Re: Speaking of acorns

We have a cabin in the local mountains. Despite the drought, we have had prodigious acorns falling everywhere. I can attest to the fact that many are eaten by wildlife, many are buried by wildlife or stashed in holes on trees. When you remember that most are not planted by people intending germination, it is not surprizing that most never do so. Also, many seedlings are lost by drought and/or feeding of underground rodents and deer.
Diana Holland
San Diego---- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Stone" <dstone@res-q.com>
To: <woodyplants@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 8:15 AM
Subject: RE: Speaking of acorns


Some years, the quantity of acorns produced by oak trees, here in Pasadena,
is truly astounding.
Walking is part of my regular work-out routine. One year, during my walks,
I gathered acorns out from under all really healthy looking oaks in my
neighborhood--oaks that were very large and looked to have "stood the test
of time" for quite some time.

I planted a portion of the gathered acorns in a section of my front yard
where I wanted to grow an oak tree.
I was expecting one or two of the buried nuts to germinate. Now, two years
later, I see that almost all have sprouted and have produced healthy looking
young trees, already a few feet tall.

Given the almost 100% rate of germination, I'm surprised that oak trees
expend so much energy on acorn production.  Some trees must drop thousands
of nuts during the fall, just before the southern California rainy period.

I wonder if Oak trees in more remote, wilder settings, also produce so many
acorns?
Maybe the urban/suburban environment does contain a "stressing factor" which
triggers the prodigious output.

Also possible is that through the millennia, the oak trees which produced
the most acorns, attracted the most squirrels. Those squirrels tended to
distribute and "plant" more of the prodigious oak's output, hence the
propagation of oaks which seem to produce many more acorns than is necessary
to continue the species.

Doug

P.S.  I'm now faced with the very disheartening prospect of having to thin
my beautiful little Oak forest.
:-(

Any volunteers?


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-woodyplants@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
Behalf Of Debby Williams
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 3:27 AM
To: woodyplants@hort.net
Subject: Re: Speaking of acorns

Ruth,

Several years back I was told that when trees experience stress, they think
they are dying, and produce huge amounts of seed so their species can
survive. I don't know how science based this theory is, but it sure seems
logical. This would also explain why you had so many acorns in years of
drought, and very few this year.

Debby

on 11/9/04 7:03 AM, Ruth Bogan at rbogan@mindspring.com wrote:

> I saw Doug's message about acorns and wanted to throw out another
question. 
>
> I live in New Jersey. The past two years our oak trees have produced
acorns 
> prodigiously. About this time of year they covered the walks, the
> deck,
the 
> ground. I would hear them hitting the roof constantly. This year
> there
are
> not any, and I don't really see them in the trees. The biggest
difference
> in the years has been the amount of rain--plenty of water this year;
less 
> water (even periodic drought) over the past few years. Can anybody
> give
me
> a quick lesson in the relationship between acorns and weather--if,
indeed, 
> there's any connection at all.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Ruth B.


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the message
text UNSUBSCRIBE WOODYPLANTS

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE WOODYPLANTS


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE WOODYPLANTS

Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index