letemgrow
PMA Member
Great video, Skip.
Land Stewardship over smash and grab for longevity.
Leaving the best trees to regenerate for the next generation only makes sense before harvesting them.
letemgrow
PMA Member
Some additional black walnuts that were released to replenish the next round of lumber before harvesting. Thought I had these posted on here already but couldn't find them.
There is a large amount of baby walnuts growing all over the creek bottom.
In another 10-15 years, it'll be time to go back through to select the best of the babies to keep and let the rest be deer browse.
I like to keep a pretty dense crown around the walnuts so they don't epicormic branch too low.
There is a large amount of baby walnuts growing all over the creek bottom.
In another 10-15 years, it'll be time to go back through to select the best of the babies to keep and let the rest be deer browse.
I like to keep a pretty dense crown around the walnuts so they don't epicormic branch too low.
Last edited:
Hawk32
PMA Member
I met with forester last week to look at doing this same exact thing. I definitely need to do something. I have a ton of young hickory and very little under brush or cover. We talked about what needed to be done and possibly applying for the reap program. Is that worth doing and being somewhat under their control or just do my own thing?
I’d look into it!!! EQIP allows for 3 years to complete.
Rough ballparks…. Let’s say u spent $200/acre to have it professionally done….. get back around $125-135 or so from cost share. Ballpark. Only way I wouldn’t do cost share is these examples:
1) folks dislike dealing with gov & jumping through all their hoops
2) don’t need the cost share $
3) the forester plans & their “outcome” doesn’t align with your goals (happens sometimes for sure!).
4) it takes too long to get funding.
Personal choice. No right or wrong. Of course, if $ is no issue- absolutely better to not deal with the government. I’ve done it on my farms both ways… cost share and no cost share.
Those are gorgeous. I don’t know why I love walnuts like that the way I do?!?!? Since they really don’t benefit deer. But I can’t help myself!! PURDY!!!!! Maybe it’s the crazy $ they worth + how rare gorgeous veneers are!!! & I appreciate seeing them get to that RIPE old age & not getting taken out before their time.
Agree on keeping shade to trunk if possible!!! Lil dense is wise!! I’ve opened some up too much & got sprouts coming off trunk on occasion.
.Relating to walnut management, where do you draw a line in killing competing trees to get quicker growth vs not letting too much light on them to promote the lower branching? I've also seen some plant quick growing trees (I think it was sycamore a used) around young walnuts to push them to grow upward faster. Would you say to aim at clearing the walnut's crown down to the ground, going beyond that would give it too much space it might start branching lower?
letemgrow
PMA Member
I like to keep as much shade as possible on the trunk of the walnut up the main stem to the branches.
This usually entails cutting say one row of trees out around the walnut and then waiting 5-10 years to do it again out further out as the walnut crown continues to grow.
In some cases, it's been easy to achieve this and others not so much. It really depends on how much competition is around the walnut to get it right.
This walnut had two honey locust growing up next to it that were removed. I didn't remove anything further out at that time to let the walnut crown advance enough to shade the trunk.
I'll be cutting more trees out around this one in the coming years now to further advance the crown and weed out competition.
Box elders help push walnuts up. I mean it’s very dependent on what you are actually after. Less limbs the better for walnut value
A well timed timber fire can yield incredible results.
TSI in July. Yee yee