Hi again everyone...its been a long time ... (about 10 years!)

SURVIVAL:

I decided this year to get it together properly and find out suppliers
for the sort of nut seeds that I always wanted but was too afraid to
ask. Having researched the species likely to be of use UK wise on the
Plants for a Future database....

http://www.pfaf.org/

....I came up with a selection...Then it was a matter of matching these
with suppliers. So in order simply to assist other people I list here
the selection (so far) and relevent suppliers...

First Schumacher Co Inc...

http://www.treeshrubseeds.com/

This was the first place I ordered from, so lots from them....

Carya illinoensis (improved)
Carya ovata
Castanea dentata
Juglans cinerea
Juglans sieboldiana cordiformis
Quercus prinus
Carya laciniosa
Castanea mollissima

and...

http://www.sheffields.com/

Carya Ovalis
Castanea dentata x mollisima
Juglans cinerea x ailantifolia var.cordiformis
Quercus kelloggii
Quercus lobata
Quercus muehlenbergii

....and...

http://www.sandemanseeds.com/

Quercus virginiana
Quercus ilex

also...

http://www.riverfordfarmshop.co.uk/

Staverton, nr Totnes, Devon TQ9 6AF
t: 01803 762523 f: 01803 762571

....at harvest time, sells local walnuts and chestnuts from the
Agroforestry Research Trust:

http://www.agroforestry.co.uk/

They also sell continental chestnuts.


.....and finally, Forestart....

http://www.forestart.co.uk/

.....a UK based firm also do quite a lot of stuff...in particular the
easy to germinate and the most often grown pine for nuts, Pinus pinea,
and Monkey Puzzle, Araucaria araucana.


I also wanted, but could not obtain/didn't get this year....

Quercus ilex var. rotundifolia
Quercus ithaburensis ssp. macrole
Quercus aucheri
Quercus oblongifolia
Quercus alba
Quercus x bebbiana (a graft anyway I think)

Finally an excellent way of low labour input growing these seeds into
seedlings:

Put leafmold into bags in old fertilizer sacks (or similar), about half
full. The moisture level is crucial...not to wet or the seed will rot.
Do this around yuletide. Keep safe from squirrals. Then follows a
couple of months or so 'stratification'. The seeds will germinate and
grow out the next year (move into sun and keep watered)...make sure the
sides of the sacks don't suppress the mass of seedlings. and next
winter you will hopefully have a huge number of small trees to plant
out/give away/grow on or whatever.

Om.