Cashews are the seed of a fruit grown in South America.
Since cashew trees are native to South America, cultivating them in cooler climates must be done only in certain areas. In the United States, for example, all commercial growers of cashews are located in Florida, where the average yearly temperature does not fall often into frozen temperatures, which can devastate not only a cashew crop, but the entire orchard. If you intend to grow cashews commercially, it is best that you live in a warm climate to prevent the loss of your investment.
Instructions
1. Clear the field, in which you intend to plant your cashew trees, of other trees and scrubby brush growth. If the field is already grassy, clear out only the woody plants, leaving the grass in place, but mow it weekly to keep the growth from getting out of control.
2. Plow the planting lines for the cashew trees, using a tractor. The trees must be planted approximately 25 feet apart. Because grass helps prevent soil erosion, plow up only a 3- to 4-foot swath of ground, leaving 25-foot rows between the swaths.
3. Plant the cashew trees in the plowed rows 20 feet from one another. If you are starting with very young trees, they will grow quickly, sometimes beginning to bear fruit after just three years of growth. The trees should be commercially viable within five years.
4. Watch the developing trees for signs of mildew on the flowers. This mildew usually has a white powdery appearance and can be treated by spraying the infected plant with a mixture of powdered kelp, sodium bicarbonate and sulphur.
5. Pick the seeds when the fruits develop fully. You will know this is the case when the cashew nut is fully suspended from the exterior base of the cashew fruit, rather than being partially encapsulated within the fruit.
Tags: cashew trees, South America
