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This fall or hold off

backyardtndeer

backyardtndeer

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Jul 29, 2015
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West Tennessee
I have planted a lot of trees and transplanted several, but never grown them from seed. We picked up a couple handfuls of walnuts back over last winter from up the road, actually in the curve of the road. I think we had maybe 14 or 15. I kept them in the garage until I was ready to figure out how to try to make them trees. I only had like 5 that floated but I read somewhere that I may have not waited long enough, so tried again and had a few more float. I had maybe 9 total that I stuck in a mix of potting soil and vermiculite with a little water in ziploc bags in the bottom drawer of the fridge for a couple months. I really probably started a little too late with it, but was still worth trying.

Planted the walnuts in planters 2 to each planter. Had two planters that each had two sprouts, the other two didn't ever grow anything. Separated them into bigger pots and now I am at the point I have 4 trees from 7 inches tall to 18 inches tall.

Question is, do I go on and plant them this fall after they go dormant, or wait until the spring, or continue growing them in the pots and wait until next fall?
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I would go ahead and plant them this fall and let them adjust to thier new home over winter then hopefully they wont require as much water next summer.
Also....being in regular pots you run a risk of the tap root circling the bottom of the pot or becoming a J root (vs growing straight and deep) Just sharing some of the challenges I faced the first time I grew sawtooth oaks. I left them in buckets to long....I've since started experimenting with air prune planter boxes and currently have persimmon and sawtooth's growing in multiple boxes...once dormant I'll transplant those this fall...very curious to see the roots...so if interested youtube or google air prune boxes and they also make pots that are designed to prevent root circling, etc....good luck with your project...its very rewarding starting and planting trees.
 
I know when you transplant trees the best time to do that is in march or april. I think your saplings will be fine as long as they don't get too dry.

Crazy question, but why walnuts? The squirrels will love them but I don't see much else use for walnuts. Walnuts also exude an allopathy making growing grass under them difficult.

I'd have chose pecans if I was going to eat them and a white oak for deer.
 
swampbadger said:
Crazy question, but why walnuts? The squirrels will love them but I don't see much else use for walnuts. Walnuts also exude an allopathy making growing grass under them difficult.

I'd have chose pecans if I was going to eat them and a white oak for deer.
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Variety. They will be planted on existing edge. We already have pecan trees I planted in the yard and white oaks all over the property. I will probably try growing some pecan trees from nuts from the trees in our yard this coming spring.
 
backyardtndeer said:
Variety. They will be planted on existing edge. We already have pecan trees I planted in the yard and white oaks all over the property. I will probably try growing some pecan trees from nuts from the trees in our yard this coming spring.
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I've had my best luck planting in late fall when leaves fall off. Don't plant them next to your plots. Nothing grows well on or next to walnuts.
 
Plant this fall when dormant. You're from west TN so the ground does not freeze solid so the roots will grow some this winter. Look over on chestnut tree thread. I use special pots that air prune and have vertical grooves. The roots will not circle. Got to protect from rabbits and deer so either fence or tube.
 

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