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Post by castanea on Aug 26, 2012 11:12:10 GMT -5
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Post by ferdzy on Aug 26, 2012 15:10:40 GMT -5
Almonds, really?  There may be a tiny portion of Ontario, right in the very south, that's mild enough to grow almonds. If it hasn't been paved over yet. I would lay even money on it. I have to say, I would LOVE to grow almonds. We eat them by the bushel. We have about 8 hazelnuts planted by the previous owner. In the 4 years we have been here, they produced exactly one nut that I'm aware of. Not that we got it; the squirrels got there first. We've planted heartnuts, northern pecans and um, something else, I forget. Ask me in 10 year when they have a nut, maybe. Or not, because about a third of the trees we planted have died. Oh well. Ya gotta be a philosopher if you are going to garden. |
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Post by ferdzy on Aug 26, 2012 15:12:47 GMT -5
Shagbark hickory, that was the other one. Actually, there are also a ton of black walnuts around here. We weed them out of the veggie beds by the fistful, just about. Squirrels again.
I hear they're very good nuts, but unless you have the incisors of a rodent, or a small personal tank to run them over with, I'm not convinced they're worth the work of breaking in.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Aug 26, 2012 17:16:40 GMT -5
I have a hickory tree in my backyard. The squirrels obviously have the art of picking hickory nuts down to a fine art because in two summers I've not seen any evidence of nuts, only the empty shells.
I collected walnuts from a museum garden, but like Ferdzy, decided they were more trouble to grow than not.
The less hardy ones are best left to growing in the fruit belt of Niagara.
Castanea, thanks for the link however! It was good of you to think of us here in Ontario.
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Post by templeton on Aug 26, 2012 18:26:57 GMT -5
We have about 8 hazelnuts planted by the previous owner. In the 4 years we have been here, they produced exactly one nut that I'm aware of. Not that we got it; the squirrels got there first. Ferdzy, could this be a pollination issue? I know in Aust at least there aren't any self fertile ones. A mate of mine has a couple of dozen trees - only one variety sets fruits regularly, another occasionally, and some not at all. He wanted to take out the unproductive ones - I hope I've talked him out of it, they might be the required pollinator of his productive variety! T |
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Post by ferdzy on Aug 26, 2012 18:52:00 GMT -5
Templeton, no. I'm pretty sure it's because until this summer the deer have been eating so much of the shrubs, including the parts most likely to flower, that - they didn't. We now have the area fenced off and the plants are mostly much bigger this year, plus I saw more catkins in the spring than ever before. I haven't gone to check for any nuts this year, but there might actually finally be some. Although, again; I'm sure I'll know when they are ripe by the fact that the squirrels have et 'em.
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