My friend Tracey has a walnut tree that had an "accident" last year, and she asked me this question yesterday. I told her I knew NOTHING about trees, and I'd ask here. If anyone has suggestions, I'll pass them on to her. Thanks.


An approximate 5 year old (10' tall) walnut tree snapped off below all the branches during a wind storm last fall. It was still held together by bark and some of the meat of the tree so we put 2x4s up around it and stood it back up. The top half of the tree appeared to die off but the bottom half (about 5' from ground) sprouted new growth at the point of the break. If the top half doesn't come back and is removed this spring, will the bottom half of the tree continue to grow taller or will the growth just remain at the short level and new limbs grow from there OR should we just cut it down and remove the whole thing?

Tree trunks don't grow taller. The height at the point where the limbs grew will be the height forever so if a new limb sprouted at the 5 ft level, it will always be at the 5 ft level. If your friend chooses to keep the walnut, choose three evenly spaced and appropriately angled branches to become the new scaffolding branches for the tree. The chosen branches should be growing up, not sideways or down.

In commercial walnut orchards, the trees always branch just a couple feet above the ground but I have never hit my head on a walnut tree. A tree with a 4 or 5 foot trunk should be fine. The branches will grow tall and continue to branch higher. If your friend wants a tree she can walk under, this tree will be walk-underable.

Another advantage of keeping this tree is that the roots are established so new growth will be faster as the canopy catches up with the roots.

Remove broken branch. Make clean cut where it broke. Paint over cut.
With some shaping/pruning, it will grow back.👍👍
😎😎😎

I also suggest you Google tree pruning. So you prune the scaffold branches correctly. Spacing, angles, etc. 👍
😎😎😎

Don't paint over cut. That has proven to harbor moisture and cause rot problems.

Walnuts are only pruned to take out dead/broken branches and crossing branches.

What kind of walnut tree?
There are products for treating tree/bush wounds that work but never paint them, does not help.

She said she was going to just cut the top part off and leave it and see what happens.

Thanks for the input.

Your walnut will make a new top.