Raining Acorns!! (Raleigh: credit, store, discount)

[poppydog]

Oak trees have "mast years" when there's a big boom of acorns. That may be what we're getting this year. Other years not so much.

More info for anyone who is interested:
A 'Mast Year' for Acorns? That's Nuts!
Acorns and Mast Years: Masses of Acorns and Why : News : Nature World News
Acorns Count | UNC-TV: Science
https://martin.ces.ncsu.edu/twigs/acorns/

[NM posts]

Originally Posted by don6170

Anyone tried something like the Nut Weasel to pick them up? Any recommendations on something that actually works?

Nut Weasel is terrific!

[CalicoskiesNC]

I use that nut grabber ( my name for it) and it works pretty well. It's my favorite yard chore.

[hackwriter]

If you have neighbors with very young children (like 4-6 years old) see if their parents would let you pay them a penny per acorn to pick them up. I did that one year and the kids had a ball picking up the acorns. It cost me 20 bucks -- 10 bucks per kid (and yes, I did count the acorns so it wasn't exact). The kids enjoyed competing for who could collect more, and I got them picked up for very low cost.

[pitroad]

Originally Posted by hackwriter

If you have neighbors with very young children (like 4-6 years old) see if their parents would let you pay them a penny per acorn to pick them up. I did that one year and the kids had a ball picking up the acorns. It cost me 20 bucks -- 10 bucks per kid (and yes, I did count the acorns so it wasn't exact). The kids enjoyed competing for who could collect more, and I got them picked up for very low cost.

Reminds me of when my grandsons come for a visit. I pay a penny for each pine cone they will pickup. I have LOTS of pine trees !!! I pay and then we sit down and I teach them the art of poker and blackjack At least they are learning the value of money. They have become very good card players over the years

[h2ohzrd]

Originally Posted by caspian65

Is everyone else noticing huge amounts of acorns coming down from the Oaks? I thought a ton came down during Hurricane Matthew, but at least double the amount since then has fallen!!

And that's why it's called fall...next

[mlhm5]

If you have a lot of acorns, IMO, getting a powerful backpack blower is a good option. BTW, an oak tree has to be a minimum of 20 years old to produce acorns and if you have a lot, it is probably 50+ years old.

[Poggly Woggly]

Originally Posted by mlhm5

If you have a lot of acorns, IMO, getting a powerful backpack blower is a good option. BTW, an oak tree has to be a minimum of 20 years old to produce acorns and if you have a lot, it is probably 50+ years old.

I use a blower...Stihl handheld. I blow them in small piles the length of the yard, then get them up with a rake. I do a swath about 10ft. at a time.

[rory breaker]

Re the person w the sunroom, you're probably waking your neighbors up too if you live in a neighborhood w neighbors anywhere near your property. You should change that for their sake, not yours.

Agree they are coming down way different this year, pretty neat.

[NM posts]

I've never heard anything like this! Nature is fascinating. There are some really huge oak trees just outside my backyard fence and it is indeed raining acorns.