By goodadmin | April 15, 2008
The Red Nut tree
is a beautiful, small evergreen, native to the warmer parts of Australia. It is a genus of two species of trees in the family Proteaceae-Hicksbeachia pilosa and Hicksbeachia pinnatifolia. They are both uncommon but H. pinnatifolia is the more commonly grown, due to its edible nuts.
The red Nut grows up to 10 m tall, with several stems rising from the rootstock. The leaves are large, lobed and leathery. Spikes of 15-30 cm long with many small flowers, purplish-brown in color and with a strong scent, arise directly from the trunk. Fruits are bright red, fleshy, 2 – 4 cm long and contain an edible kernel, they are also known as beef nut, due to the bright red color. Nut fall can range from late summer to late winter.
The Red Nut is related to the macadamia whose foliage it resembles but with more striking appearance and larger leaves. Growing conditions are similar to macadamia but is not as frost tolerant. It is a difficult to propagate tree and seeds should be sown immediately. It begins to bear nuts around 7 -8 years.
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By goodadmin | March 8, 2008
Acorn, (edible) – quercus edulis- is a handsome evergreen nut tree, native to Mediterranean, which grows up to 7meters tall. The dark green laurel-like leaves make it the most unlike looking member of the entire oak family. Flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same tree. It produces large quantities of long and slender some times sweet acorns.
The acorn is a hardy tree and it will grow well in most soils. It prefers light, sandy, medium loamy soils. Neutral, basic or acid types of soil are not a problem however it requires moist and medium drainage. Acorns can grow in semi-shade or full sun.
Acorn nuts are bitter to a greater or less extent owing to tannins in them. They have to be “processed” first before they can be eaten by humans through a leaching process. The whole acorns are dried, the husks removed and the kernels are ground into flour prior to soaking in water. It’s then used raw or cooked. The kernels may be roasted to a darker brown to make ersatz coffee. Acorns yield edible oil very similar to that of olive oil.
Propagation is by seeds best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. Germination takes place in late winter or early spring. When they are large enough 15cm tall they can be planted out into their permanent positions. Give them good mulch and some protection from the cold for their first couple of years.
acorns
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By goodadmin | February 16, 2008
The pineapple is a succulent cactus like plant (terrestrial herb) not a fruit tree that can be easily grown in warm sheltered sunny positions with good drainage. It can grow up to 1.5 meters tall and spread out up to 1.2 meters. It is a member of the Bromeliad family and native to southern Brazil and Paraguay area where its wild relatives occur.
The tough leaves grow in large rosettes, arising from a crown. They are long and have a serrate or thorny margin. The flowers arising from the heart of the rosette grow into a compact head on a short, robust stalk. The sepals become fleshy and juicy and develop into the well-known pineapple fruit.
For more than 50 years, the pineapple has become one of the leading commercial fruit crops of the tropics. In world trade, the numerous cultivars are grouped in four main classes, despite much variation within each class. ‘Red Spanish’, “Queen’, ‘Abacaxi’ and ‘Smooth Cayenne’. Ripe fruits are best eaten fresh by removing the crown, rind and core.
Pests
Nematodes (Rotylenchulus, , Helicotylenchus, Pratylenchus, Ditylenchusand) cause stunting and degeneration unless soil is fumigated.
Diseases
Top rot and root rot are caused by the soil fungi Phytophthora cinnamomi and P. nicotianae var. parasitica prevalent in wet weather. Copper deficiency is evident with dead tips and concave leaves. Crookneck is a condition caused by zinc deficiency.
The most readily available propagation material will be the green-leafed top of a fresh pineapple. The top is cut 2cm below the leaves and the four lower rows of leaves are then removed. The stamp is then washed clean and let to dry, upside-down in the sun for 4-5 days. It is then placed in the ground and the soil is well firmed around it. The Pineapple hardly ever produces seed in cultivated varieties.
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By goodadmin | February 8, 2008
The oyster nut is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, not a nut tree, which has a tremendous genetic diversity of nearly 100 genera and over 750 species. It is a perennial large vine grown in West, Central and East Africa. It is drought tolerant and can grow at elevations up to 2,000 m. Oyster nuts are actually the seeds of two tropical African gourds borne on large vines: Telfairia pedata, Central and East Africa and T. occidentalis, West Africa. They requires 18 months to flowering, and are usually trellised up and over trees that often can bring them crashing to the ground under the weight of the huge seed containers, which can weigh 10kg or more.
The gourds themselves are inedible, but it produces very large, long, flat seeds, oyster nuts which are high in carbohydrates, minerals and contain up to 30% protein. They have a flavor comparable to that of the Brazil nut and superior to it in nutritional quality. Each gourd can contain 100-400 of the oyster-shaped nuts, which are eaten raw, boiled, or roasted.
The kernels are sometimes ground to a paste, then wrapped in a banana leaf, and cooked with fish. The nuts can also be fermented for several days and eaten as slurry. The kernels are also pressed for the oil used in cooking. The oil content can be over 60%, and the protein content about 27%. Despite their rich in oil oyster nuts do keep well.
When young the vines are frost intolerant. They are easily propagated from fresh seeds that germinate in a week from planting and grow vigorously. Male and female flowers are produced on separate plants and fruits are usually born in the seventh year. The seeds are about 4cm in diameter and 1cm thick. They are opened with a knife by slitting around the age.
oyster nut
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By goodadmin | January 18, 2008
Chestnut castanea, is a genus of eight species of nut trees and shrubs in the beech family. Most of the species are large trees growing to 20-40 m tall. The leaves are ovate, 10-30 cm long and 4-10 cm broad, with pointed, widely-spaced teeth. The flowers are catkins produced in mid summer with an unpleasant odor. Flowers of both kinds are borne on every tree.
The fruit is a spiny capsule 5-10 cm in diameter, containing one to seven nuts. Chestnut trees thrive on neutral and acidic soils but do best on sandy or sandy loam soil that drains well.
The nuts are an important food crop in eastern Asia and in southern Europe. They differ from other nuts in being mainly carbohydrates with little or no protein. They can be eaten boiled or roasted or ground into flour and use to prepare bread, pasta, cakes and for cooking with traditional dishes. Chestnuts taste somewhat sweet.
The wood is very durable and is made in items used for fencing, flooring and wooden barrels for the ageing of balsamic vinegar. Post made from the wood can last for more than 50 years in the ground.
The chestnut is easily propagated by grafting on seedling rootstock or by butting. Rootstock for grafting should be seedlings of the same species. For seedling trees nuts must be gathered as soon as they fall and stored over the winder and plant in early spring
Chestnut American castanea dentata This large tree produces the sweetest nuts of all species but is now almost extinct as a result of the chestnut fungus, Endothia parasitica
Chestnut Japanese castanea crenata
The Japanese chestnut varies in size from a small bush to a large tree. It produces the largest nuts of all the species. Seedlings can produce nuts as early as two years.
Chestnut Chinese castanea mollicima
This long-lived, hardy and attractive tree is the most successful of all the species in terms of nut production. It is tolerant to a wide range of soil and climate conditions and also resistant to the chestnut blight Endothia paracitica.
Chestnut Spanish castanea sativa
This is a medium to large tree that grows almost on any type of soil and can withstand hard frosts. A good tree can produce at least 100kg of nuts.
Chinquapin castanea pumila
This is an attractive, evergreen tree native to northern America. It grows 20-30 meters tall, adapts to many soils and it is very cold tolerant. Nuts are sweet and resemble pointed round acorns.
chestnut
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