Mom and Dad's Walnuts

[Stan P]

I bought part of a farm in upstate NY in 1992 at auction.  Some woods but mostly overgrown cow pasture and one meadow.  I was pretty gung-ho and decided  to plant a bunch of trees.  Black walnuts and white spruce.  My parents, both great hardworking people volunteered to help.  300 walnuts trees, 600 white spruce, and 2 days later we were done.  My Dad took care of them the next 12 years, pruning the black walnut in the spring.  He used to joke, you will see walnuts off that tree, I never will.   
He died last year of cancer.   Now I am twold a walnut will takek 20 years to bear nuts. 
I went for a walk on Sunday and found one and only one of the 180 walnut trees that had 7 walnuts sitting in the grass from the fall

He was right.

[beenthere]

I planted 800 walnut tree seedlings in '71 and it was years (30?) before there were any respecatable number of nuts from these trees. However, I've heard that some trees will produce walnuts earlier. Probably a difference in varieties, or some are freemartins. 
Keeps some squirrels happy now. I don't pick up the walnuts from those trees however.

My Dad always asked how I was doing with all the nuts from those trees. He is gone now too, and didn't see any nuts.

Do you have a picture? I'll try to get one too before the leaves develop.

[SwampDonkey]

I planted two walnuts in 1992 and they have had nuts the last 5 years.

I transplanted a 15 year old butternut in 1986 and it has had nuts for at least 10 years. I've planted many of the nuts in the ground and have a few seedlings from them.

[Don_Papenburg]

I planted some heartnut trees (a veriety of walnut) at my dads and two of my places.  My dad had nuts on his trees in less than ten years  .  Mine never had nuts  as the companion trees died  . They need two trees to produce .   The hulls come off easy and the meat comes out in one peice and taste good.

[SwampDonkey]

Walnuts and butternuts are monoecious (sp), self pollinators. Of course two or more are desired for genetic variety. My butternut tree is solitary and is loaded in nuts some years and they do develop into trees as I have seedlings all over the place.

[estiers]

SD - I think you have your terms backwards.  Monoecious plants are self-pollinators as they have both male and female reproductive on the same plant (word actually means one house).  Dioecious plants require 2 plants because each plant has only one of the sexual reproductive organs.  I understand the confusion as I would often mix them up too.  It only takes getting it wrong on a test once to fix it for me!

And that folks is the botany lesson for the day!

[Onthesauk]

I remember reading a story years ago about a fellow in his late 70's, still planting walnut trees.  Would certainly not see lumber and probably not nuts but kept planting anyway.  But a very positive attitude about the future.   I'm 60 this year and it's what keeps me planting western red cedar every year.

[SwampDonkey]

Yup, your right estiers. I got it backwards. I often find I have to do things a least twice to get it right. :D :D :D

[SwampDonkey]

onthesauk, there is an old timer in southern Ontario that has been doing the same thing. But, from what I've heard his family have no interest in trees.  :