Black Walnut Planting

[Okrafarmer]

FYI - the Missouri Dept of Conservation sells walnut seedlings in three flavors:

per bundle of 25 seedlings

run of the mill  $8
"certified" genetics  $13
extra large  $16

http://extra.mdc.mo.gov/cgi-bin/mdcdevpub/apps/seedlings/search.cgi?record=all

I'm trying to find out if South Carolina has a similar program, but web searching so far has shown me no luck. Anybody know? Also, do you think the Missouri people would have a problem selling out of state?

[WDH]

You might contact ArborGen.  They have a nursery in SC, and they sell walnut, just not sure that they do from their SC nursery.

[Okrafarmer]

You might contact ArborGen.  They have a nursery in SC, and they sell walnut, just not sure that they do from their SC nursery.

Thanks, WDH.

[Redonthehead]

I'm trying to find out if South Carolina has a similar program, but web searching so far has shown me no luck. Anybody know? Also, do you think the Missouri people would have a problem selling out of state?

Sure they sell out of state. Here is the order form - it went online last Nov. 15th so some is already sold out for this springs shipments.

http://extra.mdc.mo.gov/cgi-bin/mdcdevpub/apps/seedlings/search.cgi?record=all

[HiTech]

I bought some years ago from one seed catalog or another. The trees are now big enough to have nuts on them. And nuts they do have...never saw so many on a tree. The squirrels will haul them into my sugar house for winter food. In the spring while boiling sap it is like walking on ball bearings. They also bury some and forget about them as I have walnut trees coming up all over the place. Last year one tree had so many nuts on it that two branches literally broke under the weight. Never tried starting trees from nuts. I know a friend gets some every year and uses them to blacken his traps. A black dye comes out of them when placed in water. I always wanted to dry some and eat them but haven't got to that yet. When the trees are about 2 foot high sprinkle a little triple 19 around them if you really want to see them sprout up. Not to much as this stuff is pretty Hot!

[sandhills]

HiTech, they're the best eating as far as I'm concerned but you could starve to death trying to get the meat out of them  .  I planted a short row of nuts last fall so we'll have to see what comes up, took the advice from the squirrels and just put them in the ground. 

[HiTech]

The squirrels don't seem to have a problem getting the meat out. They will eat one side and flip it over and do the other. They look like they might be a pain getting the meat out. Perhaps a hammer will help. I will have to try some this fall.

[SwampDonkey]

One of our sponsors sells a walnut sheller. (Lawn and Gardening Tools). Lower left on this page.

[beenthere]

Recently I learned a trick from this video to remove black walnut nut meats from the cracked shells (after I use the vise to crack the shell) is to use side nips (dikes or wire cutters) to nip at the shell and easily release the meat.
This video at around 7.30 minutes shows the wire cutters used. The whole video is a good one to show the entire process with black walnuts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&v=w5wjt10Rmvw&NR=1

[sandhills]

Thanks beenthere, I'd never heard of that before.  Do you think a guy could build a cracker from one of the older, small roller mills used to crack corn?  I like to see what the rolls look like inside one of the powered machines I don't think they'd be too hard to duplicate if the rollers would work.

[WDH]

BT,

That was informative.  I know all about the hammer, just never used the wire cutters.