- 1). Collect the black walnuts as soon as they have dropped from the tree. Nuts usually ripen and fall from the tree from September through November. The fresher the walnut, the better chance you'll have of it sprouting.
- 2). Fill a bucket full of water and drop your black walnuts into it to soak. Allow the nuts to soak for several days to soften up the outer husks, which you will need to remove before planting.
- 3). Wear gloves and a shirt you don't mind getting stained, and carefully remove the outer husks of the black walnuts.
- 4). Rinse the black walnuts off with water. Place the nuts into the bucket of water. Some will float, while some will sink to the bottom. Plant only the walnuts that sink to the bottom, as these have more meat inside and therefore have a better chance of sprouting.
- 5). Chill the nuts before planting. You may do this indoors or outdoors. To chill the nuts indoors, place the usable walnut seeds into a plastic bag and refrigerate for 90 to 120 days. To chill indoors, dig a trench in the ground about one foot deep. Place the nuts in the trench and cover them with sand. Allow the nuts to remain there throughout the fall and winter. Dig the walnuts up after the first spring thaw.
- 6). Clear your planting site of any weeds or grasses.
- 7). Plant each walnut seed at a depth of one inch. Your seedling should emerge from the ground in approximately five weeks. You can also choose to start the plant indoors, in which case you will plant your walnut seed in a container of potting soil. Wait until the seedling is approximately one year old and the trunk is about 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch in diameter, then plant the nut in the ground.
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