I am reliably informed by my neighbour Bethany, that the years when nut trees produce a much larger crop of nuts than usual is called a mast year. This year is a mast year for walnuts.
Apparently it is part of a general reproduction strategy for trees. The pigs, squirrels and other animals that feed on the nuts establish a size of population that reliably consumes all or nearly all of the nuts available in any year. Then a mast year comes along and there are more nuts than can possibly be consumed, and those that remain therefore have a chance to germinate and make more trees;
Certainly, there are more nuts than I can sensibly gather, shell and eat.
3 comments:
We have a notable abundance of Horse Chestnuts and Acorns this year.
There are so many nuts around just now, Mark.
Very interesting, Mark!
There have certainly been loads more acorns, conkers and sweet chestnuts here in West Kent!
There's a pig farm near Marden, where some delightful animals just gorge themselves on specially planted oak trees too!
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