9:35am Monday 11th January 2010
WE all have loads of nuts over the festive season – but have you ever thought of growing your own?
Walnuts may not be the easiest things to grow in our climate but new self-fertile varieties are proving more successful.
Certain types can tolerate our wet, cool conditions and crop well. Walnut trees should be planted in a sheltered sunny spot and protected from late frosts which may destroy their new growth and flowers.
Choose varieties such as Buccaneer or Rita (even the smaller varieties grow up to 7.5m/25ft) and plant them in the autumn, staking the tree for several years, until established.
Keep it well-watered during its early years and enrich the earth around it with compost. Fullyripened walnuts can be harvested in September and October, when the husk starts to split.
They should be dried straight away by a boiler and then put in well-ventilated bags and kept in a cool, airy spot.
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