Planting Hickory nuts

[smstonypoint]

I try to kill as many hickory trees as I can on my place. low value tree for the most part except to smoke pork and even then i prefer cherry or apple or maple. Its ok firewood but not great however it smells wonderful outside when i burn hickory.

I agree that they have low value timber wise and I wouldn't want them in my lawn.

But oak/hickory forests are a natural ecosystem in a fair chunk of the Eastern US, a system that has evolved over millions (?) of years. I'm more than content to maintain that ecosystem on at least a portion of my farm.

Steve

 

[jonyyuma]

I have had success with planting Hickory, walnuts and pecans, but have not put them in the refrigerator. I did it for the future, and my Grand's. The Ginkgo, I planted is supposed to last over 500 years, it came from the nursery? I hope it survives? JY.

 

[rekees4300]

Got a rake and bucket an managed to harvest 114 nuts. Based on the empty hulls there should have been a couple thousand so apparently the squirrels had a party. Will put them in a bucket of water to find the bad ones (nuts not squirrels).

 

[1010]

My dad has several black walnut trees in his yard. He tried for years to make them sprout.
Long story short he found that just stepping on them (mashing them into the ground) is the way to make them sprout and transplant when sprouted.
Now he has them all over his hill place even complains about all the walnuts on the ground.haha.
Just saying

DAVID,

 

[Wooddust]

I agree that they have low value timber wise and I wouldn't want them in my lawn.

But oak/hickory forests are a natural ecosystem in a fair chunk of the Eastern US, a system that has evolved over millions (?) of years. I'm more than content to maintain that ecosystem on at least a portion of my farm.

Steve

That is certainly what some have evolved to. In Missouri we are known for oak and walnut forests with a lot of hickory, pecan, Locusts. What many do not know is that we were once a huge pine area. Shortleaf pine was out native and very few exist today. We became a hardwood dominated forest community when the Pines were taken for railroad ties. That allowed eastern red cedar ( actually a juniper) to move in as well as hickory and locusts and osage orange to move as well. The eastern forests used to have Chestnuts as I recall reading but they are almost all gone today much like the Elms of the upper midwest.

 

[smstonypoint]

That is certainly what some have evolved to. In Missouri we are known for oak and walnut forests with a lot of hickory, pecan, Locusts. What many do not know is that we were once a huge pine area. Shortleaf pine was out native and very few exist today. We became a hardwood dominated forest community when the Pines were taken for railroad ties. That allowed eastern red cedar ( actually a juniper) to move in as well as hickory and locusts and osage orange to move as well. The eastern forests used to have Chestnuts as I recall reading but they are almost all gone today much like the Elms of the upper midwest.

I'm sure that natural ecosystems differ across regions. In my neck of the woods (Upstate SC and Piedmont NC), pines are an intermediate stage in old field succession. As I recall, it goes something like broom sedge and perennial weeds, Eastern red cedar, native pines (mainly Virginia and shortleaf) , followed by the oak/hickory system. My consulting forester told me that the best way to determine how long it had been since one of my farm's tracts had been cultivated was to date the shortleaf pines (via tree ring count) as they were likely to be the oldest species on the tract.

You are correct about the chestnuts. I can recall old timers talking about the beauty of the chestnut forests that are now long gone. However, I believe I recall reading that efforts to develop chestnut trees that are blight resistant are progressing.

Steve

 

[forgeblast]

I planted shagbark in my crep because its in a spot that will produce a lot of bugs, especially biting ones. the shagbark is a natural home for bats, and they will eat a lot of the bugs. so hopefully two problems solved by planting one tree.

 

[rekees4300]

Got a rake and bucket an managed to harvest 114 nuts. Based on the empty hulls there should have been a couple thousand so apparently the squirrels had a party. Will put them in a bucket of water to find the bad ones (nuts not squirrels).

Changed the water in the bucket and found 36 floaters. So that leaves 78 viable nuts. Will continue to soak them for a few more days then plant in a remote, well drained, full sun location, 3-4 inches deep and let nature take its course. Not going to refrigerate or use tree tubes. It's going to be an organic project.

 

[MossRoad]

scarification. not stratification.

I try to kill as many hickory trees as I can on my place. low value tree for the most part except to smoke pork and even then i prefer cherry or apple or maple. Its ok firewood but not great however it smells wonderful outside when i burn hickory.

Hickory Seed Germination - The hickory tree nut is generally considered to exhibit embryo dormancy and needs stratification. The common treatment is to stratify the nuts in a moist medium at 33 to 50 degrees F for 30 to 150 days. If cold storage facilities are not available, stratification in a pit with a covering of about 0.5 m of compost, leaves, or soil to prevent freezing will suffice. Prior to any cold stratification, nuts should be soaked in water at room temperature for 2 to 4 days with 1 or 2 water changes each day.

 

[MossRoad]

Hickories (Carya spp.) The seeds of most hickories are dormant, requiring stratification for various periods of time. Stratification requirements depend on the species and, to some extent, on the origin of the seed. The approximate stratification requirement of nuts of the most common Oklahoma hickories is three months at 33oF to 50oF. Fall planting of hickory nuts is used very successfully, provided that the nuts are well protected against rodents and severe freeze.