Has anyone gotten harvests of Carpathian walnuts in zone 4a? I’ve managed to get butternuts, but the Carpathians have barely grown after 8 or 9 years.
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I’m not aware of anyone successfully growing them that far north. A few black walnut varieties could produce for you. I have seen reports of persian walnut producing in Lithuania and Belarus but do not know of anyone who has trees from their climate.
I saw plenty of persian walnuts in Romania during a trip in 2017. One tree was memorable for the size and shape of walnuts it produced. It was in a popular ski resort town.
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I don’t care for black walnuts much.
Maybe try a few McGinnis. They have a rich buttery flavor that IMO is better than most persians. But, I also realize black walnuts are not for everyone.
I have some seedling ones here that are 8 years old as well. Some closer to the woods are getting onto 5 ft tall, while others a little more in the open have experienced significant diebacks a couple years with late frosts, and are extremely pathetic. I put them all in tree tubes this spring to see if that would help. Whether they will ever be able to bear nuts, I am dubious . I got some nuts this last fall that are reportedly from hardier stock, originating somewhere in Russia. That is ambiguous, and still may mean that they came from an area that is warmer than where we live. If you are interested in a few seedlings P.M. me, as I have a few extra.
You may want to look into Z’s Nutty Ridge. They apparently have a grafted, hardy English walnut variety that is quite cold tolerant. They challenge customers to try growing it in zone 4b/5a. I was thinking of purchasing one at some point.
In regards to your butternut, are you utilizing a grafted cultivar or is it just from a seedling? Any issues with canker?