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Published on: 10/14/2007
Last Visited: 10/15/2007
At N.C. A&T's cooperative extension program, Bob Williamson has seen the ground smothered with nuts.
Williamson, a natural resources specialist at the university, says oaks produce one stupendous crop of acorns every five years or so, followed by a small crop the next year.
Scientists generally believe that the masting phenomenon is a survival tool for oaks and that it may take several years for a tree to build up enough nutrient reserves to seed heavily as they are doing this fall.
Williamson said the irregular cycles thwart pests and predators by producing an occasional crop too large to consume.
Williamson said North Carolina's ongoing drought has nothing to do with why the oaks are going nuts, but there is one possible side effect.
He said the acorns carpeting his yard this fall are smaller than in years past.
"That might be because of the lack of rain this summer," Williamson said.
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