Questions about nut trees

Vosey · #1 04/14/13, 09:49 PM

I posted this in the gardening forum, got some interesting ideas about pine trees with edible nuts but don't think we want to to do that big a tree where we are. Any experience with nut trees?:

I finally convinced DH we need nut trees along with our fruit trees. He was thinking all we'd be doing was attracting squirrels and gophers, which is a possibility. But when I pointed out how it moves us along the self-sufficiency continuum he agreed.

Anyway, we're in zone 7a. From what I can find out walnuts take a long time to grow (walnut trees are common around here). Hazelnuts are faster to produce. Almonds in between. And we need 2 trees to pollinate.

We eat a lot of almonds and walnuts. Just ordered some hazelnuts to try. Used to eat them as a kid, but haven't for years.

Would love to hear thoughts on trees, but also what you do with your nuts. I'm thinking hazelnut butter would be yummy!

dlskidmore · #2 04/14/13, 09:55 PM

Nuts are also a traditional food for hogs, so you can't grow too many...

GrannyG · #3 04/14/13, 10:15 PM

I would plant pecans....Pinon nuts are loved by squirrels, they stash them away....when we lived in the mts, we would rob the little critters....pecans are easier to crack....LOL....you will starve trying to eat pinon nuts...

haypoint · #4 04/15/13, 07:09 AM

Hazel nuts grow wild in places near me. The squirrels get them long before they are ripe.

Nimrod · #5 04/15/13, 08:55 AM

The north end of the Willamette valley is famous for commercially produced nuts. Don't try to swim upstream, plant the types that grow well where you are http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/node/1050 . Nuts are a great addition to you self sufficiency.

Alice In TX/MO · #6 04/15/13, 10:41 AM

Pecan trees take a while, too.

Chipmunks get all my hazelnuts.

anniew · #7 04/15/13, 11:09 AM

planted 10 of those small hazelnuts plants that you get from the conservation department. On the third year I got 20 nuts total...this year should be better yet...and a heck of a lot better than walnuts which can take 10 years or more for a first harvest. Plus the hazelnuts are more of a bush than a tree...

TedH71 · #8 04/15/13, 11:29 AM

You'll have to learn to be a crack shot and enjoy squirrel meat. They're delicious.

BarbadosSheep · #9 04/15/13, 11:39 AM

I planted my first pecan trees maybe 5 years ago and this year I got a very small crop. I am guessing within another 5 years, I'll be getting quite a few. I planted 10 more of them in the pasture, along the fence lines so they will give my livestock some shade. They are beautiful trees but do need some maintenance. Much less than fruit trees though.

Raymond James · #10 04/15/13, 11:40 AM

Any type of fruit or nut tree is a long term investment. I would check with your extension service/state forestry department and plant the type they recommend. Plant as many as you have room for. I am glad someone took the time to plant English walnuts as well as black walnuts on my place. I sell hundreds of pounds of black walnuts every year. I planted some Pecans and am still waiting on them.

BarbadosSheep · #11 04/15/13, 11:40 AM

I wanted to add that my livestock guardian dogs will keep the squirrels away from the trees. There are two strands of hot wire around each tree too, to keep the sheep from killing them.

Vosey · #12 04/15/13, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TedH71

You'll have to learn to be a crack shot and enjoy squirrel meat. They're delicious.

We shoot at the grey squirrels with the air rifle : ) Mostly to discourage them from hanging around the house, one of our dogs goes bonkers when he sees a squirrel and will bark for hours up at the trees.

We actually don't have many squirrels, which I think is odd. Our trees are all doug fir and madrone. But I bet we will with nut trees!

oregon woodsmok · #13 04/15/13, 07:14 PM

The best pine nuts are from pinon pines. They like high elevation and desert weather. They can take 30-40 years to bear nuts. University of Idaho reforestation program sells the trees.

There are some Japanese pine trees that produce nuts, but I can't remember what they are called. You get nuts a lot faster, but they don't have the same flavor.

Ponderosa pines have excellent flavored nuts, but there are not many in a cone and they are really difficult to get out of the cone.

Vosey · #14 04/15/13, 07:22 PM

Thanks all, I think I'll talk to our extension service. I'm leaning towards hazelnuts. Getting a little too late here to bareroot. And Territorial Seeds just sold of out of their hazelnut trees! We may be able to plant in the fall here.

JoePa · #15 04/16/13, 09:56 AM

I had two english walnuts in my yard - never got a nut - the darn squirrels kept cleaning the nuts off of the trees - one year I shot 15 of them to no avail - they kept coming - so I wrapped each tree with part of an old above ground swimming pool figuring that they couldn't climb up the trunk - well they started jumping from nearby trees to get at the nuts - so I cut away any branches from the surrounding trees so they couldn't jump - then they dug under the metal swimming pool sides - in addition I had to spray the tree a couple times each year because the leaves got kind of fungus and some of the nuts had little worms in the outer husk - to make a short story long - I cut down the trees and got some firewood - at the end the squirrels won the battle -

MichaelK! · #16 04/17/13, 08:29 AM

I'd also suggest including chestnuts on you list. They have prickly husks that are completely squirrel-proof. My chestnuts starting bearing 5 years after planting. You'll also need at least two varieties for pollination. Burnt Ridge north of you has a good selection of chestnuts.
http://www.burntridgenursery.com/nut...dept=53&parent=

Vosey · #17 04/17/13, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoePa

I had two english walnuts in my yard - never got a nut - the darn squirrels kept cleaning the nuts off of the trees - one year I shot 15 of them to no avail - they kept coming - so I wrapped each tree with part of an old above ground swimming pool figuring that they couldn't climb up the trunk - well they started jumping from nearby trees to get at the nuts - so I cut away any branches from the surrounding trees so they couldn't jump - then they dug under the metal swimming pool sides - in addition I had to spray the tree a couple times each year because the leaves got kind of fungus and some of the nuts had little worms in the outer husk - to make a short story long - I cut down the trees and got some firewood - at the end the squirrels won the battle -

I think this is what DH is having visions of! He doesn't want any more squirrels or gophers around.

ufo_chris · #18 04/17/13, 02:52 PM

I have a few hazelnuts they started bearing way bf the chestnuts but are so hard to crack ,all the little nuts......any suggestions for that? Maybe some kinda press?
Anyways I figure they are great for hard times or if shtf.
Love the chestnuts but I only have one variety 5 trees ,and they pollinate. No others nearby that I know of. hmmmm! I wonder, only 3 of them had nuts last year.....
I have 4 barn cats that patrol for squirrels and chipmunks, aint seen one yet!

countryfam06 · #19 04/21/13, 02:53 AM

If you do a lot of gardening and plan on planting walnut trees near by? good luck! We put a second garden in four years ago at my home and everything started to wilt once the plants started to bear fruit! Turns out the ten walnut trees we loved in our back yard was the culprit. They release juglune (spelling?) A toxin that kills almost every plant or trees by it. Roots and leaves have the highest concentration. The only plant I found to work with my walnut trees is tiger lillies. Best of luck on selecting nut tree's.

FarmChix · #20 04/21/13, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TedH71

You'll have to learn to be a crack shot and enjoy squirrel meat. They're delicious.

We have about 50 nut trees on our current property. The Hubs said the guy who built the place must have liked squirrel meat....they end up with most of the nuts! We are just making sure they are well fed.

LOL