Walnut Tree

[Rick]

I'm wandering if it's a standard thing to be able to get walnut trees removed at no charge in exchange for the wood. I've seen references to that possibility before but don't know where to begin. Would there be a typical contact or a place to start? I'm in the Kansas City area. In the event that can't happen I have 4 questions:
1. Is there a way to render the trees fruitless?
2. Is there a proven method of keeping squirrels out of the trees.
3. Is it true that walnuts will only be in abundance every other year from an individual tree?
4. What is the best method of cleaning a deck and furniture after the sqirrels have dined.

Anyone considering planting walnuts in their back yard needs a frontal labotomy. The mess is unbelievable!

Tired of wearing a raincoat and hardhat on my deck!

[Newt]

Hi Rick,
You have my sympathy. I have a friend who has a neighbor with one just outside her property line and it's a mess! To answer your questions...

...get walnut trees removed at no charge in exchange for the wood.

I've heard of this, but when I had 5 trees to remove I wasn't successful. I was told that I needed to fill a tractor trailer with logs! You might try calling tree removers and see if they know of anyone. Also try any local mills to see if they want the wood.

1. Is there a way to render the trees fruitless?

Not that I know of. There is a treatment for gum trees so you might want to contact these folks.
http://www.treetech.net/

2. Is there a proven method of keeping squirrels out of the trees.

Not that I know of.

3. Is it true that walnuts will only be in abundance every other year from an individual tree?

Never heard of this.

4. What is the best method of cleaning a deck and furniture after the sqirrels have dined.

I would suggest a power sprayer for the deck. For the furniture a mixture of one part bleach with nine parts water, drop cloths, eye and body protection and gloves. The splashing will remove the color from your clothes, so wear old clothes.

Good luck,
Newt

[Yellowtang]

Rick

I know what your going through, believe me I feel your pain. When it comes to those questions you had, I think newt did a good job answering them, only to add that the walnuts will never end. You will only get more and more each year.
About removing them free of charge, it can be done except for the fee of stump removal. Only if you have a lot of them and as long as they have a thick trunk. But it will still be hard to find someone. If I was you the first place I would call would be a local saw mill, someone who buys wood. I almost forgot to ask, Are these Black Walnut trees? Because black Walnut tree are the valueable ones.
Myself I had 5 Black Walnut trees all about 50 foot high and I tried forever to get them removed for free and never had no luck. I was told by every tree trimmer company that I just don't have enough of them. It's only worth it if there is enough logs to fill a tractor trailer. I ended up giving up and paid to have them removed, The last one was cut down last weekend. It's cheaper to get the trees removed in the dead of winter, when the tree removers are hurting for business.

But as far as what your going through , I had all the same problems. The sqirrels use to eat the walnuts on my deck and leave the nut there , and the nut would stain the deck. The stain does go away after time but there will only be more nuts to deal with later.
You made me laugh when you said something about a hard hat, I thought I was the only one who thought of that. The walnuts that fell from my trees were giant and I mean big, if you were to get hit in the head with one of those nut , it would have knocked you out. In the summer I would never let anyone walk under the trees, it was that bad.

There were just to many reasons why the trees had to go. The nuts destroyed my new car with dings on the roof. My new concrete walkway was completely strained black. I could not cut the grass because the nuts were so big , it was like I was hitting rocks. The roots on black walnut trees put out a poison that does not allow anything to grow under or near the tree. I don't know about your trees but my tree would bloom very late in the season and dye off very early in the summer, which I didn't like. But the biggest reason of all why these trees had to go are because of the nuts that would fall in fall. In fall there had to be 100's of pounds of nuts and I'm not lying 100's and 100's of pounds of nuts. You couldn't walk no where, it took me weeks to rake them all up. Thank god it's all over, no more walnut trees to deal with.
One more thing to add before I go, I don't won't to give a bad impression but I do love tree and for the 5 trees that I cut down I will probable plant 10 new trees but they will not be walnut trees. Walnut trees should be grown in a farm or in a large field where someone has spare space to fill. As for someone who does have a lot of gound, plant a 100 of them and a 100 years from now your grandchildren's grandchildren will be very rich $$$$