Any reason to try to process Black Walnuts falling now? Zone 6B/&A. It usually starts dropping in October. I think it is overloaded compared to most years, but it has been dropping a couple hear or there for a month. I’ve been crushing those under my car tire to keep them from being buried, but today it jumped up to 8 at once. They are small. Odor is full-bodied, for what that is worth. Part of me wonders if I planted them if they might inspire a consistently earlier crop, but I’m sure it is just natural thinning of the herd as they grow.
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Are the leaves on your walnuts also turning yellow and falling off? Look up walnut anthracnose. You’re not too far from me and it is bad bad bad here this year.
Too early for walnuts to be ready where I am but walnut anthracnose can cause fruit drop.
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@benthegirl The tree actually looks like its renewed its vigour. Not a lot of leaf drop, and the lower leaves are fully green. I honestly don’t ever try to see the upper parts when I’m close enough to see colour well. (It’s gotta be over 100 foot tall.) I did have a butternut next to it fail at the base and my efforts to get Livermore to take off have left me wondering if there is something affecting younger trees in the area. It does not look like the pics of anthracnose - more of a desiccation of the new growth, especially the tips. I remain the biggest threat to new black walnuts though, as the squirrels like to put them where I do not want them. Those and the ones just starting to fruit always look pristine before I get ahold of them.
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to you pear growers. i have a doz. different pears from different trees that fell off when doing the lift test today. they are yellow with some red blush but near the stem is still hard. how long in the fridge and then counter to ripen them? sorry i lost the tags so not sure which is which.
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That’s hard to say without knowing what variety it is. I just posted a bunch of no fridge varieties. Being that it’s this early (if they were ripe) I’d say most probably don’t need any fridge time. I’m not a fan of the tilt test. They often pop off way to early. Post some pics and list what all you planted and maybe we can identify them for you.
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Here’s a triploid graft that is doing too well!
This is Crispen (Mitsu) on a Callery pear seedling.
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OK, I have been experimenting with this for the last three years and I finally got some really good pears . I only know about two varieties Kieffer and Orient. The Keiffers go right into a box in my garage or a closet preferably. Then I just check them every week for about 3 to 4 weeks then move them into the fridge the orients go on the counter for two days, then go in the refrigerator, then pull them out as needed and I think they’re ready to eatLeave them on the counter a couple sometimes they go back-and-forth from the counter to the refrigerator, three and four times moving them around every couple of days since you don’t know what they are the best way I think is to try moving them back-and-forth from the counter to the refrigerator every a couple of days. I found the only way I can really tell is to peel a little bit also I found start at the base of the pair not the stem and just make a little slit You can tell quickly if it’s ready.of I have found they really taste the best when you have them ready on the counter and then put them back in the refrigerator for one more day. Pull them out peel them and eat them.
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The critters don’t go through all that trouble. Just bite them, and if it doesn’t suit you, just keep biting them til you find one that suits you or there are no more left. Then head for another tree.
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Hey now… let’s not actually encourage varmits’ bad behavior here. 
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i started eating the ones that fell on their own or when lifted and have also colored up well. they are excellent. just a little crunch but the flavor is better than any pear ive ever had. i think they are a mix of barttlet, patten and seirra but i could be wrong. i also got summercrisp, nova, pineapple, stacyville and a few others i dont remember the name of, that others on here have sent me. so far im impressed. because i let so many fruit set, on 7 -8ft trees they are about 80% of store size. perfect for snacking. after a peach my 2nd fave tree fruit is the pear. i have about 20 sitting out on the table right now. the 1st one i ate was one i just found on the ground under the tree. perfectly ripe.
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cracked peach, plum and “desert peach” and soaking now to try this out. have a tray system ready to damp germinate in paper towel for 2 weeks. will post in my “city plot” thread when they pop.
thread question is about blueberries. got this plant in spring it was very tiny. it has sent out long branches from the base. these won’t be grafted will they? all the branches are the original variety? plan to plant it in a hollow tree trunk planter soon, where i can help keep the soil a bit acidic for it.
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No grafts, they’ll have multi-trunks, bushy, all the same variety. They have a wide, shallow root system.
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It can only be a grafted variety if the new growth is ABOVE a graft union. It is unlikely that new growth from the base is above a former graft union.
Love the repurposing of the hollowed trunk. I have several very large logs from Helene that I want to hollow out, but I cannot find the time. And they were pine.
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the two i have that are big enough are from what was once a massive locust tree across the street. i rolled them home with much cursing and effort.
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Cool idea! Will you burn or stain it to help it from rotting?
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i burned the inside when i first got them, have not done anything else in 3 year and they are holding up great.
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