Pecan Trees

• Pecan trees are part of the hickory family. They grow up to 70 feet tall and 80 feet wide. Their uniquely shaped large leaves feature as many as 13 leaflets. Nuts grow on branch terminals in two to five clusters. Nuts fall to the ground in the fall once ripe. It generally takes up to 7 years for trees to bear nuts.
  
  

Black Walnut Trees

• Black walnut trees are useful for their wood and nuts. Although they can be found throughout the United States, these nut trees grow best in the eastern and central regions of the country. Trees start producing nuts at approximately age 10, but age 30 is typically when nut harvests are greatest, according to Melvin Baughman and Carl Vogt of the University of Minnesota Extension. Black walnut trees have broad, compound leaves and can grow up to 100 feet tall.
  
  

Stratifying Nuts for Planting Trees

• Pecan and black walnut trees are often grown from stratified nuts. During the fall nut tree harvest, pluck ripe black walnuts from trees and pick up pecans as soon as they fall to the ground. You must hull and meticulously clean the walnuts to prepare them for planting. Submerge pecans in water for about a day prior to planting. Place each nut type about 3 inches deep in a container filled with moist sand and transfer the container to a refrigerator with temperatures ranging from 33 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit for 120 days. Keep the sand moist for the entire stratification process to guarantee consistent germination, according to William Reid of the University of Missouri Extension.
  
  

Transplanting Seeds

• Transfer the seeds from the container to the ground in early spring. Select an area of your garden that has sandy, loose soil. Place stratified nuts at least 2 inches deep in the ground and about 2 feet apart in rows separated by a minimum of 4 feet to allow ample space for newly established trees to grow.
  
  

Care and Maintenance

• Apply about 1/4 cup of slow-release fertilizer to each seedling to encourage growth. Ensure the entire seed bed is kept moist. Upon the first year of establishment, separate the weak trees from the strong trees by cutting the weak trees at their root collar. Transplant healthy trees to their final locations in other areas of your garden or yard after about 3 years.