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Falling Acorns
updated: Oct 05, 2012, 12:32 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

Does anyone know if the dropping of an especially large number of acorns from the oak trees, in the early fall, is an indication of a strong rainy season ahead?

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 328160	2012-10-05 12:41 PM
That old wive's tale along with my own anecdotal evidence gathered over many years suggest the odds favor a harsh winter - in our case wet. We'll see...
COMMENT 328174	2012-10-05 01:06 PM
No, trees can't predict the winter. This is a reflection of the past winter, which was kind of dry. The trees know in order to reproduce more offspring in these kinds of conditions, they will need to produce more seeds.
SBSWEETPEA	2012-10-05 01:06 PM
Many years ago. My oak tree dropped several garbage cans full worth of acorns, it was amazing. That year was an El Nino year. So my opinion is yes.
COMMENT 328179	2012-10-05 01:10 PM
No, and I learned this from a man who has done university research on oak trees, specifically, for over 25 years.
COMMENT 328181	2012-10-05 01:15 PM
We are predicted to have a wetter than average winter, so maybe your tree is right.
COMMENT 328208	2012-10-05 02:21 PM
For more than 25 years I've been working outside in SB. It's hard to say. Last year was a bit dry, but the two years before had heavy rain from October to December. I think it's easier to predict where to get a good burger.
COMMENT 328225	2012-10-05 02:53 PM
A lot of the oak trees have been impacted by the worms and moths this year. Perhaps this is why there are so many acorns. The only thing that is factual is that when you cut down a tree and you look at the rings, the wider the ring indicates more growth which equates to a wet winter.
COMMENT 328227	2012-10-05 03:00 PM
Yes this is a good indicator. Have been watching ours for 16 years and they are as or more accurate than the weatherman. More rain this year.
COMMENT 328228	2012-10-05 03:05 PM
Probably is. We are supposed to have an El Nino year this Winter, or at least a mild one. Let the hype begin!
LIZTISH340	2012-10-05 03:19 PM
What are all those colored circles with letters in them on the posts?
ROGER DODGER	2012-10-05 03:38 PM
Thats from smoking medical marijuana may I be the first to be deleted by this new system?
BJGREEN	2012-10-05 04:00 PM
Acorn yield does not predict the winter weather. Every several years, oak trees produce a larger-than-normal number of acorns. They do this to get ahead of the squirrels. If the oak trees produced the same number of acorns each year, the squirrel population would grow to match the available food supply. The squirrels would eat all the acorns, and there would be no acorns left to grow into new trees. If the trees gradually increased the number of acorns, the squirrel population would also increase. However, when the oak trees suddenly produce a much larger number of acorns one year, the existing squirrel population cannot not eat them all, and a certain number of acorns remain on the ground and are be able to germinate and grow into oak trees.
COMMENT 328258	2012-10-05 04:07 PM
Well the trees have turned color 30 days early and the birds were hedding south 30 days early also from that point a cold and wet winter one thing for sure is if the oaks have lots of acorns there will be lots of fat and happy squirrels
COMMENT 328269	2012-10-05 04:38 PM
I hope its a bit wetter this year...
COMMENT 328272	2012-10-05 04:42 PM
I think it's an indication of fatter squirrels in the spring.
COMMENT 328295	2012-10-05 06:00 PM
Fatter chipmunks too.
COMMENT 328297	2012-10-05 06:05 PM
How do trees sense the number of squirrels?
COMMENT 328304	2012-10-05 06:21 PM
The woodpeckers hide their acorns in crevices wherever they can find them. After the worms get to the acorn, that's when they come back to eat them.
COMMENT 328312	2012-10-05 06:43 PM
Maybe your tree is near a smart meter.
COMMENT 328320P	2012-10-05 07:11 PM
Great! Now we'll have obese squirrels & chipmunks to accompany our severely overweight children to the couch & computer game consoles. Bet they super-size those acorn meals.
COMMENT 328330	2012-10-05 07:44 PM
How do the demise of owls and hawks to eat the squirrels, (due to rodenticides) but the prosperity of coyotes get factored in to the acorn production peaks and valleys? My head hurts.
COMMENT 328383P	2012-10-06 12:18 AM
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." The plants are definitely more in tune with nature than you or I. It wouldn't surprise me at all, if trees could predict rainfall or know how many squirrels are squirreling away the acorns. How do Acorn woodpeckers and Scrub jays factor in, though? I shall continue to ponder this, whilst I lay my weary head down to sleep. Sleep, ay, perchance to dream . . .
COMMENT 328455	2012-10-06 07:35 AM
tons of ants this year too, and that means a rainy winter per the Indians and I trust them....
UPONTHEHILL	2012-10-06 07:37 AM
I have been gathering tons of acorns that drop from our neighbors tree. Easier than trying to pull up sprouting trees all spring.
COMMENT 328484	2012-10-06 08:59 AM
8320.... your comment cracked me up. The image of fat children on the couch, eyes glued to the TV playing video games with fat chipmunks and squirrels with their own little game consoles sitting next to them was too much. Thank you for that.
OAKTREE	2012-10-06 11:28 AM
op here. Thanks to everyone for making this a jolly read. Hope the pro rain people are correct.
COMMENT 328639	2012-10-06 02:53 PM
My Oak trees are producing a lot of acorns which, of course, are falling making a bit of a mess. The two grey squirrels who live in the backyard near the creek do not seem to be gaining any weight probably because they are doing more work running back and forth from home to the trees to get so many acorns. They also love the pine cones from my old Italian Stone pine which they don't take back to store, but eat right on the tree dropping the cores much like an eaten apple, making another big mess. The Stone pine must be predicting a milder winter because it had fewer pine cones than normal angering the squirrels who have been deprived this normal variety in their diet. The little chipmonk who lives in the front yard (we call him oscar) seems oblivious to anything but my potted plants, which he shares with the rabbits who don't seem to make any effort to opine the upcoming winter's weather and are eating my plants without particular concerns.
SEEDLADY	2012-10-07 12:23 PM
LIZTISH: maybe you've already seen ed's post about the buttons, but it's a rating system. Just hover your mouse over the buttons and you'll see... not related: ed, we need a 'funny!' button! ...please!
JUKINJAY	2012-10-07 02:45 PM
Not sure about the weather but too many acorns can affect your cell phone service. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdm12KONMBA
COMMENT 328980P	2012-10-07 04:56 PM
Thanks J Jay! That is a fantastic video!!
COMMENT 329108	2012-10-08 07:24 AM
Down here in Ojai, birds have eaten all the persimmons off our tree..when they were still green. Never seen that before. Just sayin'.

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