The area receiving the walnuts was once an area of Youngblood's hayfield. However, the state came in and tested the soil to see if it would work for a dam that had been proposed at one time to dam up the Tallahala Creek. Twas a very large test resulting in a large hole being excavated in one place and the removed dirt placed in a dam shaped mound in another. Fortunately for the Collins Estates, the project never went through. Once the state put things back the way they were originally, it was never quite the same for whatever reason and Youngblood never again cut hay from that spot. However, and I'm not sure why, he never let it grow up in trees but there are briars and sweet gum saplings galore. I asked for and received permission to convert it into a black walnuts grove. I was going to get it bush hogged but the early germination of my nuts caught me completely flatfooted and I was forced to make spontaneous arrangements which meant I had to ask Youngblood to lightly disc the area which he did with much cussin.
After having planted in a lightly disced plot, I can attest firmly that doing so is suboptimal. I asked that he only disc about 25% of the available area which gives the needed window of opportunity to get the rest bush hogged and for me to erect my electric fencing about the other intended plot while still allowing this year's planting to proceed as the nuts reach the desired stage of germination.
I will take pictures of the broader area in the near future showing the overall progress.