[Homestead] Walnut catkins uncertainty
Roy Morgan
k1lky at earthlink.net
Wed May 28 11:46:15 EDT 2008
On May 28, 2008, at 10:21 AM, Gene GeRue wrote:
> On May 28, 2008, at 8:58 AM, Roy Morgan wrote:
>>
>> Any advice on growing black walnut trees from the nuts welcome.
...Plant black walnuts well back from future gardens--the juglone in
>
> their root system is toxic to a long list of plants... they tend to
> be messy
Gene,
Thanks for the succinct and valuable advice.
The new house is some cupla t'ousand feet from the pond. Well, maybe
one. I think some willows near the pond would be nice, and maybe some
black walnuts.
> ... be generous with your distance from house or
> gardens. Also, you don't want the roots near septic systems
Good point on the septic system. We have a rough idea where that is,
and can get more details soon.
I may eventually put in a graywater system near the small barn where
I'll have my shop. ("Shop" is likely to include a modest photo
darkroom and a sink/wash area for cleaning equipment.)
> Once they start growing prune them to a central leader. You want them
> straight and tall, for your grandchildren to make beautiful furniture
> from.
Indeed. My grandfather was a cabinet maker in Boston. My Grandmother
may have complained that there was no place to put the baby's clothes,
and some time later he came home late - on a horse drawn cart perhaps,
instead of the usual trolley. On the cart was a four drawer mahogany
dresser with mirror he'd managed to put together in spare time at the
factory. That was 1908. I have it here now. I remember my
grandmother telling me that the Cuban Mahogany they sometimes used was
very hard on the tools. 'Had sand in it, she said. (Unlikely!)
> Catkins are walnut sex pendants, the long, droopy, fuzzy things that
> hang down and then fall to the ground,
Maybe that has happened already this year. I'll look for them.
Oh, I forgot to report that I can count at least 3 or 4 little walnut
tree volunteers here - most under 6 feet tall. I hope to dig some of
them up to get a head start at the new place.
Roy
Roy Morgan
k1lky at earthlink.net
Lovettsville, VA 20180
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