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St Lawrence Nurseries
325 State Hwy 345
Potsdam, NY 13676
315-265-6739

NUT TREES

Checklist for planting black walnut, butternut, buartnut, hickory, and oak :
 
  • Plant in rich soils — loam, well-drained clay or rich bottomland.
  • Dig hole deep enough to generously accommodate the taproot.
  • Pack soil firmly around the root and water amply  the first growing season.
  • Mulch trees to prevent drying out of soil underneath.
  • Optional — foliar feed one or more times during the first month after planting. (before June 15.)
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    Growing nut trees, particularly members of the walnut family, can be either a rewarding or a frustrating experience. If conditions allow them to become firmly established, they will literally inundate you with nuts and grow rapidly into fine lumber or veneer quality trees. However, if conditions do not suit their needs, their growth can be painfully slow.
     

    The walnut family

    The walnut family includes butternuts, buartnuts and black walnuts.  Soils best suited to these species are rich loam and deep silt/clay bottomland.  They are more tolerant than fruit trees to occasional wetness and will become established in the rich, alluvial soils along riverbanks, in flood-plain soils, and, to a lesser degree, on most other soils.  Because they are less fussy about soils than fruit trees, nut trees often get “second best” when it comes to site selection, since the prime spots on the farm are reserved for the fruit trees.  But, before you run off to plant your walnuts on the less desirable sites on your property, let us point out that there is a direct correlation between soil quality and the growth rate of these trees.  If you plant your nut trees in the richest soils,  mulch them regularly and supplement with foliar feeding, they will grow like the dickens, whereas in poor soils with little care they will make little or no growth.  We’ve seen black walnuts 15 years old that were only 2-3 feet tall!  Conversely, we’ve seen them grow 3 to 4 feet in a year.  One famous stand of black walnuts reached 100 feet in 26 years.
     
     

    Black Walnuts

    Young black walnuts are very “carrot” rooted; their entire root system is comprised mainly of one large tap root. There is no root “ball,” no large fibrous mass of roots.  Large woody roots like these are good at storing sugars, but poor at  gathering water.  This is why, when planting members of the walnut family, watering until fully established is mandatory. Plant your trees in deep holes that generously accommodate the tap root, reversing soil layers as described earlier. (See Planting Your Tree)  A good mulch is important, as this will prevent evaporation from the surface, helping to hold water in the soil around the tree.  Soil that is allowed to dry out will often crack along a line with the taproot, shrinking back from the root as it dries. If the soil should shrink back even 1-2 millimeters from the taproot, your tree will die. This often happens in mid and late summer.
     

    Hickory

    Hickory trees are similar in every way to black walnut except that they grow very slowly and have even longer tap roots.
     
     

    Bur Oak

    Bur oak differ from the above in that they begin growth slowly, but rapidly increase in size once established. On the whole, their growth rate falls somewhere between that of walnut and hickory. They are, like the walnut family, deeply taprooted, with a unique tendency to almost corkscrew into the ground.
     
     

    Northern Red Oak

    Northern Red oak is a medium to fast grower, and also sends down a taproot, although its deep roots also spread laterally. It is sensitive to soil compaction.
     

    Spacing and Deer Protection

    Black walnuts, butternuts, buartnuts, oaks, and shagbark hickories can be planted 20 feet apart, or even closer initially, but should eventually be thinned to a 40-ft. spacing. Deer will browse the young trees, so protection is warranted if damage is noted on young trees. (see “Plant Pro-tec” deer repellent.) Often young seedlings will grow best  where a few sparse older trees exist, as long as you plan to cut the older trees before the nut trees are mature.
     

    Hazelberts

    Hazelberts differ notably from the previously mentioned nut trees in their growth habit and soil requirements. They may be strongly taprooted or have no taproot at all.  Like fruit trees, they prefer a sandy loam with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. They will establish best in a hole that generously accommodates the root system. To encourage the hazelbert to take its natural form as a bush, plant the root collar (where stem meets roots) just below the soil level. The plant will then “sucker,” producing many stems, resulting in a highly productive, dense bush.  Mulch the young plants and water them regularly.

    Hazelberts planted on a 3 to 5 foot spacing will fill out to make a wonderful dense hedge. (Photo below.) Their fall foliage is quite beautiful, turning from deep green to a mixture of reds, oranges, greens and yellows. Since their pollen is heavy and they rely primarily on wind for pollination, hazelberts should be planted no further than 8-12 feet apart.