# City boy question



## miggyb (May 2, 2015)

When do the acorns start showing on the oak trees? I moved , to my property in October of 2018. Seemed like I was up to my ankles in acorns. Can't find any,so far. Beginning to panic, as the local squirrels can be "difficult/demanding".


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Oaks don't necessarily produce the same amount of acorns every year. The amount can depend on a lot of things.
Red oaks usually have a crop every year; white oaks are usually every other year.
Last year I was dumping full buckets of acorns from our tractor loader into a chipper. They are good feed for pigs and chickens.
This year hardly anything and it may be like that next year as well.
As far as the squirrels, a good 10/22 should make things clear what their options are.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

They seem to go cyclic around here. The story being that when they are heavy we have a bad winter coming. 
Actually I believe it has more to do with the spring time weather when the buds open up. Too cold or too dry and production will be down. Due to work, overtime and side work I have not had any chance to get into the woods for awhile. It will be time to check out my ground blind for deer and open up my shooting lanes so I'll check out the acorns then. Last year there weren't hadly any and it was a pretty mild winter. The amount of snow actually set a record but it would snow and then melt and then snow again so the accumulation never got that bad. Although everytime I went ice fishing the windchill was always about -30.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Also, a red oak tree tends to have a dark tinged (sometimes almost looking burned) bark with deep ridges vs a white oak tree which is usually grey.


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## miggyb (May 2, 2015)

GTX63 said:


> Oaks don't necessarily produce the same amount of acorns every year. The amount can depend on a lot of things.
> Red oaks usually have a crop every year; white oaks are usually every other year.
> Last year I was dumping full buckets of acorns from our tractor loader into a chipper. They are good feed for pigs and chickens.
> This year hardly anything and it may be like that next year as well.
> As far as the squirrels, a good 10/22 should make things clear what their options are.


OK, I'll go with the cyclical explanation. Squirrels and other wildlife , I just leave be. I put up a difficult to reach bird feeder, outside my bedroom window and watch the show. Better than tv, most of the time.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

GTX63 said:


> Also, a red oak tree tends to have a dark tinged (sometimes almost looking burned) bark with deep ridges vs a white oak tree which is usually grey.


The easiest way for me to tell the difference is by looking at the leaves.
Red Oak leaves are pointed at the tips and White Oak leaves have rounded lobes.


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## Composted (Aug 28, 2019)

White Oaks tend to fruit every year. Red Oaks can, but it is rare.


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Bearfootfarm said:


> The easiest way for me to tell the difference is by looking at the leaves.
> Red Oak leaves are pointed at the tips and White Oak leaves have rounded lobes.
> View attachment 79040


Hahaha - You do know there are about 90 types of oak trees native to the United States?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Wolf mom said:


> Hahaha - You do know there are about 90 types of oak trees native to the United States?


Yes.
I was talking about the difference between the two types (Red and White), not all the species.


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## JeepHammer (May 12, 2015)

JJ Grandits said:


> They seem to go cyclic around here. The story being that when they are heavy we have a bad winter coming.
> Actually I believe it has more to do with the spring time weather when the buds open up. Too cold or too dry and production will be down. Due to work, overtime and side work I have not had any chance to get into the woods for awhile. It will be time to check out my ground blind for deer and open up my shooting lanes so I'll check out the acorns then. Last year there weren't hadly any and it was a pretty mild winter. The amount of snow actually set a record but it would snow and then melt and then snow again so the accumulation never got that bad. Although everytime I went ice fishing the windchill was always about -30.


JJ Grandius nailed it,
Buds in the spring have to survive to make acorns in the fall.
Unless the tree has issues, you will normally have about the same amount of buds every year.
False springs that cause trees to bud, then a hard freeze takes the buds.
Buds are also favorite foods (sometimes only food) early in the spring, so they get eaten.
Dry years the buds/seeds will be sacrificed so the tree survives.


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