How to Grow Walnuts

Time to germination: 5 months to a year
Time to harvest: 10 years
Light requirements: Full sun
Soil: Fertile, not sandy

Introduction

 There are Black Walnuts, White Walnuts, English Walnuts, Heartnut Walnuts and Cannonball Walnuts.

All types of walnuts are quite hardy, and actually require a cold winter in order to thrive. So anyone living in warm climates won’t have much success with their own walnut trees. Walnuts will start to produce nuts at around 10 years of age, give full production at 30 and keep on producing for more than 50 years. Depending on the specific type of tree, they can grow up to 100 feet in height.

Many gardeners consider walnuts to be very “messy” trees, much like pecans. They drop their leaves all through the summer, and will kill nearby plants (more on that below).

Starting Your Tree

If you choose to start your walnut tree from a seed, you will want to either plant your seeds where you want your final tree, or transplant it while very small. Walnuts do not do well at all in containers because of deep tap roots and don’t handle transplanting.

You cannot just pick a walnut from the supermarket and plant it in the ground to start your own walnut tree. Nuts intended for eating will not sprout. Contact your local nursery for untreated walnuts for planting. You can plant with or without the husk still on, though taking the husk off will help the plant germinate.

Plant your nuts in the fall, and protect them from squirrels. They need a period of cold before they will sprout. It only needs to be about 3 inches under the soil. They should sprout in 4 to 5 months, or possibly not until the following year.

You can also buy small seedlings, or larger grafted saplings to get a bigger head-start on your nut crops. Grafted saplings have walnut tree branches grafted to the trunk and roots of another type of tree (which is why the survive transplanting better).

One tree is fine on its own, but if you want a group or stand of walnut trees, you need to keep 20 feet or more between them. A single walnut tree can self-fertilize, meaning you will get nuts even with just one tree. You can get a larger harvest of nuts per tree if you have 2 or more though.

Placement of your tree is more important than with most other nut trees because walnut leaves are toxic. The leaves (as well as the roots) give off a substance called juglone, and it will kill any other plants nearby including the grass. So if your plans include having your nut trees within the yard, or overhanging other plants, you’ll have to pick another kind of tree. Also, keep your walnut leaves out of the compost pile.

Unlike annual garden plants, your walnut tree is a more permanent installation. It’s important to take the necessary time to map out the best location for your trees. There should be full sun (remember to plan ahead by at least 10 years), and no solid rock at least 3 under the surface of the soil. Ideally, your soil will be rich and well-drained but not sandy.

Tree Care

Depending on the age and size of the tree, you may not be able to significantly treat diseases or insect infestations on a walnut tree.

Webworms or tent caterpillars can be a problem if there are too many of them on your trees. They build large tents of webbing, that can house hundreds of hungry caterpillars. Cut any branches off with tents and dispose of them carefully. If the problem is severe, spray the tree with BT (Bacillus thuringinsis) a natural bacteria-based pesticide that will attack the caterpillars. Harsher sprays of Carbaryl or Malathion can also kill them.

Full size trees have very long and deep root systems, which usually can protect them from moisture problems on the surface. But after very prolonged periods of drought, your trees might need some watering. You can end up with “burned” walnuts come harvest time if you let your trees get too dry for too long.

Walnut trees should be left to grow naturally without pruning.

Harvest and Storage

If you didn’t already know that early black dye came from Black walnut husks, you’re going to learn after you try to harvest a few of your nuts.

Initially, your tree will produce round green “fruits” that look quite a bit like tennis balls. These are the walnuts. The green outside husk actually has the nut inside of it. To harvest, you have to wait until they are mature enough to drop off of the tree on their own. You don’t pick them. This can make for a bit of a messy and unpredictable nut harvest.

As they ripen, the green husks will come apart and turn black. It’s at this point that they will stain anything they touch, including your hands. Don’t leave your nuts for too long inside the husks at this point. The oils will seep in through the nut shell, and taint the nut meats. Get the nuts out of their husks as soon as they drop off the tree.

Getting the husks off can be a bit of a chore, and some home gardeners even lay out their nuts out on the driveway and drive over them. There are less drastic measures though. Rolling them back and forth on a hard surface (driveway, sidewalk, large stones), with your foot is a more common method. You’ll need to put your weight behind it though. The nuts and husks will stain your work area, so don’t unhusk your walnuts out on the front sidewalk.

If your nuts have ripened enough to be very black on the outside, you may find worms have made a home in them. These are husk fly larvae and they make husking a bit unpleasant but they don’t represent any danger to the hard nuts inside.

Inside the husks, you’ll find a whole walnut in its shell. Wash off the husk remains and keep your harvest somewhere warm and well-ventilated for a few weeks. Warmer temperatures will mean a shorter drying time. You can check for adequate drying by cracking open a nut and testing the little hard divider that runs between the two halves of the nut meat (sometimes called the septum). That piece should be hard and crisp. If its soft, then your nuts aren’t dry enough. Fresher nuts won’t taste the same, though they can be eaten.

After that, you just have to shell them to remove the edible nut meats inside. Dried walnuts still in their shells will last up to a year.

The diversity of grapes cultivated in Moldova

Moldovans’ ancestors were growing different sorts of  high-quality grapes - Ochiul Boului, Tata Caprei, Pasareasca, Feteasca, Rara Neagra, Tamaioasa, Zghiharda, Plavai etc. The traditional repertoire was enriched by the variety coming from the Greeks, Romans, and later – from the Turks, Austrians and French. In the end of ХIХ century in France, Italy and America there have been tested and originated new types and hybrids. In Moldova there are currently over a hundred varieties of grape-vine.

They differ by the color of pearls: from straw yellow and gold – to bright pink, pink and more intense - in bright red, purple and blue to purple.

Varieties cultivated in Moldova have different periods of ripening, which extend harvest season from August to November.

The classification according to ripening period divides the varieties of grapes in early, semi early, with medium ripening time, semi late and late. In Moldova there are all the types listed. First giving ripe are Muscatul Perla and Muscatul Chihlimbariu, and  the end of the season comes with grape harvesting Coarna Neagra, Muscat de Hamburg ,etc.

By the further destination the types of grapes are divided into mass varieties (Leana, Regina) and  for industrial processing and obtaining juice, concentrates and wines of different types (in Moldova - the grapes with yellow-green pearls and rose-open Feteasca Alba ,Shardonnay, Pink Traminer, Muscat, Aligote, Sauvignon, etc.. and ruby-violet color: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Saperavi etc.)

At the category of grapes that have  dual-usage (for fresh consumption and industrial processing) are listed species Vitis labrusca (Concord, Lydia, Izabella) and Vitis vinifera (Schasla Blanc, Muscat Schasla etc..), also so-called species "stable growth” (Drujba, Moldova, Kismis Radios etc).

The high quality of pearls characterized elite species, usually these are most productive and most refined. For industrial processing and obtaining noble wines there are Muscat Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, etc.

Varieties of Hot Peppers

Anaheim Chili - This pepper has the least "heat". But it has a good flavor. The large, six to eight inch fruit turns from dark green to a brilliant red when ripe. This pepper is popular for drying.

Caribbean Red Pepper - A Habanero pepper that is fiery hot. It produces red, wrinkly fruit. This hot pepper rates between 350,000- 450,000 on the Scoville scale.

Cascabella - This is a pungent, cone shaped fruit, just a little over an inch long. Cascabella plants  are prolific producers of fruit, that is bright yellow or red when ripe. Try this pepper in salads and sauces.

Long Cayenne Pepper - This pepper is fiery hot. Fruit grows about five inches long, turning from deep green to a brilliant red. It's best known for heating up chili.

Habanero Hot Peppers  - This electric-orange pepper is the King of the hot peppers. It is absolutely the hottest pepper you can grow.  Slightly wrinkled fruit grows one inch long, turning from light green to a fiery orange when ripe.

Hungarian Wax  - These "medium hot" pepper is especially zesty and attractive when pickled. It is good raw and cooked. 5 to 8 inch long fruit has a smooth skin. They turn from bright yellow to red when fully ripe.

Jalapeno Pepper - One of the best known hot peppers is Jalapenos. Most people think this is a pretty hot pepper. Many growers pick the dark green fruit when it reaches 2-3 inches long. If left on the plant, it turns a fiery red when ripe. Jalapenos are great stuffed, or sliced for use in a wide variety of Tex-Mex dishes.

Pepperoncini - These peppers pack a mild heat, and turn sweeter as they ripen. The fruit starts out as green or yellow, ripening into a Mars-like red color. Pepperoncini are delicious in Mediterranean salads, pastas and sandwiches.

Poblano / Ancho - As far as hot peppers go, Poblanos are on the mild side. But, they are tasty. They are the main ingredient in chile rellenos. Poblano peppers are wonderful roasted and peeled. Mature fruit measures 6 inches long and 3 inches wide, and are reddish-brown when ripe. They are called Poblano when fresh, and Ancho when dried.

 Serrano Chili -  One of the hottest around, Serrano Chili pepper plants produce an abundance of small fruits, ripening from dark green to crimson. As it's name implies, it is used to make chili sauce and pepper sauces.

Thai Hot Pepper - Many people grow this plant as an ornamental. It is attractive in your garden or in a container on your patio or deck. In addition to being a hot looking plant, it's fruit is fiery hot, too. Thai peppers grow about one inch long, and are bright red. When it comes to hot, they take second place. Only Habaneros are hotter. Plants grow about 18 inches tall.

Tobasco Chile Pepper - Best known for it's use in tobasco sauce, tobasco pepper is a real "hottie"with good flavor. They are also good in salsa and stir-fry dishes. Plants grow up to four feet tall. As the 1 1/2 inch fruits ripen, they turn from green to orange to red.

How to Start an Ostrich Farm

Cows and corn are often the first images that come to mind when thinking about farms, but many non-traditional types of farms also exist. Ostrich farming is one type of agriculture that can have many advantages. Ostriches produce meat and consume resources at a ratio that is much more profitable than beef cattle. A ostrich farm requires only a small areas of land and can generate revenue in several different ways.

Step 1
Determine which ostrich products to sell in order to produce revenue from the farm. Ostrich meat and ostrich hide are two common sources of revenue. The eggs and feathers of ostriches can also be sold and do not require the slaughter of the bird.

Step 2
Locate an area of land that can be used for the ostrich farm. Ostriches require between one and three acres of land in order to run and remain healthy. Build a simple shelter to protect the birds from harsh weather, and construct a fence to prevent the ostriches from escaping.

Step 3
Provide a sufficient supply of food and water for the ostrich farm. Large birds can drink several gallons of water each day. Ensure that the water is kept fresh. Purchase feed that is specially formulated for ostrich nutrition. Alternately, plant crops and grasses for the ostriches to eat.

Step 4
Choose a type of ostrich to raise. Red neck, blue neck and African black ostriches are the three general types of birds. Red neck and blue neck ostriches are often large and aggressive, while African black birds are smaller and easier to manage. The African black ostrich is often recommended for first-time farm operators.

Step 5
Purchase ostriches for the farm. Select from unhatched eggs, young chicks or adult ostriches. Unhatched eggs and young chicks are relatively inexpensive but require a significant amount of time and expertise to raise properly. Adult ostriches can begin producing new eggs quickly yet are more expensive to purchase initially.

Tip
Before opening an ostrich farm, check with the state agriculture or small business office to determine if a license is required. Contact a veterinarian to obtain an interstate health certificate before transporting animals or live eggs.

Which Type of Chicken is Best for Your Farm or Homestead ?

Once you've decided to keep chickens, you need to choose the chicken breed or breeds you are going to raise on your small farm or homestead. Chickens come in different colors, sizes, and personalities - and with over 200 breeds, it can be hard to choose! This list of the most popular breeds will help you figure out the best fit for your farm.

First, learn about the different characteristics of breeds and why you might want to choose one over the other:
Choosing Chickens
When you're ready to buy, find out where to get chicks:
Buy Baby Chicks
Keep checking back here, because I'll be adding more breeds all the time!

Ameracauna
True standard Ameracaunas are a rare breed of South American chicken that lays blue eggs. Most of what are called "Ameracaunas" or "Easter Eggers" in the United States are a mix of South American breeds. In any case, these are fun, interesting birds who are primarily good for laying eggs, not so much for meat. Their personalities can vary and their eggs, in all shades of blue, green, and even cream, are favorites among children and farmers market customers.

New Hampshire Red
New Hampshire Reds are a vigorous, early-maturing breed known for their meat more than their eggs, although they are a true dual-purpose bird, good for both meat production and egg-laying. They originally derived from Rhode Island Reds. Their personalities can vary by bird, from focused on the pecking order and a bit aggressive toward other birds, to mellow and docile.

Orpington
The most common Orpington variety is Buff. Buff Orpingtons are known for their big, fluffy-feathered bodies and gentle hearts. These are the Big Birds of the dual-purpose chicken world. Sweet, docile, and easy to confine in a fenced area, they are a favorite of families with young children. They'll tolerate a lot of picking up and handling. This means that they may also be more vulnerable to predators, though. They were originally developed for meat, but also lay eggs well, and lay right through the winter months. Great for cold climates. One of my favorite breeds overall.

Plymouth Rock
The most common Plymouth Rock variety is the Barred Rock. With their black and white stripes, Barred Rocks are a good-looking breed and stand out in the flock. Plymouth Rocks are solid, sturdy dual-purpose birds and very popular for the small farm and homestead. They were at one time the most popular breed in America.

Rhode Island Red
Rhode Island Reds are prolific egg-layers, and at one time a standard for small poultry farms. Although they're good for meat, too, they are known for their high egg production. They are active, but also calm and docile, although roosters can tend toward the aggressive side in this breed.

Sussex
An English breed, Sussex chickens were at one time the most common British table bird. Speckled Sussex is the most common variety, and they stand out from other hens with their brown plumage with white speckles. It's also good camouflage from predators. They are known for their unique, friendly, and curious personalities. Another of my favorite breeds - we have a hen named Miss Friendly who is a Speckled Sussex, and she was named because she is by far the most "pet-like" of any of our chickens.

How to Choose Pig Breeds

So, you’ve decided that pigs are a good choice for your farm, and you want to raise them for meat. You’re wondering: what breed do I get? What breeds are even available? What are the pros and cons of different pig breeds?

Commercial Pigs

“Factory” raised pigs, raised in large quantities on the mega hog house, are designed for optimal meat production, but are pretty dry, bland and tasteless. And they may not do as well on a homestead or small-farm operation, as you may give your pigs more room to roam, and factory breeds may lack some of the more traditional pig behaviors and instincts.They will require vast amounts of feed and may not be as adaptable to eating brush and pasture as heritage breeds. Commercial pigs also tend to be leaner than their heritage breed counterparts.

Heritage Pig Breeds

It’s likely that as a small farmer, you will want to raise a heritage pig breed. Tamworth, Large Black and Berkshire are common heritage breeds used on the small farm, and all make excellent free-range pork. You may also find someone selling a cross, such as a Tamworth-Berkshire. Nothing wrong with buying a mixed-breed pig as long as you aren’t starting your own pig-breeding operation (not recommended for beginners!).

A heritage breed is a breed that was developed before commercial farming became popular. These are old-time pigs that were raised in backyards and barnyards in Europe and America, pigs that were selected for their ease of rearing, their tastes, and their hardiness. Heritage breed hogs have the ability to forage on pasture and brush easily, gaining almost all their nutrition from it.

Pigs are able to glean most nutrition from pasture, and if supplemented with dairy, and hay when fresh pasture isn’t available, you do not need to feed them commercial hog feed. Heritage breeds are more likely to do well on this regimen than a commercial pig breed.

Here are some of the more common heritage breed pigs with a short description of their personalities and other attributes. There are hundreds of breeds of pig, so this list is by no means exhaustive.

American Yorkshire Pigs

American Yorkshire pigs are originally from England, ironically, but were developed further in the United States. They are particularly good for bacon and hams, and are known for good meat and their mothering ability.

Berkshire Pigs

Berkshires are known for their very tasty, darker meat. They are a popular niche breed for small farmers. They are one of the oldest breeds known. Berkshires are hardy, active foragers, and reach around 600 pounds at maturity. Personality-wise, they are curious, friendly, and have a very good disposition.

Gloucestershire Old Spots Pigs

Gloucestershire Old Spots, also called GOS, are from England, and historically used to clean up orchards. There are very few of them in the United States and you may have to get on a wait list for them. GOS’s are lighter skinned and may require lots of shade in warmer, sunnier climates. GOS’s reach market weight in about seven months.

Hampshire Pigs

This is one of the oldest American breeds still in existence. Hampshires have a white belt around the front of their body, including their front legs. These are excellent foraging pigs, very hardy and produce excellent quality meat. Hampshires are supposed to be a good pig for beginners.

Hereford Pigs

Herefords are a lean meat hog. They’re considered “pretty,” and often used for showing at 4-H and FFA fairs. They are adaptable to raising on pasture or in semi-confined spaces. Herefords are excellent at rooting and tilling. These pigs are readily available, with a large breeding population in the United States.

Large Black Pigs

Large Blacks are hardy, thrifty, and easy to manage. They originated in England and are also known as the Cornwall, Devon, or Lop-eared Black. They have a long and deep body, as they were originally bred as a bacon-type pig. Large Blacks manage well on pasture and were originally raised in rough conditions, so they’re very adaptable. Their dark-pigmented skin means they are resistant to sunburn.

Tamworth Pigs

Tamworth pigs are originally from England, and are smaller compared to some other breeds. They’re especially good at producing lots of tasty bacon.

MoldovaFarms wishes you a Happy New Year