Oak tree deflowering - Ask Extension
I have 5 large oak trees surrounding my house and the acorns yearly are overwhelming. Difficult for my husband and I to pick up out of our landscape b...
Knowledgebase
Oak tree deflowering #853035
Asked October 13, 2023, 12:44 PM EDT
I have 5 large oak trees surrounding my house and the acorns yearly are overwhelming. Difficult for my husband and I to pick up out of our landscape beds. Is there a spray that can be applied to stop the trees from producing acorns. If so when does it get applied, how often does it need to be done and who can apply it?
Ingham County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello,
According to an article by Michigan State University Extension, oak trees and other nut trees have produced a bumper crop of nuts this year, referred to as a seed mast. The article suggests that past tree stresses contribute to heavy crop of cones and nuts. It also mentions that trees often increase flower bud production when they are under stress, so dry weather can result in increased production of flower buds that emerge in spring to produce the acorns we’re stepping on this fall. Cones and acorns appear in copious quantities this fall - Bert Cregg, Michigan State University Extension, Departments of Horticulture and Forestry - October 04, 2021, at this link: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/cones-and-acorns-appear-in-copious-quantities-this-fall
The article suggests pruning the tree so that it produces fewer flowers, which in turn will produce fewer acorns. Keep in mind, you should not prune oak trees past April 1 to ensure their trees don’t succumb to oak wilt disease. Avoid pruning until November. Check out this link:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/stop_pruning_oak_trees_now_to_avoid_oak_wilt
Alternatively, you can remove the male flowers from the tree, as these are the ones that produce the acorns. Check out this MSUE article: Cones and acorns appear in copious quantities this fall - Bert Cregg, Michigan State University Extension, Departments of Horticulture and Forestry - October 04, 2021, at this link: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/cones-and-acorns-appear-in-copious-quantities-this-fall
Chemical growth regulators are also available on the market that “may” be used to inhibit flowering and pollination. There are growth regulators on the market (e.g., Florel) that "may" be used to inhibit flowering and pollination. Unfortunately, the product application window is extremely small. Check out this link:
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/askextension/thisQuestion.cfm?ThreadID=15512&catID=195&AskSiteID=87
I would suggest contacting a certified arborist for on-site assistance. That option is to hire a certified arborist - who will come on-site, evaluate the situation as a whole, and provide guidance. Direct link:
https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/arboristsearch
I hope this helps!
According to an article by Michigan State University Extension, oak trees and other nut trees have produced a bumper crop of nuts this year, referred to as a seed mast. The article suggests that past tree stresses contribute to heavy crop of cones and nuts. It also mentions that trees often increase flower bud production when they are under stress, so dry weather can result in increased production of flower buds that emerge in spring to produce the acorns we’re stepping on this fall. Cones and acorns appear in copious quantities this fall - Bert Cregg, Michigan State University Extension, Departments of Horticulture and Forestry - October 04, 2021, at this link: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/cones-and-acorns-appear-in-copious-quantities-this-fall
The article suggests pruning the tree so that it produces fewer flowers, which in turn will produce fewer acorns. Keep in mind, you should not prune oak trees past April 1 to ensure their trees don’t succumb to oak wilt disease. Avoid pruning until November. Check out this link:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/stop_pruning_oak_trees_now_to_avoid_oak_wilt
Alternatively, you can remove the male flowers from the tree, as these are the ones that produce the acorns. Check out this MSUE article: Cones and acorns appear in copious quantities this fall - Bert Cregg, Michigan State University Extension, Departments of Horticulture and Forestry - October 04, 2021, at this link: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/cones-and-acorns-appear-in-copious-quantities-this-fall
Chemical growth regulators are also available on the market that “may” be used to inhibit flowering and pollination. There are growth regulators on the market (e.g., Florel) that "may" be used to inhibit flowering and pollination. Unfortunately, the product application window is extremely small. Check out this link:
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/askextension/thisQuestion.cfm?ThreadID=15512&catID=195&AskSiteID=87
I would suggest contacting a certified arborist for on-site assistance. That option is to hire a certified arborist - who will come on-site, evaluate the situation as a whole, and provide guidance. Direct link:
https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/arboristsearch
I hope this helps!
