[NAFEX] Grafting Black Walnuts

Lucky Pittman lucky.pittman at murraystate.edu
Thu Aug 3 12:37:13 EDT 2006


At 10:51 AM 8/3/2006, Donna wrote:
>Could still prove to be Fedco's crummy "Parafilm" which really
>doesn't compare to the real thing.
Dang.  I knew there was something I was supposed to be looking up for 
you - that was it.
I've not used the 'grafting' Parafilm, as I've got ready access to 
the 'good old' Parafilm M, and saw no need to switch.
http://vwrlabshop.com/product.asp?pn=0014239&sid=google&cm_mmc=google-_-cpc-_-labs-_-parafilmm&bhcd2=1154622147
A 2" x 250' roll does a LOT of grafts.
I typically cut it into roughly 6" x 2/3" strips for routine 
use.  Most grafts use up one or two strips.

>     BUT, this is the exciting part.  My one grafted tree has about 8 walnuts
>on it this year!  'Myers' must be rather precocious, as it's only been 3 or
>4 years since I grafted it, and the tree is maybe 3" dbh.  The other,
>slightly larger tree that just won't take a graft no matter what I do, it
>has a walnut or two on the remaining limbs after the spring butchering and
>failed grafts, but the nuts are the very round shape we see on most local
>walnuts.  This Myer or Thomas Myer is an elongated shape.
If it's scionwood I sent you, it's Thomas Myers(aka Hay), which is 
probably the best BW for this part of the country(Ohio River & south) 
- large nut(20/lb), thin shell, kernel % in the 38% range, 
lateral-bearing, anthracnose-resistant, and annual-bearing.
Emma Kay has an 'odd', elongate football shape, as well - very unlike 
most of the 'round' BWs I was familiar with, and it is typically 
heavy-bearing, lateral-bearing, with thin shell and high kernel quality.

  I mean, if the previous groundskeeper had planted hicans,
>might he have planted improved walnuts too?
Sounds like a reasonable likelihood, to me.
Even if they're seedlings of named varieties, it sounds like they're 
an easy-cracking selection, and might be worthy of evaluation and propagation.

Lucky





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