black walnut advice

[andrewjoseph]

I have a question about what to do about two fairly large black walnuts I need to fell.

The only reason I'm doing any cutting of live trees is I am clearing out a space for a garden that is near the house. I have several maple, oaks and a few hackberry that I will definitely process into firewood. A few smaller black walnuts that are all twisted up and full of knots that I will also burn. (I put those on an I.d. help post yesterday.

My question is what to do with two giant black walnuts. I hate to cut them but
I only have one space to put a garden. And I take my garden very seriously.

I think I could end up with 7or 8 thick 8 or 10 ft. Sections of log.

Is it worth it to try to sell these to the two places in town that I know about and try to figure out how to deliver them? Or should I just put them on Craig's list and see if someone offers something? Midwest walnut, which I think is one of the bigger walnut buyers in the country is just 25 minutes from my house also.

I do not know anyone personally that works with wood like this or mills it. I hate to just turn it all into firewood considering it isn't great for burning and I have a ton of already downed dead hardwood.

Should I mess with it or not?
What length should I cut the logs if I do try to sell them?

Sorry for the potentially annoying question here. I just hate to turn such pretty wood into firewood or waste the opportunity to make a few bucks I could put towards new equipment.

Thanks

 

[Applesister]

Why would it be potentionally annoying?
Ive had trees off my property I wished I hadnt cut up. I also have a close neighbor who bought their farm with a sawmill on the farm. They also purchased a Wood Mizer portable sawmill. They are an Eastern based company. (I think)
But DEC has a list of registered loggers who travel to location to mill logs on site.
You will be required to do some legwork to either find a buyer or a sawmill that will process the trees.
Personally I would find a personal use for the wood. Paneling or shelving material or maybe even flooring.
The last thing I would do is cut it up for firewood.

 

[mass_burner]

I'm seeingb these sold in 6-12 ft slabs , 24" wide , 3-5" thick for counter/bar tops in the 700-1000 range depending on condition/grain pattern etc.

 

[Thistle]

Too bad I don't live closer.....Omaha is barely 2 hours to my west....

Woodturners,carvers & sculptors will pay good money for short thick blocks,chunks & slabs.

Rip a few chunks,take some pics,place ad on CL & see what happens...

 

[Fire Breathing Dragon]

If you are considering selling them, perhaps offer them as they are standing and the buyer could then cut to their specific lengths based on their requirements? If someone is looking for 12' boards and you cut them shorter, well then you are reducing your potential buyers. You could offer to cut them to required length as part of the exchange. I picked up some black walnut wood that a tree service team had cut to about 26" lengths. I brought home several truck loads of them and gave a few rounds to a buddy who turns wood into bowls which I was happy to see it put to good use. The rest I split for firewood and wow it seemed like a sin... Good luck!

 

[Paulywalnut]

Trees that grow in the yard are sometimes suspect because of nails or old barbed wire, cables whatever.
A sawyer in your area could give some guidance. I have a couple of dozen BL's. I've never cut any of them down though.
I have one that has a 20' straight run on it but was told what I said in the beginning. So I just rake walnuts up every fall.

 

[BEConklin]

There is one consideration that nobody has mentioned yet. And it's a thing that might impact your decision on cutting these trees down to put in a garden. It's a natural compound called "juglone", produced by black walnut trees and contained in every part of them, from roots to nuts. Juglone effectively inhibits the growth of other plants around the black walnut tree - so effectively in fact that it is sometimes used as an herbicide. You might find you've killed two trees to make a garden where nothing will grow to begin with because the soil is full of juglone.

 

[Firewood Bandit]

Everytime I see threads on black walnut values, I think of this.

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[Applesister]

Yeah...yeah...yeah...same song and dance every landowner gets.
If you cant run with the big dogs then stay on the porch?
Ive heard it all...all my life.
The old "we dont open our lunch pails for nothing" routine.
Blah..blah..blah...

 

[Jon1270]

Juglone was my first thought, too. It won't kill everything, but some popular garden veggies (tomatoes and rhubarb come to mind) are quite sensitive and may not do well if the garden is very close to where these trees stood.