Identifying hickory nuts and troubleshooting fruitless tomatoes
If tomatoes don't flower, check water supply and pollination. Credit: Getty Images iStockphoto / Africanway
DEAR JESSICA: I have been raising tomatoes in pots on my eighth-floor terrace for the past 10 years, the last two of which I’ve had only marginal success, except for the grape variety. The Big Boys go to flower but only a small percentage become fruit. Is this because of a lack of pollinating bees on the eighth floor or is it time to change the soil? I have fertilized three times and have tall, leafy plants.
— Len Young, Long Beach
DEAR LEN: It’s hard to say exactly why your plants aren’t producing the amount of fruit you expect, but I can tell you that when growing in containers you should replace the potting mix every year. Still, that wouldn’t be my first guess as to what’s troubling your plants, since you don’t mention that they’re languishing.
Insufficient pollination is certainly possible, although not because your plants are on the eighth floor; bees have ways of finding sources of nectar and pollen, and they communicate it to all their friends. This is how rooftop gardens thrive.
Tomatoes are self-pollinating plants, which means they don’t need to be planted in pairs or groups; each plant can pollinate itself. Bees and other pollinators are still very important, however, because as they land on and buzz about the plant, their activity shakes the pollen loose and into the flower, where the magic happens.
In addition, temperatures that are too high, or weather that is too humid or too dry, also can be to blame.
Sometimes it’s impossible to determine exactly what is the culprit, especially when the plants are thriving and appear healthy. Your best bet is to continue best practices, watering regularly, ensuring adequate sunlight (6-8 hours per day of direct sunlight, at a minimum) and regular fertilizer applications.
You don’t say what type of fertilizer you’ve been using, but when growing flowers or fruiting plants you should avoid excess nitrogen, which is the first number listed in the ratio on the package. Nitrogen directs the plant’s energy into green, leafy growth at the expense of flowers and fruit. The second number in the three-part ratio represents phosphorus, which aids flower and fruit production, so look for a product that has a larger middle number than the first, such as 3-4-4 or 6-18-6. The third number represents the amount of potassium in the product. Potassium supports the overall health of the plant.
DEAR JESSICA: I moved into my new home in December. There is a very tall tree in my backyard that is dropping these nuts everywhere. I’ve received varying opinions on what they are. Some say walnut, some chestnut and others hickory. Can you kindly advise what are these nuts, and are they edible?
Hickory nuts, like this one from Jackie Selva's Islip garden, taste much like pecans. Credit: Jackie Selva
— Jackie Selva, Islip
DEAR JACKIE: You’ve got a hickory! There are about 18 species of hickory, which belongs to the genus Carya. Four of the species are native to Long Island, and they all produce edible fruit. One local species, the Bitternut hickory, isn’t exactly tasty, as its name would imply, but the Shagbark and Shellbark are excellent for eating raw, straight out of their shells, dried or roasted. You likely have a Shagbark, as shellbarks are less commonly planted, and the fourth local species, the Pignut, produces a pear-shaped nut.
Hickories are relatives of the southern pecan and are part of the walnut family. They are tough nuts to crack, due to their thick, double shells. But once successful, your efforts will be rewarded with rich, oily nuts tasting similar to pecans. At roughly 184 calories per ounce and chock full of healthy, unsaturated fats and nearly four grams of protein, hickory nuts make for a satiating snack.
