growing hickory seeds

9 years ago

I just picked up some Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis) seed from a neighborhood tree.

While the nuts aren't edible, hence the name, the tree has great yellow fall color and is supposedly one of the faster growing hickories.

How do I store/grow them?? Should I remove or at least nick the shell? Stratify? Etc?

Also trying to obtain some Shellbark Hickory seed - would these be grown the same way?

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Comments (9)

Smivies (Ontario - 5b)
9 years ago
Moist vermiculite in the fridge for ~3 months (or longer). Plant in spring about 1-2" deep. The seed will germinate & radicle will emerge from Bitternut pretty quickly. A little slower for Shagbark...don't know about Shellbark.
poaky1
9 years ago
I've ordered some Shagbark Hickory seeds from Schumachers seeds, I plan to scrape on a nail (sandpapery) file and then direct sow.
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Hi. I m looking for some freshly fallen shagbark hickory seeds. I only need a few. They need to come from trees that grow in the northern extent of growing area since they will be growing in cold Minnesota!....I have plenty of native flower seed and trees to trade. thanks for any help. -treeboy
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Very nice video Dax. I don't split everything along the suture before I start cracking though. I usually use the nibbler as more of a finishing tool by wedging the nut in certain positions and cutting away pieces of the shell cavity that trap bits of kernel. I would've mentioned the two point position holes at the main hinge point used for adjusting for wider nuts. It helps to get wider nuts further back in the hinge where most of the force and pressure is. I like the catch box you built, I need to make one of those too. The John Deere Colored cracker I gave to my father in law. He said its too pretty to use, lol. I told him Its supposed to be used just like he uses his tractors. I was going to make a video too but I think the picture will be smaller because I can only use my phone. Again, very nice production! Tyler
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Growing a Shag Bark Hickory from Seed
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Not all shagbark or shellbark hickories are 'created equal'. Some are much better, from a crackability standpoint than others. Shell structure is important. I have some with shells no thicker than many pecans - but internal structure traps kernel, so I mostly get pieces. But, other selections have an open central cavity with minimal to no internal ridges, so they crack out predominantly halves and quarters. If you've got access to 'good' ones, there's not a whole lot more work involved than cracking/picking out pecans - though, even with the thinner-shelled selections, you still need something a bit more substantial than the typical pecan cracker. If I'm gonna just sit down and eat nuts - I prefer pecan. But, for cooking, hickory beats pecan hands-down. If you've ever had a hickory pie, pecan just doesn't cut it anymore. Althea, seed-grown shagbarks are SLOW growers for the first few years. They put most of their energy into growing an extensive taproot system - a 6" tall seedling, skinnier than a pencil may have a taproot 3+ ft long, as big around as a broom handle. Time to bearing for a seedling is anyone's guess; you might not live long enough. Time to bearing will be cut in half, if you purchase & plant a grafted selection - and nut characteristics will be a known quality. Here is a link that might be useful: Nolin River Nut Tree Nursery
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Hey treebird101 i can give you all the info on the "LOCK" shellbark if it is one that you got from Fredblankenship or Tyler Halvin i am a friend of the man that has the tree in his yard. Tree is in zone 6A in Southeast, KS rcurtis24 This nut was weighed yesterday from my samples I havn't talked to Dick this year to see if it had nuts will call him today if you want samples of the nut email me at rcurtis@wavewls.com with your address.
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gardener365
9 years ago
No nicking, no scratching necessary. Cold requirements must be met, however (artificial or natural).

Dax
hairmetal4ever
Original Author
9 years ago
If I harvest the nuts right off the branch, as opposed to the ground, are they mature if the husks are starting to split or do so easily?

I can't really find any good ones on the ground, and it doesn't appear many have fallen, but they drop even just shaking the branch, and the husks are cracked open a bit already.

This is on the C. cordiformis.
theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
9 years ago
The nuts should be good. All you have to do is plant them outside in the fall (either in the ground or containers) and they will sprout next spring. Nothing special needs done except maybe to protect them against four-legged critters (especially the shellbarks).

Rodney
poaky1
9 years ago
Okay no scratching needed, good.
treebird101
9 years ago
Why not hunt down some superior cultivar hickory seed? There are several known cultivars of excellent hickory, shagbark and shellbark. Even better to have trees that give you plenty of tasty nuts. Check out the "growing hickory and hican for nut production" forums. Hickory nuts are one of my favorites!
j s
7 years ago
treebird101, Have enjoyed your comments in the forums. Though there hasn't been activity for some time, I have a question. I'm wondering where I might purchase some shagbark seed from some of the better cultivars you've mentioned. I have an opportunity to plant out a large number of trees and would like to start with good cultivars. Thanks!
gardener365
7 years ago
j s, I don't know for certain but I'd check these:

England's Orchard and Nursery

Nolin River Nursery

Grimo Nursery (Canada)

Also, The Nebraska Nut Growers Association and other State Nut Growers Associations.

It's obvious to assume you want to roll the dice with good seed and wait for them to produce nuts 20-30 years later according to what you wrote. I can also assume if you would be grafting onto these in the future, that you want shagbark as your rootstocks and not pecan.

Dax

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growing hickory seeds

Comments (9)

Smivies (Ontario - 5b)

poaky1

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growing hickory seeds

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