Explore Plants

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
    
 

Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Monday - January 16, 2012

From: Tylertown, MS
Region: Southeast
Topic: Seeds and Seeding, Trees
Title: Fertilizing oaks to produce acorns
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Will fertilizing oak trees help with acorn production?

ANSWER:

You can read the answer to your question in an almost identical previous question, but I will paste in the relevant part of that answer here:

"There is a great deal of controversy about whether fertilizing oak trees influences their ability to produce more acorns.  Indeed, there are some sources (e.g., Whitetail Stewards Inc.) that say not to waste your time and money fertilizing oaks since there are so many factors that can affect the amount of oak mast produced in any year—rainfall, genetics, general humidity, timing of late frosts, pest infestations, etc.  Additionally, the production of large crops of acorns tends to be cyclic.   Producing a heavy crop of acorns one year usually results in several years with a lower production.  For red oaks this can be a 5-7 year cycle and for white oaks it may be a 3-5 year cycle.  For a thorough discussion of the unpredictability of acorn crops see Improving acorn production - Part I: Factors affecting acorn production of oaks from Whitetail Stewards, Inc. 

Most professionals seem to agree on at least one strategy for improving the amount of oak mast—that is to insure that the oaks that appear to be the best producers are not crowded.  Trees around these high yield trees may need to be thinned so that they are not competing for sunlight and water.  Outdoor Life has an informative article, Mast Production--In a Nutshell, that gives a short lesson in oak biology and how to manage them. The U.S. Forest Service North Central Forest Experiment Station has recommendations on How to Manage Oak Forests for Acorn Production.

If you still think you would like to fertilize your oaks, it certainly is not likely to harm them.  What kind of fertilizer should you use?  You can see in the answer to a previous question about fertilizing oaks, that recommendations from professional landscapers varies.  Some say use a 'standard' fertilizer, while others recommend a 8-2-4 compost-based or a 5-10-5 mixture.  (The numbers refer to percentages of nitrogen, phosporus, and potassium.)"

 

More Trees Questions

Need help controling suckers from an ornamental plum in San Pedro, CA.
August 10, 2010 - I have an ornamental plum tree in my garden which produces a lot of suckers in my vegetable beds. I do not want to use harmful chemicals and cutting them back is a hopeless venture and leaves small...
view the full question and answer

Theory for live oak shoots from Austin
August 25, 2011 - More on preventing suckers from coming up around live oaks in Austin. I too have been puzzled - why some live oaks have shoots, and not others. Posting here says different varieties have suckers. ...
view the full question and answer

Problems with rusty blackhaw viburnum in Austin
May 07, 2010 - I have a four foot rusty blackhaw viburnum. Last summer the leaves turned reddish and in the late summer most of them fell off. This February the plant started to leaf out and then bloomed. It has ...
view the full question and answer

What to do with a sickly American elm in Austin, Texas
September 27, 2010 - I have an American elm that is about 6 feet tall in my yard. It is has not grown quickly this year--as compared to another American Elm that I have in another spot that is about 3 feet tall and has m...
view the full question and answer

Bracket fungus on live oaks
October 04, 2007 - I live in Cedar Park and the house we just bought has 4 native live oaks growing in the front yard. On two of the live oaks there are bracket fungi growing at their base. Each tree just produced two n...
view the full question and answer

Smarty Plants's Facebook profile Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.

Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends.