Chandler Walnut Nutlets

Walnut bloom is wrapping up and the nutlets are expanding.  It is way to early to guess at crop size.  Even later in the season walnuts are difficult to estimate because of the size of the trees and the nuts are similar in color to the leaves.  This is a triple cluster in the center of the picture.  Lots of doubles and triples will generally mean a better crop, but it is too early to know how many are there.  (Pretty picture though!)

Freeze Damage on young Tulare Walnut tree

The cold dry December we had in 2011 caused freezing damage on some young walnuts.  This is a walnut entering its' second leaf.  The lowest buds are OK but the upper part of the tree will need to be removed.  If left behind, the tree would grow around the dead wood and create a weak trunk.  The roots are unaffected and the tree will regrow vigorously. The interesting thing is that the freeze damage happened seemingly at random to only 11 trees on 30 acres.  Good soil moisture during the cold winter months, and not pruning too early are freeze-prevention measures for young walnuts.