How much does a Ma walnut cost each, and how is it harvested after ripening?

The Ma walnut is different from ordinary walnuts grown for eating or for oil pressing; it is a walnut that can be used as a hand-played and collectible walnut. Its color is like agate, and it can be made into carved handicrafts.So do you know how much a walnut costs each? How is it harvested after ripening?

How much does a Ma walnut cost each?

On the market, collectible and carved Ma walnuts mostly cost anywhere from several tens of yuan to over a hundred yuan each, or per pair. Those of slightly better quality cost several hundred yuan, but some wild, rare, and uniquely shaped Ma walnuts cost over a thousand yuan.

How are Ma walnuts harvested after ripening?

1. When harvesting Ma walnuts, use the hand-picking method, using an A-frame ladder to twist them off at the fruit stalk; for higher ones, high-branch shears can also be used to cut them off at the fruit stalk. At this time the bark is very easily damaged, so do not step on the branches or trunk, and even more so do not strike them randomly with bamboo or wooden poles, to avoid excessively damaging the branches and buds and affecting next year's yield. If the fruits on one tree do not ripen uniformly, they can be picked in stages and batches.

2. After the fruits are taken down from the tree, peel them with a fruit knife, going deep to the shell, twisting off piece by piece; do not use too much force, so as not to damage the shell's pattern. If you come across fruits whose skin does not come off, you can use a steel brush dipped in water to brush them while turning them, then use a stiff-bristled brush to knock out the broken skin and impurities in the grooves of the pattern, wash clean with clear water, then put them in a container, add dish soap, rub and wash clean, take them out and rinse again with clear water, and place them in a ventilated, dry place to dry in the shade. Note that they must not be exposed to the sun, so as not to crack the shells. The standard for judging dryness is that the nuts make a crisp sound when knocked together; at this point they can be stored in a cardboard box.

3. Ma walnuts must also be harvested at the right time. If harvested too early, the green husk is not easy to peel off, the kernel is not plump, and the tip is prone to turning white and the shell surface to becoming pale and mottled; the fruit has a high moisture content and the shell is easily deformed. If harvested too late, the fruits easily fall off, and at the same time, after the green husk cracks, staying on the tree too long increases the chance of mold infection; the shell turns black or develops black lines, and is prone to cracking naturally, causing the quality of the nut to decline. The ripening period of Ma walnut fruits varies with variety and climatic conditions, with early-ripening and late-ripening differing by 10 to 20 days, and in general years ripening is earlier than in rainy years. Ma walnut fruit ripening can also be judged from its external appearance, with the signs being: the green husk turns from green to yellow and then whitish, with slight small cracks; when pried with a small knife, the green husk comes off easily and does not stain the hands. At this time the kernel is plump, the cotyledons have hardened, and the shell is bright red.

At present, there are many Ma walnuts on the market, and the differences in appearance, skin quality, and so on are also relatively large, so everyone must be careful to distinguish when buying them.