Nutrition content of acorns in compost

ScottinAtlanta · November 6, 2016

I am bagging hundreds of pounds of acorns, putting them through the chipper, turning them into fragments.

What kind of nutritional value do they add to the compost?

Cole_Robbie · November 7, 2016

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn

ilex · November 7, 2016

Take that nutritional table with caution, not all acorns are equal. They are mostly carbohydrates, but some are very rich in fat.

Why don't you eat them?

4season · November 7, 2016

Some are edible but some need the tannins leached out or they are too astringent. Without looking at the link above (yet) they are seeds and seeds usually have all nutrients needed for initial growth. I think they should be a good ingredient.

Worth1 · November 7, 2016

I think I would rather leave the acorns for the wild life.
You could set off a squirrel revolt or something.

Worth

AlittleSalt · November 7, 2016

Scott, I know what you mean about hundreds of pounds of acorns this year. There are more acorns here this year than I've ever seen. We moved here in 92.

I don't have a chipper/shredder. If I were to rake and spread oak leaves in the garden - I'd be planting a forest.

Worth1 · November 7, 2016

I have yet to see an acorn here without a worm hole in it.

I also have a pecan or hickory tree sprouting in my front yard.
There isn't either one of them around as far as I know but there has to be one some place.
As there is another one or two in the woods sprouting.

Worth

ilex · November 8, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4season

Some are edible but some need the tannins leached out or they are too astringent. Without looking at the link above (yet) they are seeds and seeds usually have all nutrients needed for initial growth. I think they should be a good ingredient.

All Quercus acorns are edible AFAK. Some raw, others need processing, which is easy. Obviously, some taste better than others, but not in the sense of bad flavour, just not much flavour. Best ones are better than the best chestnut. Simply amazing.

Some have a lot of oil of very high quality, olive oil quality.

Humans have eaten acorns for longer than wheat, and have selected them for millennia.

November 6, 2016	#1
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	Nutrition content of acorns in compost I am bagging hundreds of pounds of acorns, putting them through the chipper, turning them into fragments. What kind of nutritional value do they add to the compost?

November 7, 2016	#2
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn

November 7, 2016	#3
ilex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Spain Posts: 416	Take that nutritional table with caution, not all acorns are equal. They are mostly carbohydrates, but some are very rich in fat. Why don't you eat them?

November 7, 2016	#4
4season Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: albuquerque Posts: 308	Some are edible but some need the tannins leached out or they are too astringent. Without looking at the link above (yet) they are seeds and seeds usually have all nutrients needed for initial growth. I think they should be a good ingredient.

November 7, 2016	#5
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I think I would rather leave the acorns for the wild life. You could set off a squirrel revolt or something. Worth

November 7, 2016	#6
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Scott, I know what you mean about hundreds of pounds of acorns this year. There are more acorns here this year than I've ever seen. We moved here in 92. I don't have a chipper/shredder. If I were to rake and spread oak leaves in the garden - I'd be planting a forest.