Nut Growing in Britain

Clive Simms talk focussed on Walnuts, Peacons and Hickorys, Almonds, Hazel, Cobnuts and Chestnuts. Few individuals choose to grow walnut trees as they grow too large for most peoples gardens but things are changing. There a couple of plantations in Kent growing Walnuts and Hazel nuts which they are pressing for oil. Opies cannot get enough Walnuts so they have to import. There are 15 species of Walnuts round the world. Peacons and Hickorys were attempted to be grown on the West coast of Scotland but it is too cool for the trees to flower. We may eventually get a tree hardy enough for this climate, but would need government involvement.

Many nut trees are attacked by pests e.g. mites, field mice, crows, deer, rabittis and squirrels. Clive showed a method of protecting a Walnut tree, by wrapping a thin sheet of metal (at least 1m high) around the bark to stop them climbing up. This is known as a squirrel baffle.

Clive kindly donated some booklets he’d published called “The Nutshell Guides” for our raffle. More information can be found on his website: www.orchardhousebooks.com