In a typical year, a healthy oak tree can produce more than 2,000 acorns.
In a mast year, that number can jump up to 10,000.
Mast years tend to occur every 2 to 5 years.
The plentiful supply of acorns we’re seeing now has a lot to do with the weather we experienced last fall and spring.
“It probably had favorable [precipitation] last fall. Then we didn't have a frost that affects the germination of the flowers that actually produce the acorn,” said Doug Sippl, Forest Silviculturist for the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest.
There are a lot of other factors that can go into it as well. Things like the amount of sunlight an oak tree gets, the age of the tree, or how healthy it is.
That’s why some parts of the Northwoods may see a mast year for acorns while other parts don’t.
It’s also unlikely for trees to have two mast years in a row.
“It can be a detriment to the tree if they have big acorn crops year after year. It can lead to stress to the tree and slowly the tree will succumb and die,” said Sippl.
Oak trees can be fairly picky about their growing conditions.
They need a lot of sun. But with this many acorns on the landscape, there’s a good chance we’ll start seeing more oak trees grow.
“You know, nature's magnificent and it's pretty cool. A lot a lot of animals, deer, squirrels, whatever, are going to eat the acorns. Then bury them or whatever they're going to do with them. And then, there's potential for new growth to come up,” said Sippl.
If you want to grow some oak trees on your land, now may be a good time to collect the acorns.
Sippl does warn they don’t store well for long. You’d need to stratify them this winter and plant them in the spring.
