Our first batch of King Edward potatoes seemed to be reaching the end of their growing season, so I thought I’d dig some, and ask Mr Veggie Box to bring us extra mushrooms this week in place of a portion of potatoes too far. Scrabbling blindly around in the dirt, my fingers pulled up something that was the right size and shape…but turned out to be green. Not sickly, aged-potato, solanine green, either, but proper lime-green. I think I can guess what it is and how it got there (I haven’t cut it open yet). Your thoughts?
Watermelon?
Good thought…it actually looks a little more like a tiny avocado. But I think it’s a green walnut, though there aren’t any trees that close. Clearly a resourceful squirrel!
Looks like a walknut indeed – our tree is dropping them everywhere at the moment. The squirrels have gone into overdrive…
I saw one of these today and thought of you, it’s either a walnut or a young horse chestnut, not a lime…. Our squirrels plant the hazelnuts that grow on our hazelbush and then B digs up the little trees and puts them in pots. I don’t know what he is going to do with his nut orchard, we have loads of them !
Oh, if I were near you I’d definitely take a baby hazelbush off your hands! Maybe someone who sells at a farm market would want them. This is supposed to be a good area for cobnuts but I have never seen one, either on a tree or in a shop or market.
emily,
is the green thing in your potato harvest an oak apple gall?
Scott
Hi Scott, I think the consensus is that it’s a green walnut, buried there by a squirrel! How are you doing?
Emily