Nuts

[Feral007]

And not the Festive ones.

Just tried to work out where to put this post! They're not veg, their not flowers as such, they're not fruit.

Since they are going into the Fruit and Nut Forest I thought here would have to do.

I'm quite excited!

Can't plant them yet. The chooks have been getting into the Fruit with out Nut forest so I used my gift voucher from my old job to purchase some chicken wire - well it's what I want even if it's not a pretty thing.
Then I need to put some shade cloth up for a bit of a sun and wind shelter. Then build some mounds with a ditch behind, sort of in a curl shape, to catch any wet stuff that runs down the hill, and keep it long enough to water the nut trees.

The tag at the local nursery where I had the voucher for said that hazelnuts are just the best for this area. And I know after my almond tree died that a nursery just north said it might be better to go for hazelnuts in spring rather than temperamental almonds bare rooted in winter.

They are American White, Turkish Cosgrove, and something else (I'll look soon and let you know.) Very slow start to this growing season with the late frosts all the time, so I'm very very excited to finally have some nut trees. I'll be desolate if they don't make it tho

[Bigmallly]

Don't worry Feral, you'll have plenty on here if they don't make it...........

[RedThorn]

Fingers crossed Feral, what about some chestnuts too?

[veggiechicken]

Did you call?
I know nothing about nut tree varieties - but I can't move for common or garden hazels. Plenty of nuts form but the squirrels take them before I can.
Do you have squirrels or similar pests? Just thinking that you may want to think about netting them at some time so should keep that in mind when planting them.

[Feral007]

No, we don't have squirrels TG, wombats might kill the tree before it got big but wouldn't care once it was. I daresay the cockatoos might take to the nuts tho - buggers that they are!

I need to find out how far apart to plant them now and all.

Not sure about chestnuts RT - I know of them from Uk when I was there, but never seen them grown.

Thought I'd start with hazels, and I'm dying to grow a walnut tree. So might need some chestnuts as well. I might need to live a long time to reap any substantial rewards tho

[Bigmallly]

A strange thought came into my head (again, I know).......I wonder if you can graft nut trees Feral then you can grow a cocktail nut tree & sell ready made xmas packs.........

[Feral007]

Oh BM....I like the way you think! Pm me the details and I'll get right on it

[Bigmallly]

Not sure if this helps at all but wouldn't it be cool to have a tree with different varieties of nut: A bit like the Vine really.........

Inlay Bark Grafting of Nut Trees

[RedThorn]

Not sure if the macadamias would do well by you as you get a lot colder than most parts of the country, but if it were me, I'd be trying all sorts with a if ya grow attitude, esp if I grew them from raw nuts meself as I know there wouldn't be a great cost... Yeah I know they take longer, but judging by the survivors after a couple of years, invest in bigger versions of what grow by you perhaps?

[Feral007]

Too cold for macadamia's here. Northern NSW is where they go mad. Drove past a nut farm for sale once with the kids and son said - Hey mum, let's buy that, and then we can call ourselves The Nutters. Instead of the Ferals

I've just remembered today as I'm reading about planting of the hazelnuts, and hoping that all that 'must have this and that' won't rule us out, but there is a small nut farm started opposite an old vineyard not too far away. Different soil, not so steep, but very windy and dry, so they took a while to take off, but with the rainfall the last couple of years they've gone gangbusters. And they were advertising chestnuts for sale last winter. I had hopes of dropping in and seeing if they had any spare trees, but never got time.

The food forest is quite funny - last year the little peach/nectarine trees got that pink curly leaf thing. This year they are perfect. The plums not far away have leaf curl this year.

Just going to keep improving the soil and the wind protection each year and see what happens.

[Scarlet]

Ive got a walnut tree in my garden and they fruit really well, 'though some years the squirrels have taken the lot! This year we took a few precautions and we've had a fabulous crop. If you've got the room and they suit your climate, they are a real treat.

[Feral007]

There are some old walnut trees in twon Scarlet, which is what made me think of it. Obviously they will be a long term choice, and I'm not sure I'll be here to reap most of the harvests, but still I'd like to leave a semi organised forest if we do move on.

[Scarlet]

Well the walnut in my garden was planted nearly 60 years ago! It's huge!! 2 years ago I had it pruned by a third and it really was a mass of fruit this year.
I meet the little old lady that planted it a few years ago. She spotted me while she was driving passed the house and I was outside getting ivy of the walls. She got her son to stop and said that it was her old house! She came in and had a look around the house and garden and couldn't believe how big the tree was, we had a natter over a cup of tea - it brought a tear to her eye seeing that tree....
Anyway, I think they are fast growing so it may be worth a go.

[veggiechicken]

When I was an apple picker in Tasmania there was a massive walnut tree outside the old house and nobody seemed to be interested in them. So we gathered them up and spread them out on the floor of one of the unused rooms to dry out. They were brilliant for bartering and, when the apple season was over, we shelled what was left and took the walnuts with us in biscuit tins. Kept me in nuts until I came back to Wales.

[bearded bloke]

Kept me in nuts until I came back to Wales.

Thus proving Wales actually is full of nutters