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Hi all,
I’m the proud owner of one tree. Intended as a shade
tree and purchased as a three year old. I lovingly looked
after my pride and joy for almost a whole month !! At a party in the back garden, an EX friend tripped, landing on the tree. Even novices like me know there is not too much a future for horizontal trees. Perhaps a tribute to my renewed
dedication, or just bloody good luck, this hardy specimen survived having its trunk snapped at ground level. Five years later, I am still the proud owner of perhaps the ugliest
walnut tree in Taranaki.
A few small fruit last year, better size and quantity this
year, brings me now to enquiring of you experts on how and when I should harvest the fruit.
Regards Chris
Chris
Your story is enough to touch the hearts not only of walnut growers but all who have loved trees and all whose love of trees has not been understood or supported by their friends.
As for harvesting, do nothing until they fall. This will happen without effort thanks to the wonders of gravity, although a timely shake once some have begun to fall could help. Then pick them up, wash them, spread them out somewhere with plenty of dry air-flow to dry, leave them a couple of weeks (defending them from rodents and misguided friends), gather them and eat them. The Omega-3 content will help you live long enough to harvest increasing quantities over the years to come.
You may also like do a little pruning to improve the shape during the winter.
Best wishes
Graeme
Graeme
Many thanks for your prompt reply. Do I leave them to dry with the green outer covering still on or remove that first ?
My only experience of walnuts has been the cheats way of purchasing them, ready to crack open, to make christmas a real cracker. !! I take on board your comments about the correct time to attempt to improve the shape of my tree, but
feel it’s squat, round, unusual, ugly dimensions give it a quality of it’s own. The wife has not been happy with some of my earlier attempts at garden aesthetics and after what this tree has been through, I may have to leave well alone.
Regards Chris
I like wulnut. I do not where I can a some wulnut trees.
I do not know where to buy some wulnut trees. Thanks.
Kun
Not sure which part of the world you are in, so hard to comment.
Chris
You need to have the nut out of the green husk to dry. Ideally the husk has split and allowed the nut to fall out.
Graeme
Graeme
Many thanks for you help and advice.
Regards, Chris
We have a walnut orchard of about 400 trees. Many of our trees are now too stout to be shaken by hand. Do any growers have a mechanical tree shaker- we would love to see one if possible!
Cheers,
Kate
Kate
I hope others will also respond. My observation is that most growers simply leave it to gravity and nature. Some use a rake or other implement to shake individual branches.
Graeme
I am in Christchurch. I found where I can buy wulnut trees.
I have a very large, old walnut tree which is producing plenty of fantastic walnuts and am having trouble as to how to dry them out effectively, due to the cold wet weather. I am finding that each year alot are not drying out to great and some are mouldy inside. There are far to many walnuts for me to spread them out in garage. Have been puting them in baskets and in plastic kids pool shell. Would they dry out better if hang in onion bags in garage?
Would appreciate some expert advice on this.
We have a very large lovely old walnut tree that has and still is dropping hundreds of walnuts and I don’t know what to do with them all as we will never eat them and hate to see them go to waste. Any ideas we live in mid canterbury
Amanda
Most growers around Canterbury are selling their nuts to A Cracker of a Nut, in West Melton. they also buy nuts from old trees such as yours. You can find out more on http://www.crackernut.co.nz
It is important though to gather the nuts and spread them out to dry so they keep their quality.
Graeme
I have been let down by a plant nursery after ordering 15 grafted Rex and 3x grafted “120″ plants. Does any one know where I could purchase these plants this season? I live in turangi in the central north island.
Thanks in advance
Jose
Hi Jose
The propagators that I am aware of are Harrison’s in the North Island, Terrace Nurseries in Brightwater, Nelson; Quality Tree Company, Trents Road, Christchurch; and Peninsula Nursery, Prices Valley, Christchurch; About Trees, Christchurch
Graeme
Has anyone bought a machine like the ROTO-NUT on this American website and where did you get if from?
http://www.aaoobfoods.com/foodprocessing.htm#top
The ROTO-NUT is about half way down the page.
Is there a machine like this available in New Zealand?
I have a few friends who collect walnuts off their own trees, but find hulling them too tedious, it would be great to have a machine like this for all of us to use.
Thanks Heather
I have a mature walnut tree which fruted last year. This year a grub has got into the stem. Most of the branch tips have died and therefore has not produced any leaves or fruit. I cannot find anything on the web about Walnut stem grubs. I have several types of fruit trees on my porperty. Does anyone have any advise to share on my dieing tree.
Many thanks
Graham
We had a huge beautiful Black Walnut Tree but sadly it’s not so beautiful anymore.Last year two huge branches died.The leaves rapidly wilted,died and dropped off.I had them chopped off ,but now another branch is dying.
They’re all on the same side of the tree which is on a slope and the dying side is at the bottom.
I looked on the web and wonder if its phytothora?
What do you think? Is there anything we can do to save it?
The dying part has oozing black bark which starts on the large limb (where all the dead branches come off)rather than the main trunk.Should we cut the whole large limb off? Also ,like Graham before me (#18) the dead branches had grubs eating it.(The arborist I got to cut off the branches said the grubs come after the tree is sick rather than being the cause of the dying branch.He didn’t know how to help me though and didn’t know why our tree is dying.)
Graham
It would helpful to know what part of the world you are in. I am not aware of such a stem grub, although others may know more.
Graeme
Hi there
I’m in Wellington and am trying to find someone who can supply me with green walnuts. Is there anyone out there who could help me out? I am after a kilo or two to make liquor and pickled walnuts. Happy to cover costs of course and who knows, share the results if they’re edible!!
Many thanks-
Brigid
I found this site – as I too – like Brigid would like to find some green walnuts.
We had two huge trees in South Canterbury and my mother always pickled them. Quite a job – I seem to recall pricking them with a (silver?!) fork.
Also at some point during the year I used to go out and hit the trees once with a hammer on the trunk – to ‘wake’ them after winter!
I live in Nelson and would look forward to any pointers/ideas.
Happy NY – Jj
Greetings from California,
Seeking growers in NZ interested in growing the preferred rootstock used in California Walnut Production? Paradox – Juglans Hindsii X Juglans Regia.
If you would like to grow paradox seedlings for use as a rootstock we can provide you with the seed.
Please contact us for more detail.
We are also looking for growers interested in our new seedling growing method. This easy method also you to grow from 1 to 1000’s of seedlings and does not even require a tractor.
Cheers,
Jim Hafferty
Heritage Walnut
1336 Third Street
Meridian, CA 95957
530.870.2558
info@walnutexpert.com
Hi Jim
Thanks for your email on the availability of Paradox seed. It’s not easy to get hold of in NZ, but we are currently trialling a few trees grafted onto Paradox (seed taken from a hindsii tree surrounded by regia here in NZ) to see how they go compared to our standard regia-rooted trees.
I just thought I should mention, though, that we have very stringent biosecurity regulations here in NZ, and any walnut seed we want to bring in from other countries would have to go through Level 3 quarantine and be thoroughly tested for pests and diseases (eg. we don’t have walnut husk fly here, and would not like to get it!) – it’s slow and expensive to go through this process. The regulations are at:
http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/imports/plants/standards/155-02-05.pdf
It’s unfortunate, but it would be quite difficult for us to bring in Paradox seed.
Cheers, Heather
I am in Dunedin and have one large walnut tree. There are a lot of walnuts on it this year and a lot have fallen off already. Is this too early? Are they all right to keep and would I have to take the green husks off them first? The husks are not at the stage of splitting themselves. Thanks.
Susan
Hello
We have a two year old walnut tree that we planted on our property in Kerikeri. It seems to be a healthy specimen and has produced good growth in the second year. It is a grafted variety labelled as ‘ Walnut 1340′. Is anyone able to provide me with information on this variety as I have been unable to find any.
Many thanks
Craig.
Can you advise me on which variety of walnut to buy for growing in the Whangarei area/ Northland? and any key differences between the different types?
Hello,
Does anyone know of a small walnut lifestyle block that may be for sale? Alternatively I would consider going into a partnership with someone who has a block and experience in the industry. I have marketing, management experience and am interested in getting into the Industry.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Regards
Tracy