How To Plant Black Walnuts From Nuts

You can plant black walnuts from nuts by starting with fully mature seeds that have gone through proper stratification.
 
If you’ve ever wondered how to plant black walnuts from nuts, the process isn’t complicated, but it does take patience because these trees operate on their own schedule.
 
Black walnuts from nuts are different from store-bought nut varieties because they have an incredibly hard shell and a natural dormancy that must be broken before they’ll sprout.
 
In this post, we’ll walk through how to plant black walnuts from nuts step by step, including how to harvest and prepare the nuts, how to break their dormancy, and how to get them growing into healthy young trees.
 
Let’s dig in.
 

How to Plant Black Walnuts From Nuts

 
Planting black walnuts from nuts is all about timing and preparation, because if you skip a step, those nuts will sit there doing absolutely nothing for months.
 
Here’s how to get it right.
 

1. Start With Fresh, Mature Nuts

 
When you plant black walnuts from nuts, always start with nuts that are fully mature.
 
These nuts fall from the tree in autumn, usually between September and October, and they’re encased in a thick, greenish husk that eventually turns black as it rots.
 
You want to gather them as soon as they drop because the longer they sit on the ground, the more likely they are to dry out, get eaten by squirrels, or lose viability.
 
Fresh black walnuts from nuts have the best chance of germinating, so pick them up promptly.
 

2. Remove the Husks

 
Before you plant black walnuts from nuts, you’ll need to remove the husks.
 
You can do this by hand while wearing heavy rubber gloves, because the husks contain juglone and will stain your skin brown for weeks.
 
Some people stomp on them with their boots or run them over with a car on a gravel driveway, then hose them down.
 
Either way, get the husk off so the shell underneath is clean and ready for planting black walnuts from nuts.
 

3. Stratify the Nuts

 
This is the step most people skip, and it’s why their attempts to plant black walnuts from nuts fail.
 
Black walnut seeds need cold stratification, which means they require a period of cold, moist conditions to break their dormancy.
 
You can do this naturally by planting the nuts outdoors in fall and letting winter do the work.
 
Or you can stratify them artificially by placing the nuts in a bag of moist sand or peat moss and storing them in the refrigerator at around 34 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 to 120 days.
 
Either way, stratification is non-negotiable when you plant black walnuts from nuts.
 

4. Choose the Right Planting Spot

 
When you’re ready to plant black walnuts from nuts, pick a spot with full sun and deep, well-drained soil.
 
Keep in mind that black walnut trees produce juglone, a chemical that can harm or kill certain plants nearby, so avoid planting them near tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, or rhododendrons.
 
Also, plant them at least 50 feet away from buildings and other trees, because black walnuts grow large and their roots spread wide.
 
A little planning now makes planting black walnuts from nuts much easier down the road.
 

5. Plant the Nuts at the Right Depth

 
To plant black walnuts from nuts correctly, bury each nut about 1 to 2 inches deep in the soil.
 
Plant them with the pointed end down if you can tell which end is which, though honestly, they’ll figure it out on their own.
 
Space the nuts about 12 inches apart if you’re starting them in a nursery bed, and water them thoroughly after planting.
 
Then mulch the area to retain moisture and keep weeds down.
 

After You Plant Black Walnuts From Nuts

 
Once you plant black walnuts from nuts, germination usually happens in spring, though it can take up to two years in some cases.
 
That’s the frustrating part about planting black walnuts from nuts—they take their sweet time.
 
Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy, and be patient.
 

1. Protect the Seedlings

 
Squirrels, deer, and other critters love young black walnut seedlings, so once your nuts sprout, you may need to protect them with fencing or tree guards.
 
These seedlings are tender and vulnerable, so a little protection goes a long way when you plant black walnuts from nuts.
 

2. Water and Weed Regularly

 
Young trees need consistent moisture during their first couple of years, especially if you planted them in a spot that dries out quickly.
 
Water deeply once a week during dry spells and keep the area around your seedlings free of competing weeds.
 
Weeds steal water and nutrients, so staying on top of them is key when you plant black walnuts from nuts.
 

3. Transplant If Needed

 
If you started your nuts in a nursery bed, you can transplant the seedlings to their permanent location once they’re about a foot tall.
 
Do this in early spring or late fall while the tree is dormant to reduce shock.
 
Dig a hole wide enough to accommodate the roots and backfill gently, then water thoroughly.
 
Transplanting isn’t always necessary, but it’s an option if you want to plant black walnuts from nuts in a more permanent spot.
 

So, How Do You Plant Black Walnuts From Nuts?

 
You plant black walnuts from nuts by starting with mature, husked nuts, stratifying them through cold exposure, and planting them at the right depth in a sunny, well-drained spot.
 
The key is patience, because black walnuts from nuts take months to break dormancy and years to grow into mature trees.
 
Follow these steps and you’ll have your own black walnut trees before you know it.
 
Happy planting!