Oh nuts! I need a walnut sweeper

[lhfarm]

We have 20 some-odd black walnut trees in our yard and it has been a bumper crop year. I hand raked for a couple of hours this past weekend and I think only about half the nuts have fallen. Has anyone ever used a pull type sweeper to gather walnuts? Other "powered" suggestions?
Thanks,

 

[Farwell]

I have not used a sweeper but I have used tarps under the trees and leaf blowers to get rid of the leaves. Works great if you get the tarps down in time. Fill plastic milk cartons with sand or water to weight down the tarp edges.
When I was a kid we would put the black walnuts in the drive way so they could be run over to help loosen the outer husk and my Mother would finish the job by hand. She would have brown stained hands for quite some time. Never did find an easy to get to the nut meats.
Farwell

 

[MossRoad]

A friend of mine uses a hockey stick and a basket... GOAL!!!! But he only has one tree. 20 would make me tired.

Put an ad in the paper... free walnuts, u-pick-up. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

But seriously, have you tried a lawn sweeper or vacuum? We use to use a push type broom sweeper on acorns and it worked very well. Don't know about walnuts, though.

 

[beenthere]

I found that a sweeper is not strong enough to work on walnuts. Maybe mine was just too weak, and others have found differently.

I drive on them to knock the soft husk off and pick the nuts out the next day. I put them in a 5 gal plastic pail, and wash them with a stream of water, tumbling them around until the water is clear. Then lay them out on newspaper to dry (inside if the squirrels are around /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ).
After drying, they store pretty well. I crack them in a 4" vise and find that offers good control. However, using a hammer on a solid steel surface like an anvil works good too. My grandmother cracked hickory nuts and walnuts until she was 95 years old.
Using rubber gloves will keep the stain off your fingers. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[lhfarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...Then lay them out on newspaper to dry (inside if the squirrels are around /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )...
)</font>Interestingly, there has been a squirrel "crash" in southern Indiana this year that resulted from last year's nut crop being damaged by the cicada eruption. At least that was what the local paper is reporting. Most years, I happily share the wealth with the squirrels. They aren't around.
So I have never had this many nuts to deal with. In the past I have just mowed over them. I don't own a sweeper or a vac. This is a shopping opportunity. I've also considered a landscape rake w/ wheels.

 

[beenthere]

I have been mystified about the lack of squirrels this year, and have heard of a couple others and you about the 'shortage' due to winter kill or as you have mentioned.

I thought maybe it was my 'war' I raged last year on the gray squirrel population. They were everywhere, and I reduced the population, but didn't think I did such a good job. Now there are two or three fox squirrels around, and they are bigger than the ratty-like gray's.

Super nut year.

 

[gizmo]

I have hickory nuts, acorns, sweetgum balls, and pecans in addition to the usual leaves and fallen sticks. I discovered a clean up method that works so well that I considered trying to make some money with it. I have a 4GPM, 3500 psi pressure washer that I use to rake the yard with. I use the "zero" nozzle at a low angle to the grass and it pulls EVERYTHING except the grass blades up. When the job is finished the grass actually looks like it has been combed.

I've never tried to salvage any of the nuts, and I do have the luxury of being able to drive it all into the adjacent woods instead of picking it up.

 

[beenthere]

That would make a great picture to see that operation. Any chance?

I'm not familiar with the setting on the pressure washer, but a pic would help explain it (that is unless you have patent ideas /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

 

[Farwell]

No shortage of squirrels in my area of Mid Michigan. I live trapped around 40 this year and took them to the forest and released them. I keep a few around for the pine cones and entertainment.
Farwell

 

[kensfarm]

I wondered if anyone has tried one of those golf-ball picker-uppers?

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I have several walnut trees but they are not in my yard, but in the pasture.When the ground is hard (red clay soil so three days with no rain and the ground is as hard as a brick) I attach a light weight 6' box blade behind the tractor and adjust it so it does not dig in the ground. I can drag it around and fill it up in no time. If the ground is hard I don't have to worry about the weight of the tractor pushing some in the ground. If they do get pushed in the ground they are below the mow line.

My neighbor has a steel "drum" made out of re-bar. The re-bar is spaced wide enough to let husk fall through but not the walnut. He has it attached to and electric motor so as it turns the walnuts are tumbled, about 5-10 gallon bucket at a time. The husk just fall off and fall through the slats. It works great and there are always people stopping by with sacks full of walnuts for him to husk.

It does make alot of noise but thats ok except early Saturday morning /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ccsial]

I have at least a 100 black walnut trees. They drop on my trails. I have a powered solution that actually works pretty good. Grand Children. They have a blast throwing them into the woods and make a few bucks doing it.

 

[lhfarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have at least a 100 black walnut trees. They drop on my trails. I have a powered solution that actually works pretty good. Grand Children. They have a blast throwing them into the woods and make a few bucks doing it. )</font>
Our first grandchild was born in late August, so I'll have to wait on that suggestion /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. I like the idea of the box blade. I only have a old, very heavy model and my lawn is pretty soft - especially in the parts with mole runs. But I may give it a try this weekend.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I do have a area where the ground is soft and I gather pears for the deer with the box blade. To keep the box blade from digging into the soft ground I take 12"wide , 5/8 thick piece of plywood and use short ratchet straps to attach it to the bottom of the box blade, one on each end. This distributes the weight of the blade and let it glide over the ground. Just don't tighten the straps so much as to bow the board or it will just roll over walnuts and mash the pears /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif. And make sure the board is not so thick that the walnuts escape under the side of the box blade.

My wife really gives me a hard time about finding ways to use my tractor but I tell her its better than bending over to pick up 500 pears /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. I am now adding to my pole barn and trying to find a way to attach my nail gun to the FEL /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[snooks]

Is there a way to stop a tree from producing nuts? I have 3 walnut trees and have no use for the nuts. This year there are tons and I keep sweeping them off the patio and they make an aweful mess. If not, next year the trees are coming down.

 

[PineRidge]

We quickly got tired of messing with the ones on our property and broke out the chain saw. I don't miss them one bit. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Panache]

I have seen this demonstrated at several farm shows. Looks good.