The oaks they are a blooming!

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JoeRE
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The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby JoeRE » Mon May 07, 2018 8:45 am

Just a reminder to keep an eye on the oaks in your area this time of year. You can see how many acorns there potentially will be this fall by the amount of blossoms. Here's a red oak I saw today:

Image

Note that to produce acorns, you need good weather for the pollinators too and no frost. Last year the oaks were loaded with blossoms, but we got a late frost and while we still had quite a few acorns they were patchy around here anyway, I think because of the frost.

Use this information to get a jump on what conditions will be coming at you this fall in the deer woods.

This year looks like the oaks are loaded with blossoms again around here. And the forecast is pretty good, no cold weather. I predict a major acorn-lull come mid October :shhh:


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Ghost Hunter
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Mon May 07, 2018 8:47 am

:dance:

We are completely leaved out down here 100%. Mid 80's today.
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Hawthorne
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby Hawthorne » Mon May 07, 2018 9:08 am

Thanks for posting. I’ll look tomorrow and take notes
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tgreeno
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby tgreeno » Mon May 07, 2018 11:51 am

Great idea Joe! Thanks!

I will be investigating this week.
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby tbunao » Mon May 07, 2018 12:05 pm

8-)
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby sdonx » Mon May 07, 2018 2:37 pm

Great insite - scouting in AM
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Rutnstrut
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby Rutnstrut » Mon May 07, 2018 5:31 pm

Good point on the late frost. A few years ago we had a few late frosts here in WI. Acorns were almost non existent that fall. But if you found a few, they were a true honey hole.
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hunter_mike
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby hunter_mike » Mon May 07, 2018 11:11 pm

Great info joe, thanks!!
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elk yinzer
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby elk yinzer » Wed May 09, 2018 12:40 am

Red oak family acorns become fully mature after two growing seasons. This years flowers (if pollinated) are fall 2019 acorns. White oak mature in the same year.
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tgreeno
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby tgreeno » Wed May 09, 2018 12:43 am

elk yinzer wrote:Red oak family acorns become fully mature after two growing seasons. This years flowers (if pollinated) are fall 2019 acorns. White oak mature in the same year.


Is there an easy way to tell the difference?
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elk yinzer
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby elk yinzer » Wed May 09, 2018 12:52 am

tgreeno wrote:
elk yinzer wrote:Red oak family acorns become fully mature after two growing seasons. This years flowers (if pollinated) are fall 2019 acorns. White oak mature in the same year.


Is there an easy way to tell the difference?


Red oaks typically have pointy lobes to the leaves. Includes Red Oak, Scarlet Oak, Pin Oak, Black Oak are the common ones off the top of my head around here.

White oaks typically have rounded lobes. White Oak, Swamp Oak, Burr Oak, Chestnut Oak, Chinkapin Oak, Scrub Oak.

Deer almost always prefer acorns from the white oak families first due to lower tannins. Red oak acorns need time on the ground to leach the tannins out, but rot slower so they become preferred in winter.
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby hambone » Wed May 09, 2018 1:39 am

Nice observation! More confirmation that for Hunting Beasts, deer hunting never really ends.
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby Wolfofmibu » Wed May 09, 2018 1:43 am

Awesome , thanks for the tip!
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby Wolfofmibu » Wed May 09, 2018 1:48 am

tgreeno wrote:
elk yinzer wrote:Red oak family acorns become fully mature after two growing seasons. This years flowers (if pollinated) are fall 2019 acorns. White oak mature in the same year.


Is there an easy way to tell the difference?


The Indians had red skin , also sharp and pointy arrow heads . So you can refer those to the red oaks . Then the white men came . They had bullets rounded like white oak leaves . The Story was something like that lol. But that’s how I always remembered .
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brancher147
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Re: The oaks they are a blooming!

Unread postby brancher147 » Thu May 10, 2018 5:16 am

Those are the male flowers (catkins) that will pollinate the female flowers that you see in the picture. The female flower and what actually creates an acorn is very hard to see without good binoculars, especially in a mature tall forest tree. I have never actually seen one, but have never actually tried to either. Our oaks are just now leafing out some places and not yet leafed out at higher elevations. I will have to pay attention and try to see the female flowers this year.

So far, looks like a pretty good year for fruit/mast here with no late frost in the extended forecast. But I have seen hard frost through the end of May before.
Some do. Some don't. I just might...


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