Selfsufficientish.com

Does anyone here have a walnut tree ?

The reason I ask is I bought a tree about 10 years ago and planted it where I thought was suitable, but the tree had other ideas and grew very little.
About 5 years ago I moved it and it really took off.
It's now between 12 and 15 feet tall now and looks very healthy, but no nuts (so far)
This year I was hoping that we would get at least one or two, but I haven't seen any flowers yet and from memory of my last tree, I think it ought to have flowered by now.
So, if anyone here has a fruiting walnut tree .... when does it flower ?

Our walnut tree flowers in early spring, about the middle of March or beginning of April.

We got nothing at all from it for the first 5 or 6 years and a very small harvest for a couple of years after that. It's been there now for 12 years: last year we got the first good harvest from it and this year is looking good as well.

I guess i'm virtually a walnut farmer - i have 34! Is it possible that you missed the flowers? They are green and catkin-like rather than colourful blossom. That said, you'd be able to see nuts by now. Temperatures below-2 will kill the flowers.

Thanks for that, obviously nothing this year then ... maybe next year.
Low temperature not a problem here Clara, it's probably never seen anything below +4c and that's when it's dormant.
Just me getting too eager.

I read that they start to fruit between 5 and 10 years and mine are probably a little taller than 15 feet but not much - I'm surprised that yours haven't produced yet.

Opinion seems to be divided over whether they are self-fertile or not, but there is a general consensus that having more than one tree will increase yield. I expect someone will come along and tell me that they only have one tree and it produces tons now

I have been in this house for 20 years and planted a walnut tree the first year and last year we had our first nut, fortunately we inherited two others but as we have to race the squirrels to get our share of nuts we decided to plant a few more in the open not in the trees, but I don't think I will see any nuts on those, but at least the kids will have plenty for the Vin Du Noix

I never notice when my walnuts come into flower because the trees are at the far end of the orchard therefore I'm not going over there looking at them very often, except from a distance. They are very late coming into leaf compared to other trees though.

I don't know when they were planted but I've got 3 of different sizes, and in the nearly 5 years I've been here they've all started to fruit and have grown enormously. When I look at the two smaller ones (planted too close on either side of the big one) I am amazed that 3 or 4 years ago I offered these trees on a forum to anyone with a van or trailer who wanted to come and dig them up. It wouldn't be possible now!!!

I don't think you should be waiting too many more years, Tony.

some of ours are in 18 and have just had first nuts. the 5-6 yearold black wallnuts are head high and fruiting at an ok rate though.

We have one near us but I have no idea when you should pick the nuts and how to prepare them. They look almost like naked conker shells if that makes sense? When do you pick them and how do you remove the skin?

Cheers, Rob.

jammie*dodger wrote:When do you pick them and how do you remove the skin?

It's best if you leave them to fall off the tree of their own accord, then you will find that the green rind has split and the nuts are easy to remove.
If you want to pickle them though, you should pick them while you can still stick a needle through the whole nut, before the shell forms.

Usually the nuts just fall on the ground leaving the split open green outer husk behind. If you do remove them from the green husk WEAR GLOVES!!! or you will have black fingers and fingernails for weeks. There's a wood stain called 'brou de noix' made from walnut green husks!

Clara wrote:
Opinion seems to be divided over whether they are self-fertile or not, but there is a general consensus that having more than one tree will increase yield. I expect someone will come along and tell me that they only have one tree and it produces tons now

Yep, one tree at the farmyard near the allotment, shed loads of nuts. It will be interesting as I notice this year the banks of the nearly dual carriageway hve a couple of young walnut trees, probably seeded from this monster, so if it has a friennd or two it may produce even more- would be hard to tell it such a huge tree maybe 40ft?

I shall be racing that squirrel again this year for some - might even try pickling them...

Peggy Sue wrote:I shall be racing that squirrel again this year for some - might even try pickling them...

No you don't pick them Peggy Sue, you throw lumps of wood up into the tree and knock them down.
Haven't you heard the old un-PC saying ....
A woman, a dog and a walnut tree, the more you beat them the better they be.

No flames please, it's not my sentiment ... just repeating an old adage.

Odsox wrote:

Peggy Sue wrote:I shall be racing that squirrel again this year for some - might even try pickling them...

No you don't pick them Peggy Sue, you throw lumps of wood up into the tree and knock them down.
Haven't you heard the old un-PC saying ....
A woman, a dog and a walnut tree, the more you beat them the better they be.

No flames please, it's not my sentiment ... just repeating an old adage.

Tony- can I beat the squirrel too? Or maybe pickle him...

Peggy Sue wrote:Tony- can I beat the squirrel too? Or maybe pickle him...

Probably not, nor the dog either as you would probably have the RSPCA after you.
Just women and walnut trees then