Anyone Here Ever Planted Walnut from Seed?

[agroventuresperu]

I'm curious to know what are some good ways to propagate Walnut from seed. I found a woman locally that gave us a couple seeds (including shell) of Juglans neotropica, the Andean Walnut. She might be able to get us more, and I would really like to have this tree growing on our property. I've read that it should do OK here, even though it would prefer a little cooler temperatures.

I've read some literature suggesting to remove the shell before sowing in the nursery. I really don't want to risk removing the shell, and rotting the kernel. Perhaps an alternative would be to sand the shell with sand paper just to file away a couple millimeters.

Another concern about growing in the nursery is the root system. Do you think the roots would get knoted and/or pot-bound? Does it have a huge taproot? Would it be better to just direct sow in the final location out in the field, by burying it under a small mound of compost and sawdust?

[elouicious]

unfortunately i cannot speak to this specific species but I can say from experience with Pouteria I generally have a higher risk of the kernel rotting without piercing the shell

Take it for what it's worth- maybe someone can chime in with more species specific advice

[pagnr]

Most walnuts are grafted onto seedling rootstocks in commercial orchards. You could research walnut rootstock production for techniques.
Here is one but others might be more specific.
https://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?action=post;topic=47384.0;last_msg=460123
Not sure if your species needs stratification like other walnuts.
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/misc/walnut/p60_65.pdfSome of the taproot problems in rootstocks can be managed with tall pots or bags.
Not sure how you would remove the walnut shell without damaging the nut inside.

[agroventuresperu]

Most walnuts are grafted onto seedling rootstocks in commercial orchards. You could research walnut rootstock production for techniques.
Here is one but others might be more specific.
https://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?action=post;topic=47384.0;last_msg=460123
Not sure if your species needs stratification like other walnuts.
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/misc/walnut/p60_65.pdfSome of the taproot problems in rootstocks can be managed with tall pots or bags.
Not sure how you would remove the walnut shell without damaging the nut inside.

Thanks for the resource. I don't think a cold stratification is necessary for J. neotropica. I found one publication in Spanish that mentions some of its requirements. I'm glad the publication you linked also mentions the issue of root circling. I assume that would be a problem for any of the Juglans species.

Today I went ahead and sanded the seed with a belt grinder to make the entire seed look rounded (taking away enough of the shell to get rid of the fissured look). And put them in the fridge for a few hours. I'm sure it only needs a minor period at low temperatures due to the day/night temperatures of the native habitat. The publication you linked suggests that floaters are not viable. That is unfortunate as both of my seeds float. The publication I have on J. neotropica says to soak the seeds for 3 days before planting.

I'm still not sure where to plant mine. There is no ideal spot here. We have one are of the property with the best soil, but it is already occupied with enough fruit trees, so I was thinking of planting in an area near the house and using copious amounts of compost. The publication says it needs loose, very fertile soil (sandy loam, silty loam). I assume that has to do with potential root rot issues. Some areas near the house might be described as silty loam, but I see it more as clayey soil. Shouldn't be too much of an issue though since it is a slope. I'm thinking of digging compost pits on both sides of where I plant the seed, and planting the seeds in-between the two pits, and then maybe covering the seeds with a bucket load of finished compost and/or sawdust. Not sure, but even if it doesn't work out this time, the area will be greatly improved for the next attempt.

[pagnr]

I would be wary of discarding floating seed too quickly without having some edible nuts to check by cracking.
It's not a Nth hemisphere walnut so might be different about floating ??
If they have the usual weight of that type of walnut might be ok. If they seem really hollow maybe not.