White oaks take only one year to develop mature acorns and drop that year, however a good crop is usually not developed each year. So some years you don't see any white oak acorns at all. As far as improving.....anytime you can fertilize you help the tree. Good potassium in the late winter and early fall is a plus as well as some nitrogen in the later months. this will feed the tree and surly help health and possible contribute to the following years mast production. drill holes in the ground with a 2" auger and fill with mixture of fertilizer....its an old school method but portable and works, or just broadcast some fertilizer. I treat my crabapple trees in the woods each year like this. Helps the apples hold on a few more weeks into october.