Anyone grow nut trees?

Grafting walnut outdoors on established rootstock should meet these conditions:

  1. Daily high temps at least 70F and night low no less than 45F, higher is better
  2. Abundant water either from rainfall or from irrigation
  3. Bark is freely slipping which makes the graft cuts easy.
  4. Scionwood has been properly stored and was cut at the right time
  5. Rootstock is in active growth with at least 2 inches of new shoots showing

The rest gets down to the type graft and the technique used. I use an inlay side graft on black walnut and very specifically use the large terminal bud if available. I usually graft trees about 2 inches diameter and very important, do NOT cut the top off the rootstock. Cut a 3 inch slice on the scion for a bark graft. Flip the scion and cut an inch of the bark off so the scion forms a wedge. Hold the scion up to the rootstock and use a sharp sheep’s foot knife to cut on each side through the bark of the rootstock. Cut a slanting cut across the top of the bark strip and lift it with the point of the knife. Slide the scion into the pocket formed by the lifted bark strip. Cut the bark strip off so it is still long enough to cover the bare area on the scion. Use 2 small thin nails to tack the scion to the rootstock where one nail is through the remaining part of the bark flap and the scion into the rootstock. Wax the scion in place covering all cut surfaces. Wait 10 days and cut the top off the rootstock about 2 feet above the graft. Use the stub to support the growing scion.

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I am ion NY in zone 5. I grow filberts (hazelnuts), chestnuts, English walnuts (seedlings) and black walnuts. The black walnuts actually are wild all over the place here. The filberts and chestnuts have been very successful, more so as I’ve learned to pick the best varieties.

My best chestnut was Colossal which, unfortunately succumbed to blight after 20 years. Avoid planting with Chinese varieties or hybrids or you get nut staining. Marigoule is another Japanese hybrid that is very good.

I’ve planted and pulled out lots of hybrid filberts. Most of the blight ā€œresistantā€ varieties from OSU succumbed to Eastern filter blight, except for Dorris and Yamhill. I’m mostly growing the hybrids are by Tom Molnar at Rutgers now.

Filberts and chestnuts bear their first crops quite quickly. I also grow hickories, which are slow to begin bearing. I haven’t harvested any yet. The shellback hickories have large nuts than the shagbark.

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Here in Germany I ve planted 3 Pecans in Mannheim. 8b/9a. The trees are coming out very well now. In my bigger garden on the hills in Sinsheim I ve several Wallnuts and 3 Chestnuts (Esskastanien) 2 are already grafted, Nr.3 will be done next Year. Outside are Russion Hazelnuts everywhere. In automn you need only a broom for harvest.
ThĆ© walnuts are planted by the squirrels not grafted o.c…
Pecans and Chestnuts are only 2 years standing in the garden. Wallnuts are on full deliver.

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I wouldn’t hold my breath on getting almonds in Nova Scotia. What zone are you?

Given that peaches are a major commercial crop here I’m not too worried. The zone certainly shouldn’t be an issue. I’m in 6B and I’m planting Javid’s Iranian, which a lot of people have had success with recently in Ontario and New England.

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After looking at the future temps it seems to be a cold year and will not really stay in the 70’s till June. Isn’t June a little late? What do you think?

I’ve made successful grafts as late as the 1st week of June. If possible, try to get them done by mid-May. Keep in mind that success rate may be lower if temperatures are cooler, but you will still have a lot of successful grafts. Also, scionwood is better if used less than 3 months after it is collected.

Seems like you sent it to me in February. 3 months would be May. Really weird weather. It should be hovering in the 70’s already, not 2 months later.

Got an eight acre food plot full of native pecan. We have to compete with the deer, hogs, turkey, coons, squirrels, etc. we pick up a couple five gallon buckets most years

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Look at those fabulous old pecan trees! Where are you that pecans grow wild?

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I’m guessing somewhere in central Texas. Those are big beautiful native pecan trees.!

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I am in SW Arkansas - about 30 miles from NE Texas. Lot of native pecans around here

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In far northern Michigan. Am trialing hazel nuts, buartnuts, black walnuts, carpathian walnuts, chestnuts, and shagbark hickory. Attempted heartnuts, but they went bye-bye very quickly.

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How are your carpathian walnuts doing? That is one I’m going to try next.

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I got hazelberts, buartnuts, and a butternut growing… slowly (fertilizer coming this year, and I might water them too…maybe). Got Qing Chestnuts (seedlings) going in a window and will be starting Hinke hicans this weekend. Im at the far north Wisconsin…closest Walmart is Ironwood Michigan.

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They are slooow to grow here. I have six that are 9 years from seed and they are 4-5 feet tall. Didn’t help that they died to the ground several times due to late freezes and a vole-apocalypse. It seems like they might be finally starting to take off. The ones closest to the woods, and thus most protected from late spring frost, are doing the best. I have about 20 more seedlings I transplanted out last fall. Started them from nuts from Burnt Ridge Nursery. I’ve noticed that if I start more tender trees that are zone pushers by seed here in the ground, they adapt better than ones that were started elsewhere, and then transplanted. I don’t know if there are some epigenetics coming into play, or if it’s just the lack of stress from being moved from one climate to another, but the difference is often quite noticeable. Made sure this time they were in a more protected area up by woods, so I’m hoping that they grow a little faster.

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Grafted walnuts today. Made several cuts around the trunk under the graft, but it was a blood fest. Is that a guaranteed failure?

Grafted earlier last year and didn’t have that problem.