Just a suggestion, the company that is processing and selling shelled black walnuts, Hammons, might be looking for places to buy walnuts. Google them and find out if they have a processing plant in your area.
eggs chirping
Thanks Granny! I'll do that.
btw are they bad for chickens and other domestic critters? They provide most of the shade here.
MollyD
Granny I went looking and they have nothing with 100 miles of me. Found another page that said they have nothing in NYS. It was a good idea though. I looked to see if there were any other companies doing this but couldn't find any others.
Thanks!
MollyD
To my knowledge, they are the only company that processes black walnuts. The owner is the one (I think) who developed the process to hull and shell them.
As far as I know, they are not harmful to any critters, but not positive on that. I DO know, however, that they are deadly to tomatoes. I don't know what other plants you can't put near them.
Azaleas and rhodies don't do well under them.
Figures it would be a monopoly LOL
MollyD
i recall Louise Riotte stating they put out a chemical in their roots. most things it is toxic to.
They do have a chemical but some things are okay with it. I've got hostas, hydrangeas, lily of the valley and some other things growing right at the base of the trees without trouble. Grass is okay too but azaleas and rhodies just curl up and die!
Molly
Well, seeing as I only have one rhodie and that isn't anywhere near one, I guess it is okay. In fact, the ag man told me mine was the first rhodie that looked good here. Nothing grows good here.
Granny work tons of peat and composted horse manure into the soil around it, use pine mulch and use Miracle Gro's acid fertilizer. They love acid.
MollyD
Molly, if I were to work any more acid fertilizer into the soil, it would be off the charts on acidity. In fact when we tried to grow tomatoes the first year we lived here, the underside of the leaves turned purple. In order ot grow tomatoes, or anything else that likes neutral soil, we have to add ag lime every year or so.
I ordered a couple of nut trees (northern pecans) that are supposed to do okay in our zone, and found out I will have to feed them lime every year in order for them to survive. Of course, the nurseries don't tell you that when you order them. They only tell you that (maybe) in their "planting guide". So, I have to give them a lime water bath every year. So far, so good as to survival. I only lost one out of the four I planted.
I also have other things planted around the rhodie and they are doing pretty good too. So, I guess I will continue to do whatever I have been doing to keep it healthy. BTW, I got it for 60% off the original price because it was left over that year and was scraggly. The place I got it from must have thought it wouldn't survive because it looked so bad. Needless to say, I am laughing at them now.
Granny in NYS we tend to have acidic soil too but we still add the amendments I mentioned. I guess if they're doing well for you then they're okay.
MollyD
Molly, when it blooms, if I remember, I will post a picture of it.
Okay thanks!
MollyD