[evie2]

We've (well I watched) cut down our old pear trees and were thinking about what to plant in their place, I was wondering about nut trees, has anyone any experience with them?

[Yorkie]

I have a sneaking suspicion this might have been discussed at one level or another in the past, might be worth a quick search of the forum 

[evie2]

Thanks Yorkie, I'll have a look

[Janeymiddlewife]

I have 2 cob nut trees at home - they get pretty big. Benefits are you can use the switches for beans or pea sticks if you let them grow for a few years - however we have been here 10 years and the trees, we think were planted about 10 years before that.
Every year it's a race between us & the squirrels to see who gets there first  . If they ripen late we tend to win, because the road outside is busy with school traffic. If they ripen early then the squirrels are braver as there's little traffic 
I tend to get impatient and take a broom to the tree when I decide it's harvest, put a sheet on the ground and collect them in that.
Be careful if you plant anything underneath - in fact I would say don't because ours is underplanted on a raised shrubbery bed, and every year I have to pull dozens of seedlings, and also lose quite a few nuts which disappear.
The nuts themselves are a bit hairy inside with quite a tough skin, but that will slip off if you roast them. They keep quite well too.
Is that the sort of thing you wanted to know? BTW I have 2 smal pears which I'd love to fruit - would happily exchange the nut trees if I could!!

[evie2]

Hi Janey, thanks, yes it is, I just didn't know how easy they would be to grow.  I'll replant the pear trees next year and put in a couple of cherries too I think.  The garden is big enough to support another 6-8 trees 

[GreenOwl]

I'd go for nut trees over pear trees.  Although pear trees are generally more prolific... but I don't like pears.

I have a Kentish Cob (which is actually a filbert).  I don't have a problem with squirrels.  The nuts are smaller than the ones you buy but are very nice.  I found it easy to grow.  Its worth reading up on how to prune them.  I also found it wants to be a multi-trunked job (like a copse) but I prune out the extras and keep my two main trunks.

Definitely go for cherries but you really do have to net against the birds.

[evie2]

Ah, yes I've had a problem with birds in an other house with birds and cherries