Great, thank you. I’ll keep an eye out. I have S127 growing, so maybe Cranz?
1 Like
Folks, I found the PERFECT black walnut cracker. It will apply just the right pressure to crack walnuts and remove all the kernel pieces without scattering them across the floor.
It is one of these –
Super easy to crack walnuts. And does double duty around the home shop – assuming you have one.
I’ve bought at least a 1/2 dozen walnut crackers over the past 20 years and they all eventually broke. This one will not break.
1 Like
Ramv, sounds like you need a cone cracker. 
Seriously, I’ve never even strained my master walnut cracker as made by Gerald Gardner. Also, the Hunt cracker is good for walnut and hickory.
By the way, a cone cracker is a commercial job made to crack black walnuts at ton per hour rates.
3 Likes
Bought one of those cheap cement mixers. Through in black walnuts, little gravel, and water. Takes off the husk great without turning brown.
1 Like
An article about walnuts in the Missouri breeding program in the current issue of Northern Nut Grower “Nutshell” got my attention. I have 10 varieties they don’t have and they have several I don’t have. Here are the varieties I have and they don’t.
BAKERS OHIO
ELDORA
FARRINGTON
OZARK KING
PURDUE #1
ROWHER
S129
SAUBER #1
SAUBER #2
SCHREIBER
In that group, Farrington, Purdue #1, Baker’s Ohio, and Sauber #1 should be in their program. Farrington for size. Purdue #1 for nice vertical growth habit, Baker’s Ohio because they don’t have Ohio at all, and Sauber #1 because it is a reasonably good producer in the Midwest.
Here is their list of varieties with * by ones I have:
Beck
Bowser *
Brown Nugget
Clermont(L)
Clermont(W)
Cochrane
Cooksey
Cranz *
Crosby
Daniels *
Davidson *
Dubois
Elmer Myer
Emma K *
Football * (I have Football II which is thought to be the same)
Grundy
Harc-Thomas
Hare
Harney
Higbee Mill
Jackson
Kitty
Knuvean
Krause
Kwik Krop *
McGinnis *
Mintel
Mystry
Neel #1 *
Ness
Ogden *
OK Selection
Philops
Pound #2 *
Pritchett
Purdue #137
Purdue #41
Ridgeway *
Rupert
Russel #1
Russel #3
Shessler
Shreve
South Fork
Sparks 127 *
Sparks 147 *
Sparrow *
Surprise *
Teneyck
Thomas *
Thomas Meyer *
Tomboy *
Wiard
3 Likes
I bought a Emma K from Grimo this spring. They also have a Sparks 147. Is it worth ordering ? I have failed at walnut grafting for 40 years. I have success with pecan. It is so hard to find grafted black walnut of these named selections.
1 Like
IMO, there are others that would work better. S147 is a relatively small nut that is easy to crack, but the tree is not very productive. S127 is far more productive. Sparrow is both more productive and a good pollinator for most others. I’m not sure of your location, shows zone 5. Thomas is far more productive and originated near King of Prussia Pennsylvania.
1 Like
Out of the black walnuts you grow, have any of them really compared to Pounds #2? I got to visit Fred Blankenship’s place this year and try it and I was really impressed. Really thin shell and cracked out the entire kernel.
5 Likes
In my climate in my grove, Farrington, Neel#1, and Thomas are proven performers with consistent production and good kernel quality. I’m still waiting to see how consistent Pounds #2 will be. I’ve had it since about 2005. So far, it seems to be better than most of the others I have. I don’t know any serious negatives for it.
4 Likes
If they all look like the picture, those are pretty nice. I’ve never seen any of the named varieties. Those are vastly better than wilds.
2 Likes
Any sources for a grafted pounds 2?
1 Like
Not that I know of, scion is probably all you can get right now
1 Like
Scion is not an option for me. I have tried off and on for 40+ years to graft walnut and failed. I can graft pecan and fruit trees.
1 Like
Do you have scions available? I have about a dozen 2-3 year old BW that I’d like to graft with varieties that do well with heat and humidity in Durham, NC.
Thanks!
1 Like
Hi Fusion_power could you please elaborate on the 20 foot triangle spacing not exactly sure what that means. Thx
1 Like
Draw a triangle so each point is 20 feet from the others. You should have a triangle with equal angles and equal sides. That is triangle spacing. You will also see square, rectangle, and quincunx planting patterns. Quincunx is like the 5 spot on dice with 4 on a square and one in the middle. It is often used where the middle tree is temporary and intended to be removed while thinning.
Knowing what I do today, I would plant walnuts a bit further apart. 25 to 30 feet would have worked better.
Thanks so much Fusion_power!
Hi everyone,
I want to plant a black walnut seed orchard to produce superior seed to grow my own rootstock in the future. So for the choice of cultivars the focus is robustness, hardiness, and high-quality seedlings. Taste and cracking of the nuts is not important in this case. Site conditions are 8.4°C (47°F) average and 820mm (32in) rainfall per year, zone 6a, soil should be fine, different spots available, with and without close groundwater table, generally deep and loamy, pH slightly acidic to neutral.
By reading the comments by @Fusion_power and @Lucky_P here and here as well as this post in another thread I conclude that Thomas, Weschke, Bicentennial, and McGinnis would be great cultivars for my seed orchard. I do not have access to McGinnis, which leaves Thomas, Weschke and Bicentennial.
- Would a mix of these three cultivars result in good cross-pollination?
- Would you plant equal numbers of each cultivar or favor one as main seed donor, reducing the number of the other cultivars as pollinators?
- Would you stick with these three cultivars for the seed orchard or add another cultivar?
I have access to Bicentennial, C3, Charlois, Demming Purple, Elmer-Meyers, Emma K, Grimo 108H/Lakeshore, Hans, Laciniata, Lambs Curly, Minnesota, Mintle, NTN L.R., Prairie, Sparks 129, Sparks 147, Sparrow, Stabler, Thomas, Thomas Meyer, Van der Sloot, Weschke
Thank you in advance!