advice needed on black walnut tree

[stevej37]

I have this mature black walnut tree in my lawn that measures 9ft circumference at chest height.
The pic shows it with most of the leafs dropped.

So far, this season, I have raked and picked-up 8 wheelbarrows (6 cu. ft each) and wheeled them to my leaf mulch pile. (not easy shoveling them up in grass)
I have to pick them up before mowing each time...the lawn tractor will just grind them into the dirt.

My back is not liking it and I'm thinking of an alternative for next season.


Any suggestions as to how to do it easier? Are there tools to make the job easier?
I really don't like the idea of cutting it down.

[pwd72s]

Bag on your lawn tractor? Dunno if it would suck up the nuts & husks though. Maybe a small walk behind with a good bagging feature would.

In the days before synthetic rifle stocks, a gun maker would have paid a bundle for that tree. Very prized wood for fancy rifle stocks. Might still be worth a lot.

[flatbutt]

I understand about cutting it down but it may worth a bunch. Contact a furniture manufacturer and sell it to them. Price to include removal and clean up.

[stevej37]

^^^
I have tried using my trac-vac behind my JD.
The tractor squishes the walnuts first when driving over...and then the blades and vacuum won't pick up the nuts. I've looked for a walk behind...can't find one that will work.

[stevej37]

I contacted a local wood collector. He said it wasn't worth it for him to remove just one tree.

Maybe I need to find the right person/manufacturer.

[KFC911]

I just filled half of a 5 gallon bucket of the damn things that fell since yesterday... from my neighbor's itty-bitty tree (by comparison).

I recommend the biggest 2-cycle Stihl that you have on hand ... (keeding)

[stevej37]

^^^ Not a battery-powered one???

[bob deluke]

Do yourself a favor, cut it down. We’ve planted on in our yard at the edge of our driveway years ago. I hate the f#*&n thing! Dirty, brittle branches, freakin nuts everywhere in the driveway. Our’s is about 60’ to the top of the canopy, when those nuts fall from that height, they can do some serious damage to a car if it’s parked nearby. Ask me how I know. Have had the local Amish folks look at it, they don’t want it even for free. My tree guy says they’re not worth much anymore, he’ll take it down but will charge me. I wouldn’t put much faith in the hype that they’re worth a lot of $$$ either. Wife won’t let me take it down until it’s near dying or dead. Stuck with it for awhile I guess. Lots of nuts this year! Can’t wait for it start dying off so we can get rid of it. Worst thing I ever planted….

[john70t]

Raise the mower height around the circle or just let it all fill in.
If it's not easy it's not working right.
(i.e. don't try to push water uphill.)

Every black walnut tree is feeding a ton of wildlife...

In urban areas or right next to roadway curves, they are a serious pain.
Gardens don't grow underneath them. Something about soil chemistry.

[stevej37]

^^^ Bob
Ha!...I was raking and shoveling them up this am and a nut fell and hit me on the forearm.
I looked down and it was bleeding....*&^%$

This year does seem to have an abundance of nuts.
3 or 4 years back...there were almost none.

[stevej37]

[QUOTE=john70t;11482075]Raise the mower height around the circle or just let it all fill in.
If it's not easy it's not working right.
(i.e. don't try to push water uphill.)


I want the lawn to look good at that spot (right next to the road)
How would I pick them up after letting the grass grow?

[Icemaster]

If you decide to take it down, there are indy wood guys that kill for stuff like that, I know a couple guys with portable mills that live for deals like that.

If you go that route I'd try posting something on Reddit's woodworking forums or Craigslist.

It makes for pretty furniture.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by stevej37

^^^ Ha!...I was raking and shoveling them up this am and a nut fell and hit me on the forearm.
I looked down and it was bleeding....*&^%$

This year does seem to have an abundance of nuts.
3 or 4 years back...there were almost none.

My neighbors tree just started producing walnuts a few years ago. Year before last ... a bunch, last year, nada, this year... walnuts. Mebbe they're like Pecan trees that only produce nuts every other year?

[stevej37]

^^^ I wish, but I think for walnuts it's more like every 5th year or more.
Or maybe weather related?

[masraum]

I'm on some facebook woodworking groups.

My understanding is that there are some folks that won't even touch a residentially sourced tree, because there's the possibility of nails or whatever embedded in the tree, and if the saw hits those nails (or whatever) it's an expensive proposition.

Then, the tree has to be cut and dried which requires a kiln or lot of time.

There are "tools" out there that enable "a guy" to use a chainsaw as a portable lumber mill. You can then cut the tree up and do the storage and drying yourself.

What's the problem, leaves or the nuts? From your first post, it sounds like the problem is the leaves, but then subsequent posts sound like the nuts are the problem.

[Crowbob]

I use the tarp method for leaves. Rake (or blow them) onto a tarp. Before it gets too heavy, drag the tarp (or pull it with a tractor) to the compost pile or wherever. Dump, repeat a hundred times.

Addendum:

You can save yourself allot of work by not raking alll of them up every time you mow during the 'fall'. Leaving the leaves, etc, on the lawn won't do much damage if left for a few days at a time. Sorta like crop rotation, do a bit here, then a bit somewhere else around the tree. Plus, walnuts drop their leaves very early so you'll have plenty of time to clean 'em up before the snow flies.

Sometimes, a little uglyness in the yard is acceptable, especially when you get older.

You can also hand the rake to the wife and nicely comment how beautiful the leaves from her tree are.

[stevej37]

^^^ Masraum
The nuts.
Each time I've asked about selling the tree...the nail/staples issue has come up.
I know the history of the property and the tree has never been used for a property/containment line.
But the potential buyer still has to take a chance.

If I knew a way to stop the tree from producing nuts...I would be happy.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by stevej37

^^^ The nuts.
Each time I've asked about selling the tree...the nail/staples issue has come up.
I know the history of the property and the tree has never been used for a property/containment line.
But the potential buyer still has to take a chance.

If I knew a way to stop the tree from producing nuts...I would be happy.

Have it neutered?

I know that there are tools that they sell around here that pick up pecans. I wonder if there's something similar, but more industrial that you could use with the tractor.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

I use the tarp method for leaves. Rake (or blow them) onto a tarp. Before it gets too heavy, drag the tarp (or pull it with a tractor) to the compost pile or wherever. Dump, repeat a hundred times.

I'm not sure how that would work well with walnuts. It would save the wheelbarrow part, but the raking onto a tarp would be the question.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by masraum

Have it neutered?

I know that there are tools that they sell around here that pick up pecans. I wonder if there's something similar, but more industrial that you could use with the tractor.

They make these..



They are only useful for small amounts.