Acorns and lack thereof

[Unit8R]

Crazy can't sleep thoughts... Eight years ago I came back home to NY from Colorado where oak brush was a super important food for a wide range of animals... no acorns, no bear cubs. That first year back I needed a batting helmet for all the acorns falling and subsequent years not so many, but some,  until the past two years where there have been none. Plenty of hickory nuts but no acorns. I've learned that they skip a few years to let the squirrels, deer and all decrease in population and then produce a "mast" year and go nuts (sorry for the pun) and produce a bunch while populations are low to give best chance of sprouts. But now the gypsy moths are back and we are at a high enough elevation where they are in pretty good and expected for a couple more years. 

Question is did the oaks know that the moths were due so slowed up and decided to hold off the mast year or is it coincidence? Any knowledge on how many years they may skip? If I see none by mid summer I'm moving a stand from the oaks. Thanks in advance.

 

 

[G-Man]

7 hours ago, Unit8R said:

Crazy can't sleep thoughts... Eight years ago I came back home to NY from Colorado where oak brush was a super important food for a wide range of animals... no acorns, no bear cubs. That first year back I needed a batting helmet for all the acorns falling and subsequent years not so many, but some,  until the past two years where there have been none. Plenty of hickory nuts but no acorns. I've learned that they skip a few years to let the squirrels, deer and all decrease in population and then produce a "mast" year and go nuts (sorry for the pun) and produce a bunch while populations are low to give best chance of sprouts. But now the gypsy moths are back and we are at a high enough elevation where they are in pretty good and expected for a couple more years. 

Question is did the oaks know that the moths were due so slowed up and decided to hold off the mast year or is it coincidence? Any knowledge on how many years they may skip? If I see none by mid summer I'm moving a stand from the oaks. Thanks in advance.

 

 

It's not that they skip, but late spring frosts that kill buds. Red oak produce every other year , white oak every.  But spring flowering is hurtful to them

Main reason chestnut were more important food source as they flower in late june/ July and produce heavy every year. 

I always walk woods before season in summer to find current mast.  Maybe will have 5 oaks on entire property drop nuts one year and next 100s.  Planting of other hard mast and soft mast will up your chances significantly  chestnut can start producing in 3 to 5 years  depending on size of tree and 5 to 8 from a simple 3 ft whip. 

Apples need a few more years from whip but are subject to blossom damage from late frost as well

[Unit8R]

1 hour ago, G-Man said:

chestnut were more important food source

All very informative, thanks. Will walk/watch this summer with binocs.  I remember an episode of Grow m Big TV on chestnuts and was surprised to learn they essentially covered the northeast... googled and found: "More than a century ago, nearly 4 billion American chestnut trees were growing in the eastern U.S. Within the last 40 years, they have all but disappeared.". 

[suburbanfarmer]

12 minutes ago, Unit8R said:

All very informative, thanks. Will walk/watch this summer with binocs.  I remember an episode of Grow m Big TV on chestnuts and was surprised to learn they essentially covered the northeast... googled and found: "More than a century ago, nearly 4 billion American chestnut trees were growing in the eastern U.S. Within the last 40 years, they have all but disappeared.". 

Similar to how we lost Elm and now ash trees. Next to disappear will be the red oak

[WNY Bowhunter]

I also live in the 8R and 8P area. This year our oaos got completely devastated the Gypsy moths, as did the apple trees a lot of maples. A lot of the spots I hunt by Keuka lake literally the oak tree had no foliage during the summer they grew secondary leaves back but there were no acorns whatsoever. Hopefully they'll bounce back this year.

[Unit8R]

19 hours ago, WNY Bowhunter said:

our oaos got completely devastated the Gypsy moths

You must be up top of Italy Hill as they infest heavier up high like the hills around Naples. Web says infestations can last up to 10 years but most likely 2-3 years in the destructive larvae stage. My bet is that this year will be worse than last and lower elevations will get hit a bit harder. Just my two cents.