WE *DO* SHIP BARE ROOT PLANTS - Bare root plants are shipped from March to May or picked up in Champaign, IL (select shipping vs. pickup at checkout).
Bare root plants must be ordered in multiples of 25. Bare root heartnuts are 12-24″.
Suited for USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5-8: See tab “Heartnut Family Descriptions” above for specific data
Prices vary by seed source.
Will it thrive?
Stop! Before you buy these heartnuts....are you sure they will thrive in your soil and climate? To be sure, you should prepare a Compass Report for your farm at CanopyCompass.com.
Heartnut Family Descriptions
Heartnut Half-sibs
Half-sibs are trees grown from seed that all comes from a known mother tree that was pollenated by any number of and unknown pollen parents. The cultivar names listed below refer to the mother tree. All seeds come from Grimo Nut Nursery in Ontario, Canada, which has the best heartnut pollen cloud for pollenating these mother trees.
Bates
Origin: A selection known for its early maturation.
Nut Qualities: Medium-sized nuts with high kernel percentage and flavor.
Tree Characteristics: Vigorous, hardy tree that bears well, producing a prodigious amount of large heart-shaped nuts. Hardy to Zone 5.
Special Notes: Full sun and well-drained soil are ideal. Early pollenizer pairs well with late pollinating heartnut.
Campbell CW3
Origin: Selected by Doug Campbell in Ontario, CA, originally from another seedling.
Nut Qualities: Heavy producer of medium-sized nuts that drop out in a mix of halves and wholes. Nut drop in early October.
Tree Characteristics: Trees are more compact but match production with larger trees. Hardy to Zone 5
Special Notes: Early pollinizer; female flowers are receptive before shedding pollen.
Fondemaier
Origin: An older heartnut selection from Dover Plains, NY.
Nut Qualities: Produces large nuts averaging 120 per kilo, rated high for cracking quality.
Tree Characteristics: Annually productive with vigorous growth. Hardy to at least Zone 6
Special Notes: Protandrous early pollinator; ripens in mid-October. Recommended for areas with long frost-free seasons.
Imshu
Origin: A seedling of Schubert selected by John Gordon from Amherst, NY. Imshu means improved Schubert.
Nut Qualities: It is a good producer of large nuts that often drop whole kernels. It ripens early, beginning in late September to early October.
Tree Characteristics: Cold hardy to USDA zone 6. Late pollinator.
Special Notes: Best paired with early pollinators like Campbell CW3. Partially self-fertile.
Schubert
Origin: Thought to have originated in Korea but widely produced in the Niagara region.
Nut Qualities: Relatively large nut, cracks well, and has excellent flavor.
Tree Characteristics: A heavy-bearing tree, hardy to Zone 5.
Special Notes: Partly self-fertile and vigorous. As a late pollinator, it is best paired with an early pollinator.
Mitchell
Origin: Found in Scotland, Ontario.
Nut Qualities: hybrid of heartnut and butternut, cracks well, and has excellent flavor.
Tree Characteristics: A heavy-bearing tree, hardy to Zone 5. Seedlings are said to be highly resistant to butternut canker.
Special Notes: Seedlings will exhibit a wide variation in characteristics with the best having increased hardiness and hybrid vigor compared to heartnuts or butternuts.
Growing Information
Instructions for Bare Root Heartnuts
When Your Heartnut Trees Arrive
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Plant bare-root trees before they break dormancy (buds begin to swell or open).
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Your trees will arrive wrapped in a plastic liner with the roots kept damp with moist sawdust. Since they are dormant, they require little moisture when shipped.
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Keeping trees cool before planting is essential. 40-50 degrees is a good target.
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If you cannot plant them within a week or keep them cool, temporarily plant the bundle of trees in a bucket, cover it with a medium such as peat moss, and keep it in a shady place.
Site Preparation
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Heartnuts require well-drained soil and prefer loamy soils.
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If planting into existing sod, make sure you kill any tall fescue, orchard grass, brome, or alfalfa within a few feet of the planting area.
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A 3% or higher concentration of Roundup will work if applied in the morning of a warm sunny day (70F or higher if possible).
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Re-seed the area with a turf-type mix of perennial ryegrass, fescue, and medium Dutch white clover. Oats can be added as a nurse crop.
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For broadcast seedings, seed each grass at 10# per acre and clover at 1-2# per acre. If using oats as a nurser crop, seed at 32#/acre.
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Space chestnuts at 40’ X 40’ - that is 40’ apart within rows and rows at 40’ apart. This will amount to just over 50 trees per acre.
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Lay out and flag the field beforehand, using different colored flags for alternate rows. A square grid will be easier to mow in future years.
Planting
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Keep trees in the shade always, and keep the roots covered and moist.
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Take just a few trees at a time out of the bag and put them in a five-gallon bucket with enough water to cover the roots. Note: This is only at the planting time; do not leave the roots soaking/fully submerged for an extended period.
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Dig a hole that accommodates the root system without crowding, folding, or bending roots around the sides of the hole.
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Prune off stringy, dangling roots that hang too far below the root mass. Plant the tree with the root crown just below the soil surface. The crown can be identified as the area where the stem broadens and becomes the root. Sometimes, the crown is hard to identify, so make the soil surface about 2 inches above the top lateral root.
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If your soil pH is below 6.5, add a handful of lime to the soil.
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Adding a handful of bone meal or a 0-20-0 fertilizer to the soil is a good idea. Do not add nitrogen fertilizer or animal manure in the first year. It can burn the roots and kill the tree.
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Firm the soil around the tree first with your hand, then your toes—not your heel.
After Planting
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If you have deer or rabbits in the area, apply a 5’ tall vented tree shelter and stakes (available at Canopy Nursery).
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The tree shelter is a very good idea, even if you don’t have any varmints to worry about, as it will make the tree become established and bear nuts sooner than it will without a shelter.
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Tree shelters will also save a great deal of pruning labor. Put tree shelters on the trees as soon as possible after planting.
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Water the trees the first year, any time you go more than a week or two without at least an inch of rain.
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Weed control is very important. Only a trained professional should apply chemicals. Your local NRCS office should have an up-to-date list of licensed applicators.
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Using weed mats or landscape fabric cut into 3x3 or 4x4 foot squares is an excellent alternative to chemicals.
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Use 6” turf staples to secure the corners and edges of the weed barrier.
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Keep the grass between the trees short, especially while shelters are on the trees. Tall grass/weeds use a lot of moisture and provide a habitat for mice. Mice nesting inside tree shelters almost always girdle the trees, which will kill them.
We recognize these factors may be overwhelming, but we are here to offer support and assistance on your tree-planting journey! Please schedule a call if any of these instructions need clarification or if you have any questions or concerns.