I have done much research over the recent past in preparation for the upcoming planting season. As many here know, plans are being laid to plant a Hog Food Forest. Towards that end, pecans, hickories and walnuts are on the short list of those trees being considered. As the scope of this project may one day include 200+ acres, the first ten-acre plot is being used to trial many different trees to make as many mistakes as possible now before attempting to tackle the really big stuff.
During research for starting pecans, hickories and walnuts from seed, a common refrain is cold stratification. For example:
Both of these sites plainly state that hickories and pecans must receive a period of cold stratification.
This year I am also trialing acorn fed pork. Towards that end, I asked an aunt of mine who has several hickory trees in her yard who has to pick the hickory nuts up to keep from damaging her lawn mower, to save every nut for me. She did by placing them in a black plastic trash bag and bringing them to me. This is what I found upon opening the bag:
I don't know about y'all, but that sure looks like a germinated nut to me. What's more, about 20% of the nuts so stored had germinated.
Earlier today, the youngest four kids and I went to pick up some pecans for Youngblood. After giving the tree a good shaking which dislodged many still encapsulated in their green husks, we all went quadruped. While crawling around I happened upon a pecan that still had half of the green husk attached. I quickly rubbed off the remaining husk and to my eternal surprise found that it had germinated!
That one precocious little pecan now resides in a tall, 3-gallon pot on the carport along side it's new little chinquapin neighbors.
I would have been less surprised by looking out my back door and seeing a black bear. I would have bet a large sum of money that what I've seen would have been impossible.
Anyone have any experiences that might shed light on these observations?
(BTW, this year we have picked up many acorns (like a few wheel barrows full) of several different types of oaks and placed them into many different types of containers. Of those that have been kept in trash bags, germination rates have been impressive.)