Anybody ever fertilize an oak stand??

[Bushape]

I recall seeing some discussion on here before and was curious what techniques work best and what results you saw?

 

[tnanh]

I used to hunt with an older guy who would drive miracle grow sticks in the ground around certain white oak trees where he liked to bow hunt. He said it worked great but I don't know for sure.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I've seen studies where this isn't effective. However, I've put out lime and fertilizer out around the crown of fruit trees and I swear it makes a difference

 

[Ski]

I've heard it makes no difference, that the only effective way to increase productivity is by eliminating competition and expanding crown. But I have no first hand experience to support that.

 

[catman529]

I believe the NDA has done a study on this and showed no benefit. The best thing you can do is identify the most productive trees, and clear out the surrounding trees and understory to remove the competition. Ever notice how some of the most productive oaks are in fields or field edges? They have less competition or none at all, and full sunlight.

 

[TNTreeman]

Natural composting of leaves is perfect nutrition.

 

[backyardtndeer]

I fertilize my clover plots, a lot of oaks on the edge and some fruit trees. The fruit trees do seem to be benefiting, hard to say about the oaks.

 

[BSK]

As others pointed out, fertilizing nut-producing trees does not increase nut production or alter the nuts attractiveness to deer. Acorn production is a factor of individual tree genetics and crown size. The larger the crown, the more acorns produced. And the best way to increase crown size is to remove nearby competition.

 

[Wrangler95]

BSK,there is a whiteoak tree out in my field that sometimes has acorns but will not produce acorns for maybe 5 years or more.The buds may get killed each year by freeze.Im 67 years old and this tree was on the farm when I was a little boy.Ive tried fertilize and lime but dont seem to produce acorns but really makes the hay really grow around the tree!My Question is,how many years is a whiteoak gonna produce acorns?This tree was big when I was a kid!

 

[megalomaniac]

I believe the NDA has done a study on this and showed no benefit. The best thing you can do is identify the most productive trees, and clear out the surrounding trees and understory to remove the competition. Ever notice how some of the most productive oaks are in fields or field edges? They have less competition or none at all, and full sunlight.

I think this is actually what is happening and people are misinterpreting as increased production from fertilizing oaks...

I made a new plot Oct 2020, left 2 young red oaks in the middle of the half acre I dozed out. Of course, fertilized, limed and planted the plot the past 1.5 years. This fall those young red oaks were LOADED and rained acorns down into the plot. I think the biggest reason for the productive crop was removing all the competition (hickory, damaged oaks, etc) from that area letting the trees get maximum sunlight and no competition from other trees, NOT the fertilize and lime I put on the plot.

 

[BSK]

BSK,there is a whiteoak tree out in my field that sometimes has acorns but will not produce acorns for maybe 5 years or more.The buds may get killed each year by freeze.Im 67 years old and this tree was on the farm when I was a little boy.Ive tried fertilize and lime but dont seem to produce acorns but really makes the hay really grow around the tree!My Question is,how many years is a whiteoak gonna produce acorns?This tree was big when I was a kid!

White oaks can produce bumper acorn crops their entire lifespan, which can be 100 to in extreme cases 200 years.

 

[DeerCamp]

Tree roots in mature trees extend so far, they rarely need fertilizer.

The best fertilizer for trees is removing other unwanted trees around them.

 

[Wrangler95]

White oaks can produce bumper acorn crops their entire lifespan, which can be 100 to in extreme cases 200 years.

That is alot longer than I figured.