There are times when trees bear fruit but we don’t know what it is because its name is not so closely related to that of the tree. For example, what fruits does the cork oak bear?
If you want to know what fruit it bears, what it looks like and what it is used for, then we are going to tell you everything so you know what you can do with it.
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What fruits does the cork oak bear?
The first thing to know is that the cork oak, whose scientific name is Quercus suber, produces acorns.
It is a dry fruit that has multiple uses. However, at the moment you may only have the appearance of an acorn in mind. And that’s why we want to tell you more to save you from confusing it with other fruits, like holm oak, which are similar (but not identical).
Characteristics of the cork oak acorn
Now that you know a little more about the characteristics of the acorn (the fruit that the cork oak bears), as we told you, it can be confused with the acorn that the holm oak bears.
How to differentiate them?
In fact, it’s easy to tell if the acorn comes from an oak or a cork oak. On the one hand, it is because of its size. Cork oak acorns are much smaller than those of holm oaks.
On the other hand, the taste. Those of cork oak are much more acidic than those of holm oak. Although it depends a lot on each tree because not all of them give sweets. In general, all acorns, when picked, are bitter, but after a few weeks they become sweet.
How is the fruit of the cork oak
Before talking about the characteristics of the fruit produced by the cork oak tree, you should know what the parts of an acorn are.
In general, it is composed of three parts:
- Dome, which is the cap and the area where the branch joins. This one is characterized by scales and an odd texture compared to the rest of the pieces.
- Nut, which is the fruit itself, the part that is eaten. Inside are the seeds thanks to which we can get a new cork oak (so well done).
- The stigma, which is the pointed part of the acorn (the other end of these that protects the nut from animals that might try to eat it.
That said, you should know that the fruit of the cork tree has these three different parts.
The dome, for example, is light gray (even beige or pale yellow). The scales are quite flat and elongated, which more or less cover a third of the nut itself.
As for the nut, when the fruit develops, it will be green. But as it matures, this color will change to a reddish brown, when harvested.
Finally, the stigma is a little more pointed than normal, as if it were a small puncture.
How many fruits does the cork oak bear?
Now that you know what fruit the cork oak bears, the acorn, do you wonder how much it produces? Well, that will depend.
In general, a cork oak takes between 15 and 25 years to bear fruit. Moreover, he does not do it every year in the same way, but alternates a lot of production with little production. But in the case of the cork oak, its maximum production occurs every three years.
That said, you should also know that cork oaks give three times acorns (in three periods of maturation).
The first are the brevas, migueleñas or first-time, which usually ripen in September (hence the name migueleñas).
The seconds, seconds, you will find them between October and November. They are also called medians or martinencas.
And, finally, the third, which are the “last” or dovecotes, which can be fished between December and February.
What are cork oak acorns used for?
You probably think right now that acorns are good to eat. but it is certainly not like that. Like oak acorns, these acorns are not edible to humans (oak acorns often go through a series of processes to make them edible).
In fact, their purpose is to feed, not people, but animals. Specifically, pigs. And more specifically, to Iberian pigs.
In fact, if at the beginning we had told you that the cork oak acorn is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, oleic acid… you would surely have thought of the health benefits. But it also contains a large amount of tannins which makes it toxic to humans, which is why it cannot be consumed.
In the case of animals, they do not have this problem, which is why it is used as a natural and nutritious feed for livestock.
How to Care for a Cork Oak Tree to Bear Fruit
If you have cork oak trees in your garden, or want to grow one, knowing how to care for it will help it bear fruit and, over time, that fruit (if you have a farm nearby you could even sell the acorns). If you just want him to enjoy the tree, he better be healthy, right? And, for this, the care that you must provide are the following:
- Location: always outdoors, and in full sun. We are talking about a large tree, so it requires space (unless you have it as bonsai).
- Temperature: it supports the heat well, but with the cold things change. Indeed, frost can damage fruits, branches and leaves.
- Substrate: choose one rich in organic matter and low in acid.
- Irrigation: you should know that the cork oak requires that the soil be moist.
- Pests and diseases: the ‘dry’ is one of the diseases that affects it the most (and can kill the tree), in addition, it also has root rot (due to the fungus Phytophthora), canker.. .
- Pruning: It is important to prune branches that are in the way of others, as well as those that are dead, diseased or weakened. Annual pruning is recommended.
- Multiplication: the only way is through seeds, which must be germinated beforehand to have more success and obtain cork oak seedlings.
Do you now know what fruits the cork oak bears?