Black walnut collecting

[mamato3]

So does anyone collect walnuts for a little extra pocket money? This is the 2 year for me i used to do it when i was a kid dad said it was good for us to learn to work to make money. I think there going for $13 per 100 weight hauled. You dont make alot for sweating your butt off but at least it will buy some feed for the chickens or maybe a night out as a family. My kids have been helping a lot so i might have to take them to the little amusement park here in town.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I have a very distinct memory of picking up walnuts as a kid. My siblings and I decided that we would get rich by picking up the kazillion black walnuts that fell from the huge tree in our backyard. We picked up bucket loads of those suckers. Unfortunately we decided to store them in my dad's old metal fishing boat.

We filled the boat and then promptly forgot about them. By the next spring there was walnut soup in that old boat and it never sailed again. My dad was not happy. That was our last and only walnut picking extravaganza. I'm not sure my father can eat a walnut today without cringing a little on the inside.

I'm afraid this doesn't help you in your quest, but your quest did bring back a happy (?) memory.

 

[bigzio]

I simply allow the squirrels to replant alot of the nuts, for new tree growth.

Most will grow if you simply step them into the ground....they grow fast compared to some other hardwoods.

I use to collect some red pine cones for the DNR until they dropped the price enough that it wasen't worth the 4 hours it takes to pick a bushel.

bigzio

 

[Becky89*]

I have a black walnut tree right outside my window and we collect the walnuts and sell them as often as we can.

 

[Mahonri]

There are walnut and pecan orchards all over AZ. One of my friends in St. David owns a pecan orchard and we get a bag full from them every Christmas. They are wonderful.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

How do you know when they are ready to pick? A friend has 4 walnut trees that are loaded. I picked one the other day and peeled the rind off part of it and it was light brown. How do you cure them or dry them and whatnot?

 

[amysue2012]

I just wait till mine fall off of the tree and the rid falls off then pick up the nuts and crack open. This year Im going to try freezing some for this winter.

 

[lorieMN]

I have one large tree in the front yard,not a single nut on it this year,I think because of the 80 MPH straight line winds we had a month or so ago,maybe damaged the nut buds (is that what they are called),I would like more info on shelling and storing,

 

[chicknmania]

Quote:
Really???? My father adored black walnuts, as we all did. He always told me I should plant black walnuts on our tree farm here, due to their value someday. I never have. A few days ago I went to visit my parent's grave, and found one black walnut on their grave. It touched me in a funny way, I decided to take it home and plant it. I also collected a few more from the area. When I researched how to plant them I was discouraged, as it said they have to be refrigerated or buried in a deep pit outside, etc, etc, for months. So, I can just shallowly bury them, and in the spring they might germinate? It would sure be a whole lot easier....we don't have one other black walnut tree on our property though, which makes me wonder about the soil...not sure they will even grow. WE have lots of hickory trees.

In response to other posts on this thread, we had the winds, too...was great as it knocked all our hickory nuts onto the ground where we can get em before the squirrels do. I believe nut trees have a prolific crop every other year, alternated with an off season. When I was growing up, to hull em we used to just let them dry for a while in our basement, then wack them open with a hammer, that way you don't get stain all over you. They are awesome.

 

[lorieMN]

Quote:
Really???? My father adored black walnuts, as we all did. He always told me I should plant black walnuts on our tree farm here, due to their value someday. I never have. A few days ago I went to visit my parent's grave, and found one black walnut on their grave. It touched me in a funny way, I decided to take it home and plant it. I also collected a few more from the area. When I researched how to plant them I was discouraged, as it said they have to be refrigerated or buried in a deep pit outside, etc, etc, for months. So, I can just shallowly bury them, and in the spring they might germinate? It would sure be a whole lot easier....we don't have one other black walnut tree on our property though, which makes me wonder about the soil...not sure they will even grow. WE have lots of hickory trees.

In response to other posts on this thread, we had the winds, too...was great as it knocked all our hickory nuts onto the ground where we can get em before the squirrels do. I believe nut trees have a prolific crop every other year, alternated with an off season. When I was growing up, to hull em we used to just let them dry for a while in our basement, then wack them open with a hammer, that way you don't get stain all over you. They are awesome.

furnature makers ,like small private people,will pay a good amount for the wood,but they arent a really nice tree to have around,because they tend to kill other plants and trees that are too close because of the toxian they produce,and you dont want them in horse pastures as they are also toxic to horses if they eat the bark,or I suppose enough leaves.not sure about other animals.but here they dont need to be buried at all,If I let the yard go to long in between mowings they are sprouting up all over the place,and they were not buried,they are just the ones that fell on the ground that I didnt get picked up, maybe I ran them over with the mower when the ground was wet and pushed them in a little but not buried,personally I think they are a great shade tree,but other than that a messy nasty tree that I really would rather not have.Our neighbors had some they cut down,then planted fruit trees about 60 feet away from the stumps and all the fruit trees grew but they grew off to one side trying to get away from the walnut stumps,again because of the toxins produced by them.