iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Planting Walnuts

Started by IL80, September 18, 2014, 01:09:27 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

John Mc

I used a dibble bar once to plant seedlings. It worked really well. I don't own one, but I tried a similar approach with my old rock bar. It has a point on one end, and a 2" or 2.5" wide flat tip on the other. I punch the flat tip into the ground and wobble it bar back and forth, then drop the nut in. Step on the surrounding ground to close the gap back up. 

It worked pretty well when the ground conditions were right. The rock bar is heavy, though. I'd want something lighter if I were planting a lot of nuts.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

SwampDonkey

I use a dibble bar to, designed to plant containerized spruce seedlings. Same size as a plug from a tree tray with 45 plugs.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Corley5

I've planted them with good success by just dropping the green nut and stepping on it to press it into the ground. 
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

SwampDonkey

I tied that yesterday with a butternut in dry hard ground that has had no rain for a month. As much luck as pressing into cement.  ;D :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

mesquite buckeye

Have to wait for it to rain first. ;D 8) 8) 8) :snowball:

If you go out when it is still gooey, it works great.
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

SwampDonkey

Late October-November or next April-May. Ground frost works magic, introduces aeration. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Barney II

How old does an American black walnut have to be before it starts to produce nuts??   Ground it fairly fertile , they are in the sun all say long, they get good watering.   Mine are going on 12 years but no  nuts----any ideas???     Thanks, Don
Ya never know
Woodmizer  1985 lt30

beenthere

I planted about 800 seedlings in a plantation and it was 17 years before any black walnuts appeared. Then another  17 years before a reasonably good production of nuts developed.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

SwampDonkey

I planted seedlings in 1992 and have had nuts now for at least 8 years.  ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

mesquite buckeye

17 years and running from 2 yr plants in CRP ground with lots of deer damage and still no nuts in sight for probably at least another 5 years. This ground is also pretty eroded. :(
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

Farmer Jim

Regarding the toxicity to other plants from walnut: grapes are unaffected and some say they do better in proximity, black raspberries also grow fine nearby. Apples don't.
"I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."  J.B.Books

Joe Hillmann

I have a black walnut tree that is about 5" at the base.  I would guess it is 5 or 6 years old.  Last year was the first time I ever saw nuts on it.  It was so loaded with them the branches were drooping.  Black walnuts are on a two year cycle.  One year they will bear heavily and the next only a couple or none at at all.

ozarkgem

I pick a couple of buckets of walnuts and take them where I want them to grow and dump them out. The squirrels plant them for me. I have walnuts sprouting up everywhere. I mow some of them down. Too many.
Mighty Mite Band Mill, Case Backhoe, 763 Bobcat, Ford 3400 w/FEL , 1962 Ford 4000, Int dump truck, Clark forklift, lots of trailers. Stihl 046 Magnum, 029 Stihl. complete machine shop to keep everything going.

Phorester


Remember you are trying to propagate a natural wild tree that has propagated itself for millions of years by simply dropping a bunch of seeds on the ground. As some have already said, just step on them to mash them into soft ground to the depth of the nut, or punch/dig a small hole this size.   It might help to put up some sort of squirrel barrier like a big tin can with both ends cut out, small circle of wire mesh, etc. over each nut.   But I've had squirrels dig these up too, but also leave some of them alone.

A natural, native black walnut will begin bearing nuts at about 20 years of age on average.

SPIKER

My brother had a place that had some really nice old trees and as such he had tons of walnuts one year (2007.)   We took some and stomped them into the ground when it was wet in late summer pre-fall.   Then we still had a large horse type 25 gallon full of nuts so I tilled up a path 50 feet long and we tossed them on top and I drove back over them back dragging the bucket to smash them into the soil.   I had intended to simply do a spring dig up of saplings and transplant them.   Unfortunately the spring 2008 my back went down * had to have my surgery.   That row had 200 plus walnuts in it and probably 90% germination & 80% seedling first year.   Now these trees are 2 to 4" & 20" feet high.   I selectively trimmed and cropped them for lumber grade in a few years I expect to have some nuts on them.   I (2001) bought 4 or 5 packs of 25 seedlings from the county ag dept & ended up planting them (bad year no rain and none the following year.) I KNOW i have maybe 4 or 5 trees left of those.   The ones that were planted in the wet marshy areas (are in open sunny area so they are bushy & 20~25feet high) and one that is still only 2 feet high in the woods.   

The thing is I'm not even a fan of the nuts lol...

Mark
I'm looking for help all the shrinks have given up on me :o

SwampDonkey

Yeah, but I bet you like the lumber.  ;D 8)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

mesquite buckeye

Yeah, and the trees smell pretty good in the summer, too. ;D
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

bfaldrich61

Quote from: IL80 on September 18, 2014, 06:12:13 PM
Thanks for the great advice. I have a couple of creek bottoms that walnuts seem to do quite well in. Right now I do have several 16" dbh walnuts that should be potential veneer cutters someday. My plan is to take out the cottonwoods, box elders, and whatever junk trees I can. Then plant as many walnut seeds as possible. I'm 38 yrs old and know I'll never live to harvest one but I'm thinking in 25-30 years the property value should be quite strong with the timber potential growing on it.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.
The second best time is today.

Thank You Sponsors!