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Going Nuts on a Dry Finca |
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By
Jack Cox |
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Are you trying to grow crops on land
which is dry all summer? Tired
of bolting cabbages? Wilted
lettuces? Blown Brussel sprouts?
Looking for other things to grow
instead? Then how about going
nuts with me? |
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A
lot of my land in Alora is just to
flipping dry for fruit and veg so I
turned to nuts. Of course almonds
are the usual first choice of nuts
to grow in Southern Spain. We
see them everywhere and they are
east to produce and harvest. And
what's more they taste delicious.
But it doesn't have to end there.
Pecan nuts and Walnuts grow just as
well without water. And if you
can provide just a little water you
may be lucky with Sweet chestnuts,
Hazel nuts, Macadamia and
Pistachios, too. |
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Almonds (Prunus dulcis,
syn. Prunus amygdalus) is the
most common nut grown in Spain. They
blossom during January and February
and the nut can be harvested in
August. |
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| Pecan
Nuts (Carya illinoinensis).
The Pecan is a species of hickory,
native to North America. They
blossom during April and may and can
be harvested during September and
November. |
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Walnuts (Juglans regia)
is a large deciduous tree attaining
heights up to 35 metres, and a trunk
up to 2 metres diameter, commonly
with a short trunk and broad crown.
It is a light-demanding species,
requiring full sun to grow well.
They blossom April to May and the
nuts are ready by September. |
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| Sweet
Chestnuts (Castanea sativa)
are very popular in Spain,
especially roasted. Indeed this
spacies is often call the Spanish
Chestnut. This deciduous tree can
grow to a height of up to 35 metres
with a trunk often 2 metres in
diameter. They flower during April
and May and the nuts are ready by
October. |
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Hazel
Nuts (Corylus avellana)
are a delicious Autumn treat. Common
hazel is typically a shrub reaching
3-8 metres tall, but can reach 15
metres. Hazel is often grown as a
boundary hedge. The catkins form
April or May and the nuts are ready
in October or November. |
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Macadamia Nuts (Proteacea
macadamia) are native to
Australia. They were first
brought to Europe in 1882. Because
of their rich, buttery taste,
macadamias have gained tremendous
popularity, even though they still
rank among the world’s most
expensive edible nuts. These
tropical evergreen trees have
spreading, full canopies which reach
a width of 10 metres and height of
up to 10 metres. In Spain you can
expect them to flower during April
and May and you can harvest the nuts
during September and October. Few
pests will attack them here but they
are sensitive to frost. |
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Macadamia nuts are good for you.
They are low
in carbohydrates but high in
monounsaturated fat . One study found
macadamia nuts provide nutritional
and dietary benefits equal to or
better than olive oil and other tree
nuts. Another study noted that not
only do macadamias lower the level
of “bad” cholesterol, they increase
the levels of “good’ cholesterol.
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Pistachio Nuts (Pistacia
vera) grow well in Spain
although there are prone to
Botryosphaeria canker fungus but
this is easily controlled by pruning
out infected wood and burning it.
They will resist light frosts well
enough though. The pistachio was
first cultivated in Western Asia.
Its cultivation spread into the
Mediterranean world via central
Iran, where it has long been an
important crop. Expect your trees to
flower during April and May and you
can harvest the nuts during
September and November. |
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