Blogletter-11 Archives

Walnut values

On behalf of Anna B and Nick:

Anna Brehnmull sends out interesting snippets of walnut information. Here are a couple of paragraphs out of the latest posting about record walnut values in the USA. [Read more…]

Gypsum added to heavy clay soils

On behalf of Mike D:

Hi all, Re gypsum. We own a block of heavy clay soils, sticky, clingy, bottomless mud in winter, concrete in summer. Gypsum @ 2 to 3 kg/square metre worked in, changes the soil to a nice friable, workable not as muddy growing medium. [Read more…]

Frost protection

On behalf of Nick E:

Hi Nick,
thanks for the blogletter, this is starting to have a life of its own which must be very pleasing to you.

Hot air rises, cold air sinks. Jeffrey Feint’s frost damage in one place but not another, has the hallmark of cold air ponding.
[Read more…]

Rodent damage

On behalf of Nick and Andy

Hi Nick.
Just replying to Tony Walker’s letter about possible rodent damage to walnuts. [Read more…]

Frost tolerance

Now some more replies from the last blogletter

On behalf of Nick and Andy:

The potentially frost tolerant cultivar is interesting.

Are we sure that its open flowers can tolerate temps of ~ -4.5C?

Or .. could it have ‘produced’ because..
[Read more…]

Blight control

On behalf of Nick and Andy:

Hi Nick.
We seem to have bud burst early & mostly in our Meryic with 20% of those to the hands in prayer stage. Rex are a little slower.
I don’t know what has brought on this early bud burst but we have had some good frosts & also a month ago had over 300 mm of rain over 2 weeks; All in all a strange winter.
I am hoping for a reasonably dry summer, as I don’t mind irrigating as opposed to having trees die due to drowning!
Once again thanks for your info.
Cheers Andy.

[Read more…]

Blight control

On behalf of Nick and others:

This excerpt from the following article on the westernfarmpress.com website may shed some light on the move to Mankocide in recent years.
[Read more…]