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Crop focus...
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Oak Tree (Quercus or Lithocarpus)
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Oak trees are a type of deciduous tree. These are broad-leaved trees that shed all their leaves during one season. Forests which are primarily composed of deciduous trees are called deciduous forests. The oak tree is a member of the Beech family and its scientific name is Quercus or Lithocarpus. The best type of soil for a healthy and nutritious growth of deciduous trees is referred to as podzol (also spelled podsol).
Acorn Production -- Oak trees can start producing acorns when they are 20 years old but sometimes can go all the way to 50 years for the first production. By the time the tree is 70 to 80 years old it will produce thousands of acorns.
The oak trees produce acorns once a year during the fall. Acorn production varies year to year and normally alternates. Not even the healthiest and largest oak can accumulate enough food and energy to produce strong crops two years in succession. Real strong acorn productions might happen every four to ten years. In addition a late spring frost can blight the flowers which prevents acorn development. Droughts and insect ravages can decimate crops.
Acorn production will increase year after year; following a similar pattern as the size of the trees canopy. The following graph shows what a typical production for an oak tree might be -- assuming no drastic jumps which happen from time to time. The chart shows that production starts very slowly at around the 25th year the number of acorns produced then accelerates and when the tree reaches about 100 years of age it starts slowing down until it reaches a yearly production of about 2200 acorns per year.
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Mission |
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sustainable living and environmental stewardship. |
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Our Efforts |
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EnviroOne's staff has visited Africa (including Liberia and Sierra
Leone) to promote clean energy production and sustainable
agriculture. EnviroOne is raising funds and organizing efforts
to assist with the Shoamokin Creek River cleanup in Coal Township
PA. This effort will assist with the reduction of acid mine drainage
(AMD) into the Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay.
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