talk with your COUNTY extension office ... to see if.. in the first place... such are viable in your county ...

i have some BW that i planted 14 years ago ... and they are barely 14 feet tall ... i also wonder about what you will have in 40 years.. as far as return on investment ...

finally... how big is your acreage???

ken

Quite a bit of info out there on the 'net. Google up 'walnut agroforestry'. I'll link one to get you started.

A lot of the info will discuss superior nut-producing cultivars, but there are some selections of eastern black walnut that have been selected for accelerated growth and superior veneer-quality timber - and there are some 'figured-grained' selections as well.

It's not as simple as just planting nuts or seedlings and coming back 40 years later to harvest timber.

Here is a link that might be useful: UofMO Walnut Agroforestry

Thanks for the replies.

Ken: I haven't bought the land yet. I'm saving that until after I've picked out which cultivars to grow and where they grow best... and if they will even grow in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

Lucky: Thanks for the link. I've been scouring the net looking for resources. I know this isn't going to be a "plant and forget" type of experience, but gardening is a major hobby and I love being outside working. I'd do it even if it didn't have any financial benefit in the end. Maybe not to the same extent, but you get the idea.

Are there any online communities or other resources for folks with this same idea?

Thanks,
Adam

Adam, check out Northern Nut Growers. http://www.nutgrowing.org/

The hybrid Juglans Hindsi X Juglans Nigra aka the Royal hybrid would be worth looking into.

There are some walnut diseases that have to be considered. Walnut die back is one that is hitting several areas hard.

My advice is to consider carefully whether you want to go through with this, then decide how much acreage to plant. I have 50+ acres of walnut trees planted and have a LOT more work to do on them than I care to think about.

Land that grows good walnut tends to be rich fertile bottom land near streams but outside the flood zone.

If you would like to talk it over, look up my website and give me a call. selectedplants com

DarJones

Thanks for the info! Exactly what I'm looking for. I'll give you a buzz sometime in the near future.

Much appreciated,
Adam

you said:

where they grow best... and if they will even grow in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

fusion said:

Land that grows good walnut tends to be rich fertile bottom land near streams but outside the flood zone.

==>> they seem to be mutually exclusive... to a guy who has never gardened outside MI ... is there any rich fertile soil in NV???? .. lol

i have to repeat.. talk with your county extension office.. or ask for a referral to a state forester ... he probably works out of the college that ends in STATE.. as in nevada state .. as they are usually the horticultural colleges.. but i am too lazy to research all that for you...

ken

Almost all trees grow best in rich bottomland, but a lot of them grow quite well in upland soil to. I do not grow black walnut but I do grow manchurian walnut (juglans mandshurica) and it grows very well in my intermediate sandy soil.

Hey Ken,

I'm actually looking at the california side of the mountains... the upper reaches of the sacramento valley... very different from NV!

I don't think I would attempt an agricultural project in the desert.

- Adam