Question about when to prune / remove limb on black walnut tree

[shaymus]

Where can a person buy a dozen or so Black Walnut seedlings? I'd love to have some shipped to me. I'm sure they can Grow in zone 5B, but I've never seen them in any local Nursery.

I did find this while researching the tree. https://shop.arborday.org/black-walnut

 

[calamari]

Here's my favorite Black Walnut story.
I used to live in an apartment that had a garage next to it with a corrugated metal roof. The property was a very old one and had a house built during the gold rush. Here in Auburn when the claims started to play out, the town started a silk worm industry that required Mulberry leaves. The owner of the property had planted a grove around the house and had kept some when the silk worms didn't work out. He'd grafted odd trees onto the Mulberry stumps including a Black walnut that was now almost 3' in diameter.
One morning I was wakened by somebody throwing rocks onto the garage's metal roof. I let it happen for awhile until I had my fill and went outside to run the kids off that were doing it. No kids so I went back inside.
It started up again so out I went and again nobody so when I went back inside and it started again I looked out the bathroom window and found that crows were taking Black Walnuts up into the tree and dropping them on the roof to break them. The walnuts were too tough so some of them took them out and dropped them on the street that broke some of them and the cars running over them finished the process.
And they say cockroaches will inherit the earth.

 

[Brufab]

Here's my favorite Black Walnut story.
I used to live in an apartment that had a garage next to it with a corrugated metal roof. The property was a very old one and had a house built during the gold rush. Here in Auburn when the claims started to play out, the town started a silk worm industry that required Mulberry leaves. The owner of the property had planted a grove around the house and had kept some when the silk worms didn't work out. He'd grafted odd trees onto the Mulberry stumps including a Black walnut that was now almost 3' in diameter.
One morning I was wakened by somebody throwing rocks onto the garage's metal roof. I let it happen for awhile until I had my fill and went outside to run the kids off that were doing it. No kids so I went back inside.
It started up again so out I went and again nobody so when I went back inside and it started again I looked out the bathroom window and found that crows were taking Black Walnuts up into the tree and dropping them on the roof to break them. The walnuts were too tough so some of them took them out and dropped them on the street that broke some of them and the cars running over them finished the process.
And they say cockroaches will inherit the earth.

Yea cutting grass under them when they start falling you will need to wear your arborist helmet as some must weigh 6-12oz each and are pretty hard. Not a tree to plant of have around a well manicured lawn.

 

[Del_]

Here's my favorite Black Walnut story.
I used to live in an apartment that had a garage next to it with a corrugated metal roof. The property was a very old one and had a house built during the gold rush. Here in Auburn when the claims started to play out, the town started a silk worm industry that required Mulberry leaves. The owner of the property had planted a grove around the house and had kept some when the silk worms didn't work out. He'd grafted odd trees onto the Mulberry stumps including a Black walnut that was now almost 3' in diameter.
One morning I was wakened by somebody throwing rocks onto the garage's metal roof. I let it happen for awhile until I had my fill and went outside to run the kids off that were doing it. No kids so I went back inside.
It started up again so out I went and again nobody so when I went back inside and it started again I looked out the bathroom window and found that crows were taking Black Walnuts up into the tree and dropping them on the roof to break them. The walnuts were too tough so some of them took them out and dropped them on the street that broke some of them and the cars running over them finished the process.
And they say cockroaches will inherit the earth.

Mulberry and Walnut are not going to be graft compatible.

 

[calamari]

Mulberry and Walnut are not going to be graft compatible.

You're welcome to drive to Auburn, Calif. and tell that to the tree.

 

[Del_]

You're welcome to drive to Auburn, Calif. and tell that to the tree.

Cool story though.

 

[Brufab]

Incase some were wondering

 

[calamari]

Incase some were wondering

Well nobody's perfect, Del. Thanks for the verification Brufab..

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I guess it just goes to show you can milk anything with nipples...

 

[calamari]

I guess it just goes to show you can milk anything with nipples...

...and as always you are the suede that binds the harvest!

 

[Dave1960_Gorge]

I agree that cutting the whole limb is a bad idea; decay will most likely set in at the wound. Us arborists think long term, probably not a problem for decades. Comes down to if you value the tree long term or mainly see it as a nuisance.

Seems to me nuts will still get on the driveway even if you cut the limb; so maybe consider complete removal, or get someone interested in taking the nuts! In my town walnuts are on the "nuisance" list and you will get a permit to remove one in the City ROW no problem. Which is too bad, we have some 3 - 4 1/2 ft. diameter trees here (Black Walnut and California Black Walnut).

Value of the wood is mainly based on the diameter of dark heartwood in the logs. The butt chunk (can't see how tall it is -- if it is 8 - 10 ft. could be worth quite a bit -- big slabs with crotch wood can go for a lot --once processed and at a dealer, though). The large limbs (trunks) could be worth something, but likely don't have enough heartwood to interest a fine furniture grade walnut buyer. If they were part of a semi-load of hardwood, would be worth something, because lower grades with a lot of sapwood would get stained to be used for various products. By themselves, probably not saleable except as firewood (which is only worth something once in rounds on a truck). Maybe a local guy with a portable mill might want them and give you some boards in exchange.

I have dealt with a lot of clients (and potential ones) who thought that their not very big walnut was worth big money, when it was not. As in, we will make money if you remove our 18 in., branchy tree....not. OTH, there is a big one with a dead top in my town, nearly 5 ft. in diameter and no branch until around 20 ft. That butt log could be worth 10k at a buyer in Portland -- but you would still need to hire a 120 ton crane to put the 15k pound butt log on a flatbed in one piece and send it off (I think so -- crane guys here may correct me), plus the cost of a the crew taking down the rest, probably with the crane the first day to speed things up, and processing it (and it is over a street, powerlines, and a city park; probably two days, street closure and flag crew, probably 8k). So, the owner might clear 2k less the cost to haul.

 

[Brufab]

I agree that cutting the whole limb is a bad idea; decay will most likely set in at the wound. Us arborists think long term, probably not a problem for decades. Comes down to if you value the tree long term or mainly see it as a nuisance.

Seems to me nuts will still get on the driveway even if you cut the limb; so maybe consider complete removal, or get someone interested in taking the nuts! In my town walnuts are on the "nuisance" list and you will get a permit to remove one in the City ROW no problem. Which is too bad, we have some 3 - 4 1/2 ft. diameter trees here (Black Walnut and California Black Walnut).

Value of the wood is mainly based on the diameter of dark heartwood in the logs. The butt chunk (can't see how tall it is -- if it is 8 - 10 ft. could be worth quite a bit -- big slabs with crotch wood can go for a lot --once processed and at a dealer, though). The large limbs (trunks) could be worth something, but likely don't have enough heartwood to interest a fine furniture grade walnut buyer. If they were part of a semi-load of hardwood, would be worth something, because lower grades with a lot of sapwood would get stained to be used for various products. By themselves, probably not saleable except as firewood (which is only worth something once in rounds on a truck). Maybe a local guy with a portable mill might want them and give you some boards in exchange.

I have dealt with a lot of clients (and potential ones) who thought that their not very big walnut was worth big money, when it was not. As in, we will make money if you remove our 18 in., branchy tree....not. OTH, there is a big one with a dead top in my town, nearly 5 ft. in diameter and no branch until around 20 ft. That butt log could be worth 10k at a buyer in Portland -- but you would still need to hire a 120 ton crane to put the 15k pound butt log on a flatbed in one piece and send it off (I think so -- crane guys here may correct me), plus the cost of a the crew taking down the rest, probably with the crane the first day to speed things up, and processing it (and it is over a street, powerlines, and a city park; probably two days, street closure and flag crew, probably 8k). So, the owner might clear 2k less the cost to haul.

Extremely knowledgeable info! Thanks for sharing. Will help alot of novice guys out for sure that find the thread. Me included, now I am that much smarter with the other info i have gained over the years

 

[calamari]

Here in ther north end of the central valley there is walnut firewood coming out of sellers ears. Walnuts have a limited productive life I guess as they pull out whole orchards and make firewood out of the trees and replant Black Walnuts to start the grafting process all over again. Then again, it could be because of the tax code and how they deal with depreciation and postponement of taxes during the initial growing phase.
My family had a 20 acre walnut orchard on the bank of the Napa River and I don't recall any of the trees being pulled out en mass. Limbs and bad trees sure but some were approaching 100 years old.

 

[RichiePea]

careful about international shipping of plant materials. It may be perfectly fine to send Black walnut to England - but check before you do.