Re: [gardeners] Sunday in the garden
Ron Hay (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 06 May 2002 12:24:08 -0700
Hello, Olin,
We have been enjoying artichokes from one group of plants for about 3
weeks now, but none on that clump grew as large as the ones on the
adjacent clump. Both clumps started out as single plants 3 years ago,
but have died back and multiplied many times, much to our delight:)
I am told that one can grow macadamias anywhere one can grow avocados,
if that is a help.
There are macadamia orchards/groves (never sure which term applies),
down in eastern San Diego County in Rainbow, near Fallbrook, at the very
northernmost edge of San Diego County before it turns into San
Bernardino County, IIRC. Summers there are quite warm, and the area
enjoys a typical inland California climate, where summers are warm and
winters are cool, but not cold.
An acquaintance of mine recently opened a Brugmansia nursery in that
area, so it can't get all that cold.
Where in AZ do you live? I will forward your question to one of the
macadamia mavens on the macadamia list to see what their considered
opinions are.
Our tree is now in the ground 3 years, this past month. It began to
flower last year and bore two, count them, two, nuts:) This year we may
get a dozen or so; but remember, it is a juvenile tree and the
flowers/nuts are borne on the previous year's fruit spurs. Since the
tree, at this stage, is expending so much energy on growth and producing
new wood and foliage, the fruit spurs will gradually increase with time.
I suspect we will start getting a smallish crop of nuts after about the
5th year, as was the case with our citrus, planted in December of '98.
Mac is a beautiful tree, an evergreen, which has about 3 flushes of
growth per year, and will eventually reach a height of about 30 feet and
of a similar spread. I am told that if one practices "canopy
management," when the tree is mature, the bees can spot the strings of
blossoms more easily, and sunlight will benefit nut production.
Well, it's off to a meeting at the association of realtors and off to my
office after that.
I look forward to hearing from you again shortly.
Ron