"Growing Nuts" Growing nuts in your garden provides the family with good fats and loads of nourishing vitamins and minerals. However, it isn't always wise to grow huge trees near the house so a solution is at hand! Nature usually provides for our needs and hazels are perfect for an average sized garden.  Positioning: Apart from the size of your trees, all deciduous plants will drop leaves in the autumn, and, although very pretty for a few days, after a couple of rainfalls, the leaves get slippery underfoot and not particularly nice to look at. Avoid growing nuts too near paths, unless you don't mind the raking.Generally, you should choose a sunny position, but check on the recommended growing instructions when you buy your tree. Recommended online tree suppliers:
Buy your trees from a reputable garden centre or nursery and make sure they come with growing recommendations when you buy. Or go for the recommended online suppliers above. Different varieties have different growing needs. Are your trees going to grow huge? Can you buy dwarf varieties? You could be growing nuts in a hedgerow! Hazels can be grown as a hedgerow and take up much less space than a large tree. Larger trees tend to spread their roots far and wide and can pull the moisture and nourishment from a large expanse of growing ground. I've started many hazel trees from cuttings. Cuttings should be at least 24 inches (60cm.) in length. Push them into the ground, cut end down, in the autumn. Plant as many as you can, leaving about 12 inches (30cm) between them. The following spring, some will produce leaf and some won't. At the end of the summer, discard those that haven't shown any sign of growth. In the autumn carefully transplant the others to where you want them. Prepare the ground well, whether you are planting trees from a nursery, or your own plants you have started from cuttings. Dig in plenty of well-rotted compost, and gently tease the roots out into a fairly deeply dug hole. Hold the tree in place while you fill in the earth around it. Firm down with your heel. If you need to stake your tree do it while planting, to avoid the risk of damaging the roots later. Water well after planting. Growing Nuts - Caring for your treesAs long as they get plenty of water in the first few years of growth, trees tend to look after themselves. Don't water during the wet or cold months, while the tree is resting, or the roots may get waterlogged. After three or four years, hazel trees usually start producing nuts, although most trees will take up to ten years to produce a good crop. (Growing nuts does need a little patience!) If you have squirrels in the neighbourhood, you will need to protect your trees. They take the nuts before they are ripe. It's good to leave one or two trees to encourage them, but net the rest. Honestly squirrels are clever and adorable creatures, but if you are growing nuts to eat yourself, precautions have to be taken! Prune back every autumn/winter, and always check over for any signs of disease. Growing nuts - Storing After harvesting, check over all the nuts for signs of damage, mould or little holes that may indicate a bug is inside. As long as they are sound they will keep well for months, in some conditions up to a year. Keep in a dark place, free from damp, but not too dry. In a very warm dry environment the nut inside the shell will shrivel. Store in net bags or in wooden trays. Don't keep too many in one place, in case you missed a baddie when you were checking them. Happy Gardening! More "Growing Nuts" Reading
Grow Your Own Winter Food: A good diet incorporating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is a must if you want to stay fit and healthy and keep the bugs at bay during the cold winter months. Growing your own winter food is just one way of ensuring you get the freshest, tastiest produce packed with goodness straight from the garden to the kitchen table. This easy-to-follow self-sufficiency book shows you how to grow your own fruit and vegetables for winter use and includes facts on each fruit, vegetable or herb as well as nutritional value, recipe ideas and storage suggestions.  Grow Your Own Winter Food is perfect for those with limited gardening experience, with gardens big or small who are looking to become more self-sufficient. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow Your Own Winter Food Grow It, Cook It!: Many crops, including herbs, can be produced in a relatively small space with a little pre-planning and organizing: in containers, on a balcony, and indoors. Herbs are perfect for enhancing the flavour of cooking, treating minor ailments, and preventing colds and flu. Your own back garden will not only produce the best food on the planet for you and your loved ones, it is also economical, environmentally friendly and more fun than shopping. Gardening is more than a hobby; it's a way of life. .  This book provides all the information you need to keep your family and friends healthy, fit and enjoying life to the full. Order it now direct from the publisher... Grow It, Cook It! Grow Your Own Pharmacy: If, like me, you want to be able to eat the best food on the planet, grow your own!  • Clear instructions on planning, planting, growing and harvesting the fruits, vegetables and herbs required for a healthy vitamin intake. • Recipes and menus to help incorporate the fruit and vegetables into your daily diet. Grow Your Own Pharmacy Herbs and Spices: Some herbs grow vigorously, some are tender and need special growing conditions, some are annuals, some perennials, some you can grow indoors, all can be grown in pots or directly into the ground. There are also certain spices, such as chillies, that can be grown in temperate climates.  This clear and concise directory of herbs and spices provides all the essential information to help you grow a selection of these flavour-enhancing foods in small or large spaces. Ideas for which herbs and spices go best with which foods also accompany each description, so that you can really enliven your repertoire of recipes. Order it now direct from the publisher... Herbs and Spices Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense is packed full of great ideas and tips. Granny brings traditional home-making up to date with cooking, gardening, needlecrafts and even games to play with the kids...Click on the link below to order your copy.  Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore and preparing nourishing home cooked meals for the family will certainly keep them away from the goodie shelf. Gardening encourages physical exercise and a good healthy dollop of fresh air. And you can get the kids involved too. Before the days of computer games and electronic pets, children used to have fun without rummaging about in the fridge every five minutes. Enjoy a few rainy-day games and crafts of yesteryear with today’s kids. They’ll love it and so will you! Granny's Book Of Good Old Fashioned Common Sense Back To Fruit Flower and Garden Tips Homepage Click here to subscribe to "Creative Gardening" - your FREE monthly ezine! http://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/growingnuts.html |
