black walnuts- love em or hate them?

[62sunbeam]

I grew up with a rather large black walnut tree in my back yard. Never ate a single nut but a guy came to our door and offered $15000 for the tree back in 1980 or thereabouts. My parents declined as it was a majestic shade tree we loved.

Next owner of the house had it cut down as the nuts were a nuisance.

Oh well

There’s a seedling growing in my drought tolerant landscaped front yard. It’s a foot tall. Wish me luck

Eric

 

[jocko_nc]

Ice cream. Cookies. Flavor is ALMOST too much. You can get shelled nuts at Sam's and Costco around the Holidays.

 

[Delta17]

They have been dropping for a few weeks at my house.

I can hear them come through the canopy where its "wooded" or just thump in the yard. I dunno how many there are on my property.

I kept them on purpose when thinning trees. I just dig 'em, the trees. Have never eaten one.

There is one very close to where I wanna put a green house. May have to settle for a nap shack. First World problem? Another place for Hi-Fi!

 

[illinoisteve]

I love the taste of black walnuts, but can't be bothered with the hassle of dealing with their ridiculous messy hulls.

The trees grow like weeds here, because the squirrels plant some of the nuts, and also because black walnut roots contain toxins that poison the roots of potential tree competitors. Livestock can also be sickened or poisoned by consuming the green leaves, shoots, and branches.

Pignuts are simply one of the very edible species of hickory nuts. Hickory nuts have hard hulls, that begin to crack and fall off from the nut shells right around the time they hit the ground! A much better system for the nut collector, compared to the black walnut. I have some hickory trees here, but not enough in one area that I can pick up hardly a nut before the squirrels have carried them ALL away!

Black walnut makes good firewood. It usually splits pretty easily. When separated enough that they spread their branches, they can make good shade trees, but you might want to wear a helmet walking under one from late summer through early winter. Getting hit in the head with one of those big, heavy, green in-the-hull black walnuts is a lot like having a croquet ball land on you from 20+ feet up. It could make a bad impression on your mind.

 

[Delta17]

The trees grow like weeds here, because the squirrels plant some of the nuts, and also because black walnut roots contain toxins that poison the roots of potential tree competitors. Livestock can also be sickened or poisoned by consuming the green leaves, shoots, and branches.

Pignuts are simply one of the very edible species of hickory nuts. Hickory nuts have hard hulls, that begin to crack and fall off from the nut shells right around the time they hit the ground! A much better system for the nut collector, compared to the black walnut. I have some hickory trees here, but not enough in one area that I can pick up hardly a nut before the squirrels have carried them ALL away!

I have both, but did not know about toxicity of the Walnut root. May explain Huckleberry tree death I have. Does not seem to affect a crazy vine I have been beating back for years though. Making me wonder about where I am putting my garden next year now...Does toxin travel up through capillary action if I build raised beds? To paraphrase the philosopher Jethro Bodean, I gotta commence to cypherin'. Thanks for info.

 

[illinoisteve]

I have both, but did not know about toxicity of the Walnut root. May explain Huckleberry tree death I have. Does not seem to affect a crazy vine I have been beating back for years though. Making me wonder about where I am putting my garden next year now...Does toxin travel up through capillary action if I build raised beds? To paraphrase the philosopher Jethro Bodean, I gotta commence to cypherin'. Thanks for info.

Probably the shade from the tree would be the most problem for a garden. I think the root toxins mostly affect competing trees. Grass and wildflowers seem to grow under them okay. I suspect garden plants that can tolerate the shade would be fine. Since the tree would also be blocking some rainfall, when in leaf, some garden plants would need watering.

 

[Delta17]

Shade not an issue. North and East of proposed garden. As you state though. All that is dead near them is a tree (Mullberry, not Huckleberry...ooops). Other growth unaffected.

 

[BigElCat]

I voted...hate'em .

 

[toxcrusadr]

Black walnut is declining because of overharvesting and poaching, combined with less planting. If you have space, plant black walnuts. Your grandchildren will thank you.

 

[Dingman]

I'm ambivalent.
I have 4, in the city. Our whole neighborhood was loaded with them, as it was a walnut farm back in the early 20th century.

Nowadays, not so many left.

It really annoys me off to see people cutting down 100+ walnuts simply because they can't grow favorite plants nearby, and of course, the mess.
It really pisses me off when the tree service companies claim "city trees" can't be sold to the mill. Then they carefully keep the 40' trunk intact, bring in a semi and appropriate machinery to carefully load said trunk (and other long pieces) onto the trailer for transport to the "landfill". My ass. I've seen this happen more than once.

I don't have a problem with nuts. They only come about every other year, the squirrels take care of most of them. I don't like to eat them myself, I just give them away if people want them.

 

[Champco]

i take the hulls off, clean them, dry and freeze em, they crack open so easy being frozen!

The only way I have managed to crack em is in a 4 inch vice. They are a tough nut to crack. Will freeze this next crop.

 

[Pio1980]

The only way I have managed to crack em is in a 4 inch vice. They are a tough nut to crack. Will freeze this next crop.

Bricks, or a brick and hammer. When I was a kid and could have all I wanted.

 

[62caddy]

Welcome to come and harvest my tree as well. It must produce several bushels every fall if I had to guess.

Has to be one of the messiest trees ever.

 

[ehoove]

I have a small stream that has grown this year due to the heavy rains. When We moved here there was just an empty field beyond the trees on this side of the stream. then they put an estate lot development in the field, so for the last 20 some years I have been chucking the Black walnuts across the stream into the common area between the two developments. I now have plenty of privacy when the trees have leaves as there are 25 to 35 walnut trees growing over there! Oh, and the squirrels have enjoyed what did not grow. :^)
Regards,
Jim

 

[Champco]

Welcome to come and harvest my tree as well. It must produce several bushels every fall if I had to guess.

Has to be one of the messiest trees ever.

Neighbor next door moved in and i told her a few times NOT to park under the tree. It was shade I suppose but one day the wind picked up and i bet it got pummeled with 30-40 walnuts. The soft ones opened and stained the car and the hard ones made some dents. I heard it happen and looked outside. Wished I could have seen her face next day.

 

[grillebilly]

I wish my black walnut tree would disappear. It kills a lot of the other plants near it and is a major hassle to clean up. Plus all the critters that get into them and leave the shells all over my porch, roof, picnic table, even car engines. They leave huge black stains. The wife is afraid to go near it as they can knock you silly if they hit your head just so.

 

[62caddy]

Even more helpful are the saplings that appear all around the place from walnuts hidden by squirrels that for whatever reason, went uneaten. No question about it - the black walnut tree is the gift that keeps on giving...aggravation.

 

[gogofast]

I wish I had a walnut tree I can cut down. These tiny little pieces I use to make spoons cost me $4/piece.

 

[toxcrusadr]

PM me Gogo. I might be able to help you out for less. Although getting it from here to there...

I have a few scraps of it here and there.

 

[illinoisteve]

Black walnut is declining because of overharvesting and poaching, combined with less planting. If you have space, plant black walnuts. Your grandchildren will thank you.

Not declining here.
Stop mowing an area for 30 years and you'll have several tall walnut trees.
They pop up like a really tall version of ragweed.