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I have never planted a nut orchard or grove I guess they are called. At this stage of my life, I need to consider growing things that have a maturity date during my lifetime. Even though planting for someone else’s lifetime has a lot of merit.
Nuts are taken by granted by me. I want some, I go buy some. All different kinds are available to me from all over the world at any time of the year and usually at a very affordable price. I love nuts just to eat and especially to cook with. I love wet walnuts in syrup on ice cream. Our whole family has found memories of picking hickory nuts and making good things to eat with them.
Soils
Most nut species grow more readily on loamy or even sandy soils than they do on heavy clay soils. They also prefer well-drained soils, but pecans can tolerate heavy bottom soils that flood occasionally. All species are unfavorably affected by shallow soils that have hardpan or rock layers in the upper 4 feet.
Nut trees prefer slightly acid soils, but walnuts also do well in neutral soils.
Site
Site is an important factor in tree growth and hardiness. Most nut trees, even if they grow well, will have reduced crops on low sites where frost usually comes later in the spring and earlier in the fall. Excessively windy sites can both shorten and distort top growth and may result in premature shaking off of many nut fruits. Windbreaks, like tall trees or buildings that shelter a tree from the prevailing winds, tend to increase tree hardiness and productivity. Towns generally provide a warmer microclimate, and it may be possible to grow a species or variety in town that would fail in rural areas in the same county.
Spacing
Nut trees (except filberts) will become large trees, requiring considerable space. Some growers prefer to plant trees close together to obtain more early production and then remove the "filler" trees as the planting becomes crowded. Close spacing may pose problems if the grower doesn't remove the filler trees early enough to allow the permanent trees to develop a desirable structure. Filler trees should be removed before the branches of adjoining trees meet. The following list suggests the spacing for permanent trees (filler trees may be added temporarily):
Chestnut (Chinese), 40 ft. X 50 ft. (Castanea mollisima) Zones 5-9: Fast growing to height of 60'. Blight resistant. Produces nuts early to mid-September of medium to large size, with excellent sweet quality. NOTE: Several sources rate for Zone 4 planting.)
Filbert, 15 ft. X 15 ft. (Filberts can be grown successfully over a wide area of eastern North America as long as some important details are followed. They do not compete well with sod. They also need extra moisture to keep from being stressed. In addition to irrigation, thick mulch will help conserve moisture and keep the root zone cool. Finally, filberts need soil that is slightly acid. A soil pH of 5.5 to 5.7 is about right. If soil pH is too high, the filbert cannot pick up certain elements such as manganese and phosphorous. Filberts are sensitive to herbicides. In the late 1800s northwestern US farmers began growing filberts as an agricultural crop and today Oregon is America’s top producer of hazelnuts.)
Trazels, 15 ft. x 15 ft. (A trazel is a cross between the Turkish tree hazel and the European hazel. The nuts are of the same size and quality as commercially grown hazelnuts)
Filazel, 15 ft. x 15 ft. (Zones 4-8: A cross between Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) and Filbert (Corylus avellana) A best all around selection. Produces heavy crop of nuts early, in 3-5 years, large in size, of good flavor. This is truly a marketable variety.)
Hican, 50 ft. X 50 ft. (Pee Wee Hican- Named after a short Texan who discovered this treasure growing in the wild and propagated it commercially. The nuts are quite large and are easy to grow. Zones 4-9. Also the Simpson Hican- These large nuts are much easier to shell out than Hickory and the flavor is a pleasant blend of Pecan and Hickory. Zone 4-9) Hicans are natural hybrids between pecan and hickory that fall into categories based on whether the hickory parent was a shagbark or a shellbark. In general, shellbark X pecan produces a larger nut than the shagbark hybrids, but the shagbark may be heavier producers. Unless self-pollinating, several different varieties should be planted together for good nut production. Trees reach 50-70' in height with a round and spreading crown. Plant trees on 40-50' spacing, first production in 6-10 yrs. Hican trees bear handsome foliage, and deserve planting for their ornamental qualities. The nuts retain the hickory flavor considered by most to be the finest nut flavor.
Hickory, 50 it. X 50 ft. ( Carya ovata) Zones 4-8: The best known of the hickories. Growing to 80'. Patience is needed as it may take 20 years before nut production starts!)
Pecan, 50 ft. X 50 ft. (Carya illinoensis) Zones 4-9: " NEW 10th Anniversary Special " Some sources rate hardiness to zone 3. Produces nuts smaller than southern varieties with same excellent flavor. Grows 70 to 90' tall. Two needed for proper pollination. ) The pecan tree, like most nut trees, has female and male blossoms, and pollen from the male blossoms, catkins, needs to be transported to the female blossoms, staminate.
Pollen needs to migrate to female flowers within a given window for the fertilization process to be effective. Cool spring temperatures slow down the manufacture of pollen so female blossoms are not pollinated.
Walnut, black, 50 ft. X 50 ft. ((Juglans nigra) Zones 3-8: Grows to height of 80-100', tall and stately. Most valuable lumber tree in U.S. and produces one of the most desired nuts for eating or baking in cookies, cakes and candies.)
Walnut (Persian, Hardy, English, and Carpathian), 35 ft. X 35 ft.( The Persian, English, or Carpathian Walnut is grown worldwide. California produces 95 percent of the walnuts grown in the United States. Walnuts require a deep well-drained soil and favor neutral to alkaline pH. While somewhat slow growing at first, they will begin bearing in 3-6 years. Walnuts are an excellent multiple use nut tree, yielding high quality nuts, valuable wood (Carpathian Walnut is known as Circassian Walnut in the trade), good shade (especially heartnuts), and minimum pest problems or pruning requirements. Of special interest are grafted walnut trees of known parentage.)
Establishing Nut Trees
Nut trees may be established by planting seed, by planting trees, or by grafting onto established seedlings. Planting seed where the tree is desired eliminates the problem of successfully transplanting a tree. But because most nut species are not genetically uniform, variations in tree and nut characteristics are likely. An improved variety can later be grafted onto a seedling tree. Improved varieties can be grafted onto young wild seedling trees in areas where such seedlings are present.
Starting from seed
Nut seeds have natural seed dormancy that must be overcome before they will germinate. The simplest method of breaking dormancy is planting the seed in the fall. However, the planted nut, however, must be protected from mice and other wildlife. Plant the seed about 2 inches deep. Cut the bottom out of an ordinary "tin" can and cut a 1-inch hole in the top. Push the can into the soil over the nut so that the top is about level with the ground and the hole in the top is directly over the nut. Mulch with straw but remove the mulch in early spring. Tin cans usually will rust out and do not need to be removed; aluminum cans must be removed before they damage the young tree by girdling or confinement.
For spring planting, seed dormancy can be broken by placing the nuts in damp (not soggy) peat moss or sawdust in a closed plastic bag and keeping them in the refrigerator for 6 to 12 weeks or until planting time. Plant the seeds 2 to 3 inches deep early in the spring.
Planting young trees
Young nut trees (except filberts) have a long tap root with very little branching. After transplanting, the development of fibrous roots is slow. These root characteristics mean that nut trees are among the most difficult to transplant successfully. Extra care is required.
Late winter or early spring is the best time for planting. Trees should be planted immediately after they are received from the nursery.
Dig a hole that will accommodate the tap root without bending. Prune off any broken or damaged parts of roots. Place the tree in the hole at the same depth at which it was growing in the nursery. Fill in around the roots with loose soil, tamp firmly, then settle the soil around the roots with a bucket or 2 of water. Finish filling the hole with loose soil and settle it with more water. Then prepare a small catch basin around the trunk for future watering. Protect the trunk from sun damage by wrapping with waterproof tree wrapping paper or burlap.
Do not put fertilizer in the hole or on the soil surface after planting. Start fertilizer applications 1 year after transplanting.
During the first growing season the young tree will need watering every 10 to 14 days, depending on rainfall and temperature. The slowness to develop new roots puts a strain on the young tree. Partial shade during hot weather will help the tree survive the critical first summer. At the first sign of drooping or wilting of the new shoots, provide partial shade if watering does not correct the wilting.
Heavy pruning of the top is essential for survival. After planting the young tree, cut off about half of the top to balance the root loss in transplanting; make sure, however, that several good buds remain.
Fertilizing
Nut trees growing in deep, fertile soil may produce satisfactory crops without fertilizing; in other soil, annual fertilizing is needed. Apply fertilizer to the soil surface under the spread of the branches, keeping it at least 1 foot away from the trunk. Apply in early spring before growth starts.
Nitrogen is the element needed in greatest quantity. Lesser amounts of phosphorus and potassium are required. A 20-10-10 or similar analysis mixed fertilizer high in nitrogen is suggested. (If 20-10-10 or similar analysis mixed fertilizer is not readily available, substitute 1 pound of 12-12-12 plus 1/3 pound of 33-percent ammonium nitrate for each pound of 20-10-10 suggested.) For young trees up to 6 inches in trunk diameter, apply 20-10-10 at the rate of 1 pound per inch of trunk diameter at breast height. The diameter of a trunk is approximately one-third of the circumference. For example, apply 6 pounds of 20-10-10 to a tree that is 6 inches in diameter (18 inches around the trunk) at breast height. For trees from 7 to 12 inches in diameter, apply 2 pounds of 20-10-10 per inch of diameter. For large trees more than 12 inches in diameter, apply 3 pounds of 20-10-10 per inch of diameter.
These are general suggestions. On infertile soils it may be helpful to increase the quantity of fertilizer by 25 percent. On fertile soils, the quantity of fertilizer may be reduced by 25 percent or more, depending upon the vigor of the tree.
Controlling Nut Predators
Squirrels and birds are a greater deterrent to successful nut production than plant diseases and insects. In some locations, tree squirrels are numerous enough to take most of the filbert, pecan, hickory, and Persian walnuts before the grower can harvest them at the right stage of maturity. Birds, particularly jays and crows, will harvest filberts and Persian walnuts. Blackbirds and starlings sometimes destroy green nuts of Persian walnuts. Ground squirrels will climb the bushes to harvest filberts and can take pecans and other thin-shelled nuts from the ground. Chestnuts, at least, are protected by their burs until the nuts fall out.
It is well to look at the local squirrel and bird populations and size up their possible effects before putting much time and effort into planting susceptible nut tree species. Chestnuts, hickories, and black walnuts will usually be safer than other kinds.
Losses to tree squirrels can be reduced by using a smooth metal shield placed around the trunk to prevent squirrels from climbing the trunk. This will work if the nut tree is isolated so that squirrels cannot jump from other trees, buildings, or wires to the nut tree, and if the lowest branches are too high for the squirrels to jump to them from the ground. The shield should be 24 inches wide and placed on the trunk at breast height.
Hastening the falling of mature nuts by shaking limbs and frequently picking up fallen mature nuts will reduce losses.
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 Resources: Excerpted from “Food For Thought Series” by Arlene Wright-Correll
For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/ and click on Arlene’s Books you can download or buy my gardening & cook books. All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and we thank you for your attention to this site.
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