How long do oak trees pollinate

The oak tree pollen drop lasts about four days. It is this yellowish dust that is seen on car hoods and deck floors, and causes problems for people with seasonal allergies. Heavy rains and humid conditions may delay the release of pollen and affect the number of acorns produced on a single tree. Other weather conditions, such as a late-spring frost, can also severely impact a season's acorn crop, which in part explains why backyards are littered with fallen acorns some years and not others.

If all the conditions for germination are met, a fallen acorn will sprout where it landed. It first sends a taproot into the soil, and not long after that, a single stem emerges from the end and opens into the cotyledon, which looks like a small pair of leaves but is actually an external extension of the acorn's embryo. If you pull an acorn from the ground at this stage and split it carefully in half, you will see the remains of the embryo still curled up with one tip of it forming the initial root and another forming the stem.

David Rodriguez, , dhrodriguez ag. Daphne Richards, AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Travis County, said a major reason oak trees in the region have been producing more pollen goes back to last fall. Oak pollen and catkins covering the hood and windshield of a vehicle.

So a lot of people in Central Texas have been seeing an abundance of yellow pollen and live oak catkins on their lawns and streets, and covering their cars. Catkins are the worm-shaped male pollen tassels that fall and collect around oak trees after pollination. But, ideal conditions without late frosts can also help create the abundant production. Oak flower buds are open for a short time in the spring to be pollinated by the wind.

However, a late frost during the time the flowers are open can interrupt the process and greatly reduce seed acorn production regardless of what happens with the weather in the summer and fall. Management of the fallen flowers can vary, but the easiest method is best. First of all, they should never be raked, bagged and sent to the landfill.

They can be put in the compost pile, but the best method is to use them for mulch. Mow them into the turf, but rake the flowers from the hard surfaces and toss into vegetable gardens and landscape beds. There is nothing toxic about the material at all. The flowers make excellent mulch that protects the soil and breathes really well. As the helpful debris breaks down, it feeds the soil with nutrients and all-important organic matter. It can also be used in the compost pile, but applying directly to bare soil in beds is the best route.

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