If I had my way, everyone would be planting a beechnut,
hickory, or walnut tree every year to celebrate their
coming to the land. It doesn't take much time or money and
would make all the difference in the world ... to the
world.
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CHESTNUT
The American chestnut is dead, long live the Chinese
chestnut. Although a tiny, unimpressive runt when compared
with the majestic cathedral spread of the native chestnut,
the Chinese variety yields excellent large nuts and can be
grown in almost any part of the country. As with other
early-blooming trees, it is often advisable to plant on a
northern slope to delay flowering.
Several trees are needed to insure pollination. Of course,
you want to plant them in the same area, not at different
corners of your place. Twenty-five to thirty feet apart is
fine. In some cases they will yield as soon as three years
after planting, in most cases four years, and six years
after planting you'll have a bumper crop.
Mulching and deep, fertile, sandy loam with plenty of
organic matter are necessary. The Chinese chestnut wants a
lot of moisture, but it needs good drainage too. The roots
are more sensitive to standing water than those of most
trees.
Pruning and care are about the same as for your fruit
trees, except that you'll have to keep a sharp lookout for
root suckers unless you want to grow a bush instead of a
tree. Harvest nuts as they hit the ground. Don't let them
mold, which they'll do quickly left to their own devices.
FILBERT AND HAZELNUT
Your northern slope - or eastern, it serves almost the same
purpose—is getting crowded by now, because here's
another one that should be planted there to delay blooming.
Lest this make you think how bare your southern slope is
going to look in comparison, that's the best place for your
vegetable garden.
The difference between filberts and hazelnuts, in case
you're pondering on the matter, is that hazelnuts are
American while the filbert was imported from Europe.
Filberts in most cases produce bigger and better nuts. Both
are mostly shrubs rather than trees, although there are
some fifty-to sixty-foot members in the clan.
Plant whatever variety is grown locally. Usually this means
filberts in areas of milder winters and hazelnuts in the
colder regions. Get at least two varieties for
cross-pollination. Plant in early spring, using deep,
fertile, well-drained soil. For bushes, filberts and
hazelnuts have amazingly long and deep roots. They also
have sensitive bark, easily sun-scalded and slow to heal.
Bind the trunks up for winter in burlap to reduce snowglare
injury.
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