How to Shell Hickory Nuts

A a tough nut to crack, you need to break out the heavy tools to access the succulent meat from the hickory nut. The difficult shelling makes them rare finds in markets, but the trees grow across the eastern United States. You might have a hickory tree in your own backyard. Collect the nuts in the early fall as they drop off the trees. Hickory nuts need to dry for several weeks before you can enjoy the fruits of your nut harvest, but the distinctive flavor makes it worth the time and effort to shell hickory nuts.

Germinate Hickory Nuts

Roughly one dozen species belong to the hickory (Carya spp.) Hickory nuts ripen in late summer and early autumn. Once the husks darken in color and begin to split at the base, the seeds inside are mature and ready to germinate. Avoid nuts with deep cracks, mildew, chew marks or other signs of damage or deterioration. Ripe hickory nuts shed their husks easily, so no tools are needed, although a pair of pliers might help for stubborn segments. Stratification mimics the natural winter chill hickory seeds would experience in nature. Use a 2-gallon nursery pot with several drainage holes at the base and sterile potting soil. Although they appear to grow slowly, hickory seedlings actually grow quickly beneath the soil surface, and they must be transplanted by the end of their first growing season to avoid damaging their extensive root system. Hickories will tolerate full sun to partial shade, and they aren’t fussy about soil type, but the soil does need to drain well. Sow three seeds in a triangular pattern at a depth of 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches. Provide water if no rain falls for longer than a week, and look for hickory seedlings in late spring. Hickories are relatively hassle-free trees. Spread the fertilizer under the tree’s canopy in late spring, taking care not to get any on the trunk.

Germinate Hickory Nuts

Roughly one dozen species belong to the hickory (Carya spp.) Hickory nuts ripen in late summer and early autumn. Once the husks darken in color and begin to split at the base, the seeds inside are mature and ready to germinate. Avoid nuts with deep cracks, mildew, chew marks or other signs of damage or deterioration. Ripe hickory nuts shed their husks easily, so no tools are needed, although a pair of pliers might help for stubborn segments. Stratification mimics the natural winter chill hickory seeds would experience in nature. Use a 2-gallon nursery pot with several drainage holes at the base and sterile potting soil. Although they appear to grow slowly, hickory seedlings actually grow quickly beneath the soil surface, and they must be transplanted by the end of their first growing season to avoid damaging their extensive root system. Hickories will tolerate full sun to partial shade, and they aren’t fussy about soil type, but the soil does need to drain well. Sow three seeds in a triangular pattern at a depth of 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches. Provide water if no rain falls for longer than a week, and look for hickory seedlings in late spring. Hickories are relatively hassle-free trees. Spread the fertilizer under the tree’s canopy in late spring, taking care not to get any on the trunk.