How to Shake Nut Trees

Overview

Many different kinds of nuts are grown on trees. Some of these include chestnuts, pecans, walnuts, almonds, and pistachios. For the typical homeowner, it can seem a chore to remove the nuts from the tree--especially the ones near the top of the tree. One way to remove the nuts is to shake the tree. The nuts will dislodge from the tree and fall to the ground where you can then pick them up. In order to shake nut trees properly, you may need to practice a little, but it is generally a fairly easy process to learn.

Step 1

Lay a tarp around the base of the tree to catch the nuts that will fall from the tree when it's shaken.

Step 2

Put on your hard hat, safety glasses and protective clothing. Since nuts will be falling all around you when you shake the tree they can cause injury to unprotected body parts.

Step 3

Shake each limb of the tree to dislodge the nuts. For limbs that are out of reach, use a wooden or PVC pole to reach them.

Step 4

Repeat the shaking process each week until all the nuts are off the tree. The nuts will mature at different rates, so you cannot harvest them all with one shaking.