Tag: acorns

August 13th – At Hortonwood in Telford, I found a small wayside oak sapling, which was growing round, large acorns. they were generally healthy and surprisingly large, with only a handful affected by knapper galls – and where they were, the actual effect of the acorn remained small.

The ants were clearly interested in the acorns, but I have no idea why, and I’m wondering if the low gall-count and manner of development is maybe signifying and evolved defence to these parasites.

Certainly is fascinating. Going to be a good crop of acorns this year I think, and a bumper hedgerow harvest generally from what I can see so far.

August 26th – I think I was a bit previous on the acorn thing.

I think acorns affected by galls fruit sooner. Perhaps there’s a naturally selective advantage in this. It’s fascinating me.

In the last couple of weeks, a huge crop of acorns has developed, even on the blighted trees. They came later than the acorn galls, and are plump and where unaffected, a great looking crop.

I’d say now less than 5% are galls.

Is there a guide or information anywhere about this? It’s fascinating me.

August 18th – The poor acorns are really hampered this year – the gall wasps really seem to have affected them. These seem very like knopper galls, which are caused by the wasp injecting a chemical encased egg into the acorn bud when it’s forming. The chemical causes the acorn to mutate, and inside, the wasp larvae hates and feeds.

There are now a good few healthy acorns, though, so perhaps it’s not as bad as I feared, but I do wonder why it just seems to be oaks that are tortured so.

August 9th – one of the really encouraging things about the environmental enhancements that saw the reclamation of the Clayhanger refuse tip and slag heap in the early eighties is the way that trees and other flora are becoming well established where once was poisoned, polluted land. On the slopes of the canal bank between the new pool and Clayhanger Bridge there must be 20 or so young, healthy oak trees. Whether they were planted, or grew as a result of the annual guerrilla acorn scattering undertaken by myself and good mate [Howmuch?] over the years is uncertain, but now they’re growing acorns themselves. When ripe they will be collected, stored in coat pockets and cast into hedgerows and field margins as I pass by. Everyone should do this.