While we’re talking about acorns…

[PaintRocker]

In relation to crops, corn for a good example, gets (a lot) of it's yield from good pollination. When you see it "shooting", getting pollen on the top of the plant, you want a good rain at that time to knock that pollen down into where a ear will form. Do oak trees have a similar instance? If so, What time of year, stage of budding, etc should you expect to see this? Planting conditions and weather can stress a plant. What stress conditions do oaks face? (obviously a late frost) but Hard winters or mild winters? Wet or dry? Teach me

 

[BSK]

In relation to crops, corn for a good example, gets (a lot) of it's yield from good pollination. When you see it "shooting", getting pollen on the top of the plant, you want a good rain at that time to knock that pollen down into where a ear will form. Do oak trees have a similar instance? If so, What time of year, stage of budding, etc should you expect to see this? Planting conditions and weather can stress a plant. What stress conditions do oaks face? (obviously a late frost) but Hard winters or mild winters? Wet or dry? Teach me

You're asking questions I've looked to answer for years and have not found them. In fact, I honestly believe there has not been much research on this. I can't even find a consensus among arborists as to what creates a good or bad acorn crop. Sometimes, the spring conditions seem perfect and we still get bad crop. I think heavy rains/wind at the wrong time in spring can hurt the crop.

 

[Wooden Arrow]

it seems to be a bad frost/hard freeze when they are blooming that hurts them here. i don't think all varieties of oak bloom simultaneously though. SOME will normally drop acorns.

 

[BSK]

it seems to be a bad frost/hard freeze when they are blooming that hurts them here. i don't think all varieties of oak bloom simultaneously though. SOME will normally drop acorns.

Without question, a late freeze will wipe out the following fall's acorn crop, at least for White Oaks. It would the following year for Red Oaks as they set fruit one year but don't produce that fruit until the following year. However, I've seen years with no late freezes and no summer/fall droughts, yet still produce a poor crop.