Butternut

[jon12345]

There are a few butternut trees where I grew up and want to grow some from seed.  I know there is a canker affecting most of them, but does the canker stay with seeds that are collected and moved to a new site, or any way to sanitize them? What conditions are needed germination and what kind of results can be expected from seeds once they have germinated? (I didnt notice any seedlings around where the older trees are)

[Radar67]

Jon,
    I can't answer any specifics on butternut, but I can give some info on germination. I've always had good luck with moist sand and a warm place (the two most important factors for germination). I plant seed twice the depth of the size of the seed, place the pot with sand on top of the fridge, and mist everyday. You want to keep the sand damp, but not dripping. When you notice the seedling break the surface, watch it closely until it has it's first set of true leaves, then transfer it to a pot of soil. Once the plant is about 6 inches tall, slowly start acclimating it to where you want to plant it. (Put it outside for 15 minutes, bring it in, and continue daily increasing the time each day.) When you get it up to about 6 hours outside a day, transplant it where you want it. Keep it well watered as it will suffer a little shock from the transplant.

Stew

[crtreedude]

Jon,

Many MANY years ago I remember something called the Adirondack travel guide or something that was up at Paul Smiths... It was a computer program that would give advice on where to go, etc.

Is it still up there or was it retired?

[IndyIan]

Hi Jon,
Butternut canker is a fungus and spores seem to be everywhere so any open wound on a tree lets the canker in.
As far as germinating the nuts, I just stuck them into the ground, in groups of three, about 3" deep and I got about 1/3 coming up in the late spring, some more came up the next year but not many.  My biggest problem has been keeping the deer from munching them.... 
Also if you can find a squirell cache thats a good source for good viable nuts, I think the squirells can tell which ones are hollow and don't bother with them.  Anyways its an easy way to get alot of nuts.
Good luck,
Ian

[jon12345]

crtree, I dont recall ever seeing such a thing, when I started going there a new million $ library had just been built, new computer system and everything, not many programs on them.

Indy, I understand that the canker is a fungus and everything, but I was wondering if I planted them in a new area, do you think the fungus would have 'stuck' on the nuts and risk infecting the trees in the future?

It appears that the nuts under the tree I was going to get them from have all been stolen by squirrels  :'(  Looks like I'll have to look harder, or maybe check the trees more often next year.

How fast does butternut grow? The tree in my backyard never seems to get any bigger, but then again I've gotten bigger too  :D    I guess the canker is taking its toll.

[IndyIan]

I asked an expert at the ministry of natural resources here about distances and the spread of the canker and they said it doesn't seem to matter.  The spores travel literally everywhere.

Now all you have to do is find where the squirells have cached them!  Usually under stuff like downed trees, hollow trees, in concrete blocks.  Think like a squirell and look with in a reasonable distance.  My seedlings got to about 2.5 feet before fall.  I'd think if they are healthy and in a good location they would continue at that rate until they got near mature size.
Here is a link with lots of good butternut info, http://www.cobjon.com/butternut.html

[SwampDonkey]

Here are some threads that may be of interest. ;)

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=6950.0

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=6994.0


I stick my nuts in the ground a couple inches deep in the fall of the year. Try to find a place that isn't real grassy so mice and moles don't girdle them. I find 'bare' patches in my plantations to stick them in. They don't need to cross pollinate, but if your planting them it's best to gather nuts from several trees from different locations. I have a mature butternut on the lawn that didn't have any nuts this year, but there were last year. There were some nuts left over winter and they germinated. I mowed them off because it was too late to transplant them and I have quite a few planted around.
I get 30 - 50 % germination success, it's kind of hard to keep track of when you planted them all over 70 acres. ;D But, if I remember my GPS I mark the position and load it into my GIS software.

[jon12345]

u.....killed....them? :-[

Thanks for the info everyone,  hopefully I'll get a bunch to pop up.