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Anyone like to grow beets?
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All about Masting Boom or Bust: Did you know? The fruit of an Oak tree is an acorn and in some years a single Oak tree can produce 10 thousand acorns in a single season. Other trees with hard nuts like Beech, Hickory, Pecan, or Walnut (acorns, nuts, buds, and twigs.) experience high-yield years , a bumper crop botanically referred to as a “Mast” year. The masting occurs about every 2-5 years.
There are two types: soft, which includes foods like berries and fruit; and hard, which includes acorns, nuts, buds, and twigs. Oak, hickory, and walnut are also types of mast trees, and more specifically, they are hard mast trees.
Why these trees vary how many acorns they produce has been somewhat of a mystery, but scientists are continuing to study causes one evolutionary benefit of masting is to ensure future offspring. Masting typically occurs in conjunction with plants of the same species so they mast in the same year within a region. Oaks like the Swamp Oak ,Quercus bicolor is popular for lumber production. The fruit is an acorn, maturing in the fall with the beautiful fall colors in yellow-brown or reddish. Learn More: https://sheffields.com/seeds-for-sale/Quercus/bicolor///////1201/Swamp-White-Oak/Swamp-White-Oak
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Help needed!! We live in southwestern KY USA zone 7b and our last estimated frost is April 19. Our trees usually come out of dormancy in march and they have already started the process because of an unseasonably warm january. I have some very young pear, cherry, and hazelnut trees that I'm not collecting harvest from for several years so fruit set isn't important, but will these trees be okay if and when a hard freeze returns to our area this winter? Is there anything I can do?
DeepPlanter How large are your trees? If they're still small, since you mentioned they are young, you can find tree covers that can help protect them from frost. I know this will sound silly, but if it gets so cold that you're concerned about ice building up on your trees, you can wrap your trees in christmas lights and keep them plugged in. The heat generated from the lights will prevent ice from clinging to the tree. This can be costly when it comes to electricity though. I hope these suggestions help!
Lizzie We used a welded wire fence to winterize our fig tree. We wrapped it around and stuffed it with hay to protect it from frost. If your trees are young enough this would be a cost efficient way to protect them.
I love my fig tree. What fruit trees do you group?
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Heather Stone Beautiful! I love figs but they don't work in my zone very reliably. Zone 7. We have some cherry trees, hazelnuts, pear, and Elderberry bushes/trees.
Lizzie Yes I am going to try and plant them in pots this year instead of in the ground. Fingers crossed!
Heather Stone What a beauty!
Bren That is a gorgeous photo!!! I love growing beets mostly for their leafy greens! Bulls Blood is my favorite - I grow in a raised bed in roughly 12inches by 24 inches space.
Terrissa This will be my first year with beets! We'll see how it goes. Any tips would be appreciated :D