Acorn Question

[Quiver]

Found a bunch of 1/4 inch white oak acorns today in west Humphries Co. Will that be the size or is that just early shedding?

 

[WTNBowHunter]

Interesting question. I'm gonna hold on any confident comment but my initial thought is that it may be just the specific variety of white oak that is dropping. Will follow this to see if a dendrologist can confirm…

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Same thoughts as @WTNBowHunter . Depends on the variety. Have a pic of the leaves and bark? May be a chinkapin (sp) which has smaller acorns. Acorns are plentiful this year for most parts. But we do need rain to compete the cycle. If they are small now, it's probably the variety, as all the spring and summer rains got them good and full. They are dropping now due to stress, but the normal white oaks should be mostly developed

 

[BSK]

Found a bunch of 1/4 inch white oak acorns today in west Humphries Co. Will that be the size or is that just early shedding?

With the dry conditions the area has been experiencing, trees are dropping the nuts that can't be carried to full maturity. Basically, dumping the excess acorns so that the remaining nuts can fully develop. I've seen this occur once a summer turn dry, many, many times. The longer the dry spell lasts, the more acorns will drop early.

 

[kaizen leader]

The red oak over my deck is dropping a lot of half size. Thank you BSK.

 

[Snake]

With the dry conditions the area has been experiencing, trees are dropping the nuts that can't be carried to full maturity. Basically, dumping the excess acorns so that the remaining nuts can fully develop. I've seen this occur once a summer turn dry, many, many times. The longer the dry spell lasts, the more acorns will drop early.

That's my big whiteoak in definition...falling premature acorns and the acorns still on the tree are smaller than normal .