oak reduction/ epercormic accorns

[smudge1]

I have a customer who owns a horse and has a problem with acorns, she's quite old and has a hard time picking them all up, but doesn't want the tree removed. I dont want to suggest a 30% reduction, or thin as the problem will be the same in a couple of years and she doesnt have the money to keep getting it done. I normally wouldnt suggest a pollard or 50% of the tree reduced in height then sides brought in, as I know this will end in either killing or stressing the tree resulting in putting on loads of epicormic growth, (shes not to worried about appearance) i guess my question is will the epicormic shoots produce alot of accorns, and will a pollard most likely kill it, the tree is healthy and around 60-70 years old..

I could phase it over a 5 year period but i really dont think she has the money

 

Any advice appreciated

[swinny]

put a fence ( chicken wire ) and plain wire around the drip line or fell the tree or sell the horse

[mark_goldfinch]

Might be a silly suggestion but she could get a pig. It would be like Pannage in the newforest. Lol.

[smudge1]

if i suggested the pig she'd seriously go for it

[agg221]

I'm guessing she has a hard time because of bending over to get down to them? If so, would it be possible to stick a bit of temporary electric fencing around the drop zone each year as the acorns are about to fall, then when they're all down, either have someone clear them all up with a rake and shovel, or lay out some horticultural netting and fold it all in to the centre to lift it into a barrow and away, or use a Henry to vacuum them up (this works a lot better than you might think!)

 

All of these would appear to be cheaper than regular works on the tree?

 

Alec

[smudge1]

I'm guessing she has a hard time because of bending over to get down to them? If so, would it be possible to stick a bit of temporary electric fencing around the drop zone each year as the acorns are about to fall, then when they're all down, either have someone clear them all up with a rake and shovel, or lay out some horticultural netting and fold it all in to the centre to lift it into a barrow and away, or use a Henry to vacuum them up (this works a lot better than you might think!)

 

All of these would appear to be cheaper than regular works on the tree?

 

Alec

 

Good idea, i'll look into the electric fencing, i just presumed it would be quite pricey

[treeseer]

I knew that red maple leaves at a certain point in their growth is bad for some horses, but never heard that acorns are. If so, the pig solution seems quite reasonable.

[AlvinD]

I take the tannins are bad for the horse?

[agg221]

Good idea, i'll look into the electric fencing, i just presumed it would be quite pricey

 

Should be pretty reasonable - depends whether you can get mains to it or need to run off a 12v leisure battery, but in the region of £100 all in.

 

Alec

[SteveA]

I knew that red maple leaves at a certain point in their growth is bad for some horses, but never heard that acorns are. If so, the pig solution seems quite reasonable.

 

Yes acorns are definitely bad for horses; Lots of New Forest ponies have died this year. Part of the problem for this year wasn't just the shear number of acorns produced from the trees, but also because the strong winds brought the majority down within a short period of time:

 

BBC News - Acorn glut kills New Forest ponies