The Rural Voice, 1990-12, Page 31How long docs it take to grow
nuts? A CANGO document says the
time required to break even on your
investment varies greatly with species,
climate, soil conditions, and general
care of the trees. A number of nut
trees will grow in Ontario, each with
varying degrees of hardiness:
heartnut, Carpathian walnut, edible
chestnut, filbert/hazelnut, butternut,
black walnut, hickory, Korean pine
nut, pecan, almond, and sweet kernel
apricot. "Get nuts that arc early, fast,
and heavy, and start with the best, says
Campbell.
Campbell says people ask if "they
can grow cashews and pistachio nuts
and of course the answer is no.
Cashews need a tropical climate and
no frost. Pistachios need a long,
desert summer — Iran would be a
good place ..."
Nuts are harvested by allowing
them to drop to the ground. They are
swept up into windrows and gathered
with a harvester. Climbing trees and
picking is not required, but sometimes
tree shakers and nets are used.
Commercial nut growing, being a
new industry in Canada, has few
guidelines. "There is no industry, so
no regulations," says Campbell, "but
we can't be careless in our cultural
requirements. We must have delivery
of a good product to market and make
sure it is healthy. There are things that
have to be done — for one thing, there
has to be an absence of parasites,
molds, and fungi."
New growers must have
information about what they are
getting into, adds Campbell. Consider
the standards for the sweet chestnut:
the size of nut, grading, selection for
minimum size, and storage standards
(the shelf life of the sweet chestnut is
two months). "If the sweet chestnut is
too dry, it becomes hard and glass-
like; if the nut is stored in too high a
humidity, it can mold."
Paul Bennett is optimistic about the
growing of "hazels" in Bruce County
and he envisions that in the future the
area could be known as the hazelnut -
growing capital of Ontario. Already,
more than six local individuals have
begun their nut tree planting with seed
or stock. And that's it — in a
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DECEMBER 1990 27