Plant a nut tree!

CarlinsDarlin · Moderator Joined: Jul 02, 2004 Posts: 1420

I have this on my list of things to do anyway - to plant walnuts (actually I have started two black walnut seedlings in the yard - boy do I hope they survive this winter) and perhaps some pecans. Regardless I am investigating what works best in my area. Given that cancer seems to run in my family(aunts, uncles, grandparents), this article gave me even more reason to do it - thought I'd share.
Vitamin E in nuts, seeds blocks cancer cell growth
Kathy

CarlinsDarlin · Moderator Joined: Jul 02, 2004 Posts: 1420

Or perhaps an apple tree? Smile

Got two of those planted too... I'm doing better than I thought Smile

.

An apple a day keeps Alzheimer's away
K

spear · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 1:24 am Post subject:

You may also want to try almonds. I have five almond and four walnuts which are on a small parcel I own and am planning on getting at least 20 more trees in this spring. The walnuts take too long though.Im still debating but think it will be almonds,olives,figs and various fruit trees like pears and apples.Peaches and kiwi also see to do well in my area too.So much to do.
BTW almond is a great firewood.Lots of oil in the wood.Cut it green and throw it in the woodstove.Just something to know.
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theshadypeach · Heavy Crude Joined: Oct 13, 2004 Posts: 121

Hmmm....aren't figs an especially good idea? I heard certain types bear fruit continuously. But I think those are the tropical variants. How many times per year can you harvest the fruit from your fig tree, spear?

Cheers
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spear · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 4:50 am Post subject:

There are a few different varieties I think.There are different colors .I know of dark blue and green when they are fresh.My neighbor has a green variety that gives fruit twice a year.The one in the yard where I live now ,only once, in the late summer around Sept 15th.
We use them for marmelade and have for the whole winter which is good.
Later on when the dehydrator is made,I will have plenty to do .I love dried figs.
If you look at a globe and see Thessaloniki Gr and the lattitude then you know where it is safe to plant.
But they do not need strictly hot climate as we have cold in the winter here also.Just not so long and milder winters with very little snow.
An extended snowy winter will probably not do them well.
But Im not an expert.
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CarlinsDarlin · Moderator Joined: Jul 02, 2004 Posts: 1420

My grandma planted a couple fig trees just down the road many years ago - they produce one time - late summer or early fall as I recall. Since this fall will be my first fall in our new place, I plan to harvest some of the figs myself. Jam and dried figs sound wonderful to me Smile

. I will also look into almonds. Thanks for the suggestion - besides the fact that *I* love almonds, my parrots do too - so I'm always looking for things I can grow that they love to eat.
Kathy

Ludi · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:49 am Post subject:

I planted hundreds of native pecan nuts, hoping they will become trees. I also plan to plant nut trees (almond and walnut, maybe try a filbert). I've ordered 12 fruit trees, mostly apples, already and plan to order more and plant until the weather gets too hot to plant them or the suppliers stop shipping them. No matter what happens, there's no downside to planting a fruit tree.

spear · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:41 am Post subject:

Its also important that they are non hybrid.I was told this by some around here who planted hybrid apples and pears.If the tree wasnt sprayed for bugs it wouldnt produce or produced very little .Sounds crazy but imagine how dependent the hybrids must be.Its probably not easy to find non hybrid fruit anymore except for some wild varieties.
Something you might want to check out just in case so you wont be disappointed later.
It may be easy to find non hybrid cherry varieties.
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Ludi · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:47 am Post subject:

For those in the US here is a nursery which indicates which trees are disease resistant and don't need spraying:

http://www.johnsonnursery.com/index-old.htm

I've ordered from them but not received the trees yet (to early), I'll let you know the quality of their product and service.

uNkNowN ElEmEnt · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 10:53 am Post subject:

I think it was Ludi that posted this site, it has all heirloom, open polinated seeds and has fig trees. Nuts can't be under rated they have all the ammino acids in a form that is easy to digest. (as we all know amino acids are the building blocks of life and are easier to digest in nut form vs. meat). REally good prices too.

If you are serious about the cancer thing you could take a page from my books. I found a tea called essiac that people use for it (not a doctor,l not making any promises) I found a herb site that claims the herbs in this tea are chinese rhubarb, slippery elm, sheep sorrel and burdock root.

I won't bore you with details but my step mom was diagnosed as terminal with 6 months to live over ten years ago (breast cancer), I was a long way from terminal but haven't looked back since (cervical cancer).

oowolf · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 3:17 pm Post subject:

Hazelnuts (filberts) are the most nutritious of all nuts. The tree is small, hardy, and is the quickest to produce. I have 40, a mixture of American and European as they produce better if they cross pollinate. They sucker and the suckers can be selectively rooted for a year and transplanted.
There is a whole chapter on nuts in the new permaculture handbook "The Earth Care Manual" by Whitefield.

kpeavey · Expert Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 1315

A particularly useful trait about nut trees is that they do not attract a great deal of attention.

The vast majority of people can't tell the difference between a birch and a maple tree. You can tell from a distance if a tree bears apples, oranges, peaches, or pears. They are large and brightly colored. Most nut trees are not readily identified by passersby. If you were to hide some of your food supply in plain sight, this would be the way to go.

Start them in your yard, along the driveway, along the road, give one to your buddy, one for mother, decorate the church entrance, one for all of your neighbors, maybe start a few just over the fence line where old man Jones never comes around. There's a park not too far away where they would fit in nicely.

I would think a homestead orchard would be well served by fruit trees on the inside, nut trees on the outside of the property.

Another advantage concerning nuts is they offer their services as a comfort food. In the event Doritos and Cheetos are not available, a handful of almonds or walnuts makes a fine snack. They store easily and help break the monotony of a limited diet.

Nut trees can take several years to develop to a stage where they begin to bear edible nuts. According to the clock on the wall at my house, this is a fine year to begin planting some trees.
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skateari · Intermediate Crude Joined: Sep 26, 2004 Posts: 548

You guys are making me wish we found our land by now! Wink

. We have been looking (in person) at....Northern Cali, Hawaii, East Coast.. but we have yet to find the *perfect* place we feel is good to set this up. Theres just so many factors in the land part which seems to be the hardest decision (where to go)..

I plan on planting nuts on the edge of the property (if we end up in a tropical climate; Macadamiaac nuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, you can grow a lot of nuts in a nice sunny tropcial climate (like california). Besides from the mac nuts they are quite descrete (as said before) and can blend into areas nicely. Nuts can be a great subsitute for meat and other foods when in low supply. I cant wait until we pick out the property so we can decide what to plant! Hope we can get the location set up so we can get on the tree planing phase (along with all the other phases) to self sufficany. That part seems easy compaired to finding a good spot to live your "post-peak" years of your life.. theres a lot to think about.

Oh yeah, this thread was about nuts wasn't it? Ops Twisted Evil

smallpoxgirl · Moderator Joined: Nov 08, 2004 Posts: 6320

OldSprocket · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 7:52 pm Post subject: And Fence it

When you plant trees, FENCE THEM

Deer keep munching thing here that they're not reputed to like. My Cornellian Cherries lost a year of growth two years ago. My Chinese Chestnuts lost about 2 years.

Yesterday two deer crawled under a fence and took the terminal buds off 6 branches of 3 trees (a plum and two cherries). Not a catastrophy, but the plum tree will look pretty lop-sided a year from now. (The terminal bud is how the branch gets longer next year.)

My local arborist said deer don't crawl. I SAW IT. The fences are 4-foot chicken wire and start 18 inches from the ground to make them higher. That fence has been around those trees for two years. Maybe it took the deer that long to learn to crawl.

I have 9 more trees coming this year. They will all be fenced immediately.