Nuts... getting 'em to grow.

[nate_m]

I have a lot of nuts. And I would like to have more. Let me explain...

We are blessed (IMO) in that the little slice of heaven that we bought and live on is surrounded by trees and those trees are mostly native nut trees. A mix of walnut, hickory, chestnut, oak & pecan. Last year we were further blessed with the opportunity to purchase a few more adjoining acres of pasture from a neighbor.
Long term, I would like to have some of those nut trees out in that pasture (no plans for livestock). So, last fall, I gathered a couple buckets full of nuts from under various trees and "heeled" them into the soil (about an inch or so) out in the pasture where a tree would look good. But so far, I don't see anything coming up.
What's the trick to getting nut trees to grow from nuts? Tons of new trees pop up every spring out in the woods and even a few out in the pasture. What is different about the way that Mother Nature does it than the way I did it?

 

[davitk]

Walnuts, you just step them into the ground. Soil type is crucial and of course timing and the right amount of moisture, but we have literally thousands of black walnut seedlings that get pulled out of the garden or mowed off.

 

[EddieWalker]

How cold was it last winter? For allot of trees, they have to have an extended period of time for the seed to come out of dormancy. I know that a seed can remain dormant for many years until the conditions are just right before it sprouts.

I don't think one inch deep is enough either. I'd probably go 4 inches, but that's just a guess.

Did you get nuts that fell off the tree in the fall? If you used nuts that fell off the tree at the wrong time of the year, they probably wont every do anything.

Have you done a google search for planting nut tree seeds?

Eddie

 

[randy41]

you need to research how to start these seeds. some require a period of freezing and thawing. i started evodia seeds in soiless medium in December last year. They didn't sprout until this past spring and then grew very slowly at first. I had them in an unheated greenhouse all that time. I set them out in June and now they are starting to get some legs and the biggest is 2' tall or so.
Trees like oaks grow very slowly so I hope you are young.

 

[jinman]

Set a bucket of nuts beside your flower beds and wait for squirrels to bury them. You'll have all kinds of trees coming up in your flower beds. That's where pecan trees always used to come up in my yard. After the trees come up, you can transplant them to your field.

 

[Chuck52]

Nate,

Are you gathering any of those nuts to eat? If that's your plan, and you're not just fond of the trees, you might want to invest in some trees that are more likely to produce good nuts. Most black walnuts produce edible nuts, but most are also so hard to crack and get the nut meats out that few people have the patience for the exercise. There are a few varieties that are supposed to be much better in that regard, Thomas being one. I'd also bet most of your pecans produce pretty small nuts; at least the native pecans on my property are sure small. I've planted some of the northern pecan varieties that are supposed to make larger nuts, we'll see in about three more years if that works out. I've also planted four Carpathian walnuts, and they are growing much faster than the pecans. Three of them had a few nuts this year, after being planted in 2006, but the long-tailed tree rats got them all before they were even half developed. You might check to see what you can get from your state nursery. I got 35 pecan seedlings from named varieties this year for about $25, I think. Now, they probably won't all produce true since they are seedlings, but I figure the odds are good for a few of them to be good nut producers.

Chuck

 

[MossRoad]

I think the process of starting nut trees from nuts is called stratification. here is a link to an explanation of it.

 

[HappyCPE]

Set a bucket of nuts beside your flower beds and wait for squirrels to bury them. You'll have all kinds of trees coming up in your flower beds. That's where pecan trees always used to come up in my yard. After the trees come up, you can transplant them to your field.

That is EXACTLY what I do - except I don't gather the nuts; the squirrels do that for me, too!

Oddly enough I have zero walnut tree seedlings growing in the woods. Every new tree I have has come from the flower bed and was transplanted. I really don't know why they don't seed themselves near where they fall.

 

[MrWoodChips]

That is EXACTLY what I do - except I don't gather the nuts; the squirrels do that for me, too!

Oddly enough I have zero walnut tree seedlings growing in the woods. Every new tree I have has come from the flower bed and was transplanted. I really don't know why they don't seed themselves near where they fall.

My guess? Its the same reason other things don't grow well under a walnut tree. The stuff they put out stops their own seeds from germinating too. So walnuts only germinate when moved away from the tree, usually by a squirrel.

John

 

[ScottOkla]

For pecan trees at least, your best bet is to collect some native pecans in November and stratify them as was mentioned in an earlier reply. I have good succes just soaking them in water for a couple of days (replacing the water a few times during this to keep it fresh) and then putting them in a bit of slightly moist sand or sterile bagged soil, and then put them in the fridge until April.

When the danger of a freeze is almost over, soak them in water for another couple of days (replacing the water a few times) and then put them in a very warm place, such as a sunny window. I actually have used heat lamps or covered black vegetable starting trays in the sun. Keep moist soil or sand over them and check them every couple of days. After about a week they will start to germinate and you can just put these little cracked-open, germinated nuts in the places you want them to grow. This way you know the nuts have started growing, so most will make it. Make sure you keep all other vegetation a few feet away and mulch them some to get them to grow well in the first few years.

 

[davitk]

My guess? Its the same reason other things don't grow well under a walnut tree. The stuff they put out stops their own seeds from germinating too. So walnuts only germinate when moved away from the tree, usually by a squirrel.

John

Not to be contrary, but this black walnut (along with all the brothers and sisters seen in the foreground) was underneath its parent. Notice the nut was just below soil level, "stepped in" by driving over it with the garden tractor (of course, it is a Kubota, maybe that's the magical elixir )

 

[BX2230Dude]

Whew.. When I read the title to this thread I thought "Oh God, not another misuse-of-a-grease-gun thread".

 

[davitk]

now, now, this is a family forum

 

[HappyCPE]

Not to be contrary, but this black walnut (along with all the brothers and sisters seen in the foreground) was underneath its parent. Notice the nut was just below soil level, "stepped in" by driving over it with the garden tractor (of course, it is a Kubota, maybe that's the magical elixir )

Juglone, the evil, active ingredient in black walnut, seems to behave in strange ways. I do have clusters of walnuts close to each other, BUT, they're all the same size - inferring they started as seedlings all at the same time - but for mature trees they all stand alone. I did plant a +/- 3 year old walnut sapling under 2 mature walnuts, thinking that they can be harvested in a few years and the little one would be a replacement, but that tree isn't doing well. Also, walnut tree farms plant on a 8 foot grid (for lumber) but again all those trees get planted at the same time and are the same size. I used a JD to plant my sapling, thinking the green color would be an inspiration, but no luck...

I can tell you that juglone has no effect on the growth of wild grape. And it must be invigorating to multiflora rose.