Some of you may remember that last Dec. we put out some pecan, chestnut, black walnut, and saw-tooth oak trees on our place in north central La.

We've had plenty of rain, so I haven't had to go over there in a while. Took a trip over last weekend and things are really looking good.

I bush-hogged the new orchard, but because of the stumps and lots of limbs, I can't cut it too close.

Looking north west...



Looking north east...



One of the chestnut trees, but all 8 are doing good...



All the pecan trees are doing good, too...



We set out about 30 black walnut trees, that I had grown. All, but 5 of them are growing leaves from the stem. The other 5 are putting up from the roots and look like they will make it...



Of the 50 saw-tooth oaks we set out, it looks like about 40 made it...

While we were there, we looked the other things over...

Picked dew berries for my sister...



Our wild mayhaw trees didn't make where I live, but the trees at this place did. We got 6 trees here...



Mayhaws on the tree...



Mayhaws on the ground...



Our mulberry tree is loaded this year...



And, so is the blue berry bushes...




If we can keep the critters out, looks like this will be a good year for the fruit trees.

Looking good Randy.

Looking good!

What does one do with mayhaws?

Forgive my ignorance...

Way cool, but to a fellow who has never lived "down south", (unless near the border in SoCal counts ) seeing berries ready to be picked in April and the mayhaws is bit of a shock to me. Our berries are just starting to send out new leaves/shoots, our mulberries are just flowering, and it seems to me all our wild fruit trees (choke cherries, pears, apples) have only been in full bloom for a week or two.

Harvestable fruit in April makes me jealous!

Thanks for sharing the pics.

Geno

PS, your other trees, walnut, oak etc are for attracting game animals and birds?

PPS, I did live in a warm place in the desert once and had a "3 winter" serrano pepper plant that ended up with a main stem about as big around as my wrist. With care I bet I could get one of those mayhaws to live there, but I live way further north now.

rbb,

I'm ignorant too, I had to look them up.

Geno

PS, they sound special according to what I found.

Homemade jelly! IMO, the best there is. Way better than any store bought stuff.




We planted the chestnuts and pecans for the nuts... hope I live long enough to see them.

The black walnuts for the timber... someone someday will appreciate it, I hope.

The sawtooth oaks for the wildlife and I've read that deer love chestnuts. We'll see.

That's what the info on the www said when I looked them up, apparently nothing like it in the world.

Not sure about your black walnuts there, but I think squirrels will take advantage of them. And once grown someone will enjoy the timber value of them.

Thanks for the reply,

Geno

What kind of chestnuts?

Steve, I ordered Dunstan Chestnuts. They are suppose to be the only chestnut that is blight proof. It is a hybrid, but suppose to have a lot bigger chestnuts than the others, like the old pure American chestnuts had.

According to what I read, this Dunstan fellow found one live chestnut tree in a forest of blight killed trees, back in the early '50's, IIRC. He realized what he had found and that's what got it started.


You can google Dunstan chestnuts and find the story.

I'm familiar. There's a lot going on with American Chestnuts. Back breeding in Chinese resistance, pure American resistance, GMO resistance.

I think in a hundred years our great-grand kids will start to see the beginnings of chestnut forests coming back.

Up around here we can grow American Chestnuts without worry of blight because the Summers are too dry for the fungus. We used to pick them when I was a kid at a place my step-father owned that had a couple large trees.

Biggest existing American Chestnuts in the world are about 10 miles from my house.

Good luck with them!

Randy, have you eaten a Chestnut, and if so, How do they compare with a pecan? I love pecans, just to eat and in a pie. miles

Steve,
Well boil my britches, had I known that when the wife lived in Sherwood I would have gone to see them. (and pick up a few to plant?)

Where are they located, Park? Arboretum? Along a residential street?

I might have to stop by for a look if I'm ever unlucky enough to have to go to Potlandia again. (Actually, I wouldn't mind going back there to see my friends who were our landlords)

Hope the "new" place is working out to your satisfaction, that your bees make lots of honey for you too.

Geno

No Miles, I've never eaten one. We chose chestnuts because there aren't any in our part of the country and I read somewhere that deer loved them.

Along Edy Road at Hawks View Vineyard. The wife is going to be in San Diego this weekend so I'll see if I can drive by and take a picture. Planted in 1885 according to the American Chestnut Foundation.

This endless winter is getting to the bees. But I think we've rounded the corner. Supposed to be 70 next week and I read a long term forecast that mentioned 80.

Wouldn't you know it, I bet I drove by them a hundred times if they're on Edy. I came down that way from up near Leander lots of times!

Next time I visit my buddy, when he retires and returns to the area, I'll look into those things.

Geno