Monday, October 2, 2017

Sparks 147 Black Walnut

Sparks 147 is a black walnut introduced by Mr Archie Sparks of Iowa.  Mr Sparks is a Black Walnut Enthusiast.

Three varieties he introduced are grown for their nuts:  Sparks 127, Sparks 129 and Sparks 147.

This is the first year where I have had enough nuts on the tree to take a good look at them.

The tree habit is subject to narrow forks, at least under my conditions.  I had enough nuts on both forks to verify that both stems were Sparks 147.


The unhusked nuts are almost lemon shaped  and are large.

These may have novelty appeal to the "crafting" crowd.  Do you see angels, doves or heart pendants?
It looks like this cultivar puts much energy into growing husks and shells.

I have no quibbles about leaf health.  That looks great.

Unless something spectacular happens this cultivar will go into my "B" pile.  The "B" pile means don't propagate but don't bother culling.



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2 comments:

  1. MNFGAguyJuly 23, 2019 at 2:11 PM

    Interesting to see a post covering the Sparks-147 cultivar. My interest in that selection lies less with the husk shape/thickness and more in the percentage crack-out. Your cross section would indicate that the shell is indeed quite thin so I would expect it to crack well. I am in the Ann Arbor MI region and most of our wild black walnuts have very thick shells and the meats do not release well from the nuts. Do you have information on those qualities of the 147?

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    Replies
    1. Eaton Rapids JoeJuly 23, 2019 at 3:35 PM

      Hello MNFGA guy:

      Do you mind contacting me on my "public" email at one.time.use.erg@gmail.com

      I will happily make samples available to you for your own assessment. I can also supply scion wood.

      Be advised that I can only vouch for what the seller identified it as and if it meets the general description of the cultivar.

      You might want to use the search box in the upper, right corner at the top of the blog page. Type in something like "walnut" or "Emma Kay" then return.

      Best regards,

      -Joe

      Delete

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