Anybody here have experience with black walnut trees?

[ducks4you]

As you can read about~

Ducks4you for 2022

So, Thinking about crop rotation, I have done a small study on it. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nrcs.usda.gov%2FInternet%2FFSE_DOCUMENTS%2Fstelprdb1167375.pdf&clen=5529718&chunk=true...

www.theeasygarden.com

#154-#156
I have just discovered a 15 ft black walnut tree growing on the west side of my pasture fencing.
I harvested nearly 300 walnuts, debating about a March harvest even being Edible.
But, now, I am wondering if I should even Keep this (squirrel assisted, volunteer) tree, or if I should chop it down.
Your thoughts?

 

[R2elk]

As you can read about~

Ducks4you for 2022

So, Thinking about crop rotation, I have done a small study on it. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nrcs.usda.gov%2FInternet%2FFSE_DOCUMENTS%2Fstelprdb1167375.pdf&clen=5529718&chunk=true...

www.theeasygarden.com

#154-#156
I have just discovered a 15 ft black walnut tree growing on the west side of my pasture fencing.
I harvested nearly 300 walnuts, debating about a March harvest even being Edible.
But, now, I am wondering if I should even Keep this (squirrel assisted, volunteer) tree, or if I should chop it down.
Your thoughts?

Let it keep growing. Harvest the walnuts in the fall. If you still want it gone, wait until it is big enough to harvest for lumber. Walnut lumber can be quite valuable.

 

[Jack Holloway]

You problably already know this, but having researched Black Walnuts, there are lots of things that can not grow near or around them. The tree produces Juglone in all parts of the plant. While there are Juglone tolerant plants, the tomato family is not one of them. Check out this link from Iowa State University for more info.

 

[ducks4you]

The link?

 

[ducks4you]

@R2elk , How big do you think harvesting size should be, like diameter of the trunk?

 

[Jack Holloway]

The link?

In my first post, put your cursor on the green text "this link" (this is a hot link, I think it is called), it should underline and if you click on it, will take you to the Iowa State University page with the info. Or just use the link below

What plants are sensitive to the juglone produced by black walnuts?

hortnews.extension.iastate.edu

 

[ducks4you]

Ok...duh...I found "this link"
Excuse me, my 64yo brain doesn't always work.

 

[Jack Holloway]

Ok...duh...I found "this link"
Excuse me, my 64yo brain doesn't always work.

Neither does mine. I understand your frustration. Now that I see how links display here, I won't make them the way I usually do.

As an aside, when I researched Black Walnuts years ago, I read that it can take 5 years for the Juglone to dissipate from the soil, after removing the Black Walnut tree. Not sure where I read that, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Ridgerunner]

@R2elk , How big do you think harvesting size should be, like diameter of the trunk?

I don't know about diameter, some depends on how straight it grows or how twisted. As I recall it takes between 60 and 80 years for a black walnut tree to reach a good harvest size. My brother planted 35 Black Walnut threes many years ago. When he planted them we joked that his grandkids might be able to harvest them for lumber and send their kids to college.

 

[ducks4you]

A friend of mine works with a local Boy Scout Camp. He was an Eagle Scout and volunteers there.
It is Very overgrown by native/other trees.
I drive past MANY, MANY thickets just like the camp. Some of the trees are invasive, some are natives, ALL are too thick to walk in between.
I heard recently on the radio that the camp was working with a company who had planned to harvest some 120 of those trees. HE told me it was closer to 1,200 trees.
I GOTTA believe that the company is harvesting the trees to sell them for lumber.
DD's just went to their local city counsel meeting this week over too many trees in their 1,300 population town tagged for removal. The city said that they will shelve it for a few months, as there is some local friction and a few signs--"SAVE our TREES," stuff like that.
I am thinking that, just like in Atlanta after the Civil War, there is building and lots of unused trees in thickets that Really need to be cleaned up.
Even Scarlett O'Hara recognized that rebuilding Atlanta needed all of that "Georgia (yellow) pine".