ken: I've been doing tons of research on this subject for weeks now. I know there are lots of issues to keep in mind for potted trees -- nutrition, frequent watering, protecting them from root freeze during the winter and using special pots for the walnuts so that the taproot doesn't get all curled up in the pot, etc. I know all about how apples don't breed true and will need to be grated to get good apples. I know that seed-grown trees will be huge at full size. When my husband and I move to our rural paradise in a few years, I want to plant these trees and have them grow into enormous giants that our children and their children can enjoy all their lives. Dwarf trees are cute, but I want majestic towering beauties. I want to grow from seed to get the full experience from start to finish in caring for trees. It all looks like a really fun process to me which is why I'm doing it the slow way. There's something really exciting about throwing a bunch of seeds in pots and just being surprised with what grows. I know I could get predictable results from nursery raising seedling in less time, but there's less adventure and discovery in that process. canadianplant: There are indeed named cultivars for black walnuts which were selected for superior nut production -- size, taste, meatiness and thinner shells. I might keep a couple of wild ones, but I want to practice grafting too. There are named cultivars that were selected for superior timber production too.

Some trees will grow next to walnuts - see link below. I planted a few acres of walnut seedlings in one area of my reforestation project and used the list to determine which trees I could mix with the walnuts. I planted a lot of oaks, redbuds, and red cedars mixed in with the walnuts to add some variety, but several others will do fine next to them as well. Another option would be to remove the walnut tres and replant the spruces. I've read the juglone lasts 2-5 yrs in the roots/soil after the tree is killed so the new trees may get off to a slow start until the juglone totally fades away. john Here is a link that might be useful: Walnut Trees

Tomatoes are the main seeds I plant for winter sowing. Mostly those types of tomato plants cant get in my area. When three sets of cold and warn spells seems your WS tomato seeds will come up. After they sprout suggest you keep them free of frost unless you like to see if any others come up later. How to do that is several things but normally I would put my jugs in milk crates or boxes so they could be picked up each night and put in a unheated garage/hay trailer/barn choose what you have available. Or toss a heavy towel or blanket over those jugs to keep the frost off the plants. I had lots of success with a ring of jugs filled with water and a towel thrown over to cover them and the seedlings in the ground. They are very cold hardy but freezing frost will do your tomato seedlings in. Frost hits the hardest on clear nights no wind. Any questions please feel free to ask ML

Good for you! You want them to put on as much growth as possible this summer. You can line them out in a bed, pot up individually (this requires alot of attention to watering) or move into a larger flat. There's an excellent section on raising from seed in H. Edward Reilly's Success with Rhododendrons and Azaleas. Lots more information including pinching, fertilizing, etc. than I can remember at the moment.