The Irish Mail on Sunday

Get cracking!

If you’re nuts about nuts, there are plenty of varieties you can grow – and you don’t always need a huge garden. So...

- Martyn Cox

O‘A good source of protein, fibre, fat and vitamins’

ne of my family’s favourite seasonal traditions is gathering sweet chestnuts in autumn. At some point in early October, we head to a nearby tract of ancient woodland and gingerly extract the plump kernels from their spiny husks. Back home, we roast, peel and devour them with melted butter and sea salt flakes.

As much as I derive gastronomi­c pleasure from their sweet, earthy flavour and soft texture, I’m not able to raise my own chestnuts because of the size of my plot. A mature sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) can reach 100ft in height, making it something that only those with very large gardens could accommodat­e.

However, if blessed with a rolling acre or two, I’d plant one in a heartbeat. Not only because they provide something delicious to eat, but for the appearance of the tree itself — masses of catkin-like yellow flowers adorn branches in summer, while its glossy green, serrated leaves turn soft yellow and bronze in late autumn.

If you’re nuts about nuts, as I am, then there are a few other types of nut tree to consider planting that will do well in our temperate climate. Almonds, hazelnuts (cobnuts and filberts) and walnuts are all easy to raise. Alas, brazil nuts, pecans and pistachios are a no-no as they need subtropica­l conditions to thrive.

Whatever your preference, get cracking and plant a dormant nut tree. Both bare-root and containerg­rown types will establish readily in moist soil and burst into leaf in spring. It will take two to five years before there’s anything to pick, depending on species, but once they are mature, you’ll be harvesting nuts for decades.

Apart from being darned tasty, nuts are a veritable superfood. They are a good source of protein, fibre, fat and vitamins, along with minerals, such as iron, potassium, selenium, magnesium and copper. Due to their fat content, nuts are high in calories and most nutritioni­sts recommend sticking to a 30g portion per day.

By far the easiest nut trees to grow are hazels. The common hazel (Corylus avellana) that can be found growing wild in British hedgerows tends to produce small nuts, while those of the closely related filbert (Corylus maxima) are longer and narrower. Cobnuts are cultivated, named varieties of the common hazel.

Many hazels are self-sterile, so plant two varieties to ensure good pollinatio­n. Those with colourful leaves, such as Corylus ‘Red

Cracker’, are ideal in borders or displayed in containers. Others are perfect in woodland gardens, in mixed native hedges or planted as a hedge in their own right, spacing 3ft apart.

Native to the Middle East, wild almond (Prunus dulcis) boasts scented white or pink blossom in the spring, followed by nuts covered with a velvety green casing that are ready to pick in autumn. There are a number of named varieties that will grow to about 12ft, along with so-called patio almonds that remain 4ft to 5ft in height.

Almond trees like a warm, sunny and sheltered spot, and will do well in well-drained, fertile soil.

Due to their showy flowers, display of nuts and often fine autumn leaf colour, they are great in beds or planted as specimens in lawns.

Those with plenty of space might like to consider a walnut or chestnut tree. Common walnut (Juglans regia) can grow to 100ft, although the varieties ‘Lara’ and ‘Rita’ eventually get to about 25ft. As for sweet chestnuts, ‘Marron de Lyon’ and ‘Marigoule’ top out at a third of the height of the straight species.

A clever way of producing lots of tasty treats is to establish a nuttery, an orchard for nut-bearing plants.

In autumn, underplant with spring-flowering bulbs to provide an early splash of colour.

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A sweet chestnut, above, and pink almond blossom, below
TASTY TREAT: A sweet chestnut, above, and pink almond blossom, below
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