The easiest way to do this is to place the cones in a burlap bag in a warm, dry area. Once you have cones, you need to cure and extract them. You can also pick up mature cones from the ground but be quick about it! Numerous animal and bird species also find the seeds delicious and there will be fierce competition for the nuts. Use a hook or rent a commercial tree shaker to dislodge cones. Depending upon the height of your tree, this may pose the biggest problem in pine nut production. When trees are producing large cones, it’s time to harvest. That’s a lot of harvesting to get pine nuts to feed an entire family. Cone production is influenced by climate and weather, and each cone may only contain 35 to 50 seeds. Once you have mature healthy trees, you can harvest the cones, but don’t expect a bumper crop. Plants have some drought tolerance for short periods, but providing average moisture will also ensure better plant health and growth. Adding organic matter to the planting site and ensuring good drainage will promote a faster growing tree that will produce more nuts. Most pine nut species can thrive in variable soils, from wet clay to sandy, dry loam. This isn’t a quick commitment, obviously, as you will have to care for the tree for many years before you can expect to be harvesting nuts. Pine trees will start producing cones with sizable seeds in six to ten years. Four species to try with good sized nuts and easy care are:Ĭheck with reputable dealers for viable seed or potted plants ready to go into the ground. Pine nut trees may range from 200 foot tall (61 m.) monsters to more manageable 10 foot tall (3 m.) bushes. Most are hardy to USDA zones 1 to 10, although the exact zone will depend upon the variety. Fortunately, most pine trees are very tolerant of a wide range of soils and climates. When growing pine nuts, choose a variety of pine with large enough seeds to easily harvest and a tree that is adaptable to your region. Pinus pinea is the specimen of pine from which most commercial nuts are harvested. There are several American pine trees that are useful as nut trees, any of which can be purchased as two or three year plants or bigger or may be sown from fresh seed. As a backyard specimen, pine nut trees are strong, attractive, long-lived plants that add architectural appeal. Pine nut harvesting is an arduous process and adds to the hefty price tag fetched by most producers of the seeds. Toasted pine nuts in salads, pastas, pesto, and other dishes add a nutty crunch and earthy flavor to any recipe. Once you know how to grow pine nuts, you can store seeds for up to a year for your family’s use. There are several pine trees that will produce reasonably sized seeds for harvesting that will thrive in North American regions. These tasty seeds are harvested from the tree’s cones and are just one of 20 species of edible pine nuts. Where do pine nuts come from? The traditional pine nut is the seed of stone pines, native to the Old Country and not widely grown in North America. Pine nuts are a staple in many indigenous cuisines and have migrated to the United States as a part of our family table.
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