Black Walnut Trees Are Not Your Enemy

By foraygardengirl
December 26, 2014

Trees are valuable and beautiful assets to the environment and to any landscape, and black walnut trees are no exception. They are lovely trees that provide delicious and nutritious nuts and one of the most valuable hardwoods. They are allelopathic, however, and many gardeners avoid them or get rid of them.

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Dec 30, 2014 10:47 AM CST
Thread OP
Surprisingly GREEN Pittsburgh (Zone 6a)
Rabbit Keeper Bee Lover Cat Lover Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Butterflies Hummingbirder
Dog Lover Birds Plant and/or Seed Trader Bulbs Echinacea Irises
Black walnuts are an ingredient in my family's Christmas cookie recipe.
Somewhere in the shadowy past, there was a farm with a tree or 2.
I have always hears they ARE gardener's enemy.
Now I know that's wrong, and how to work with it.
That means I can have my own trees.
Just not at my CURRENT home... no room!
Someday, someday!
SHOW ME YOUR CRITTERS! I have a critter page over at Cubits. http://cubits.org/crittergarde...
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Dec 30, 2014 10:59 AM CST
Name: Jeanie
Minnesota (Zone 4a)
Replace your lawn with a garden!
Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Sedums Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers
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Hi Critter, if you wanted to grow only tomatoes you wouldn't want these trees, but lots of other things work. Black walnuts are delicious and very good for you. There is a lot of buzz about the health benefits of walnuts in general right now.
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Old gardeners never die. They are just pruned and repotted.
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Dec 30, 2014 2:22 PM CST
Thread OP
Surprisingly GREEN Pittsburgh (Zone 6a)
Rabbit Keeper Bee Lover Cat Lover Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Butterflies Hummingbirder
Dog Lover Birds Plant and/or Seed Trader Bulbs Echinacea Irises
I know!
I hope to have property someday where I can have a modest orchard and veggie garden so I can grow (or hire help to grow) my own plain, simple, food.
I always thought black walnuts were out, but thanks to you I now know they're not!
SHOW ME YOUR CRITTERS! I have a critter page over at Cubits. http://cubits.org/crittergarde...
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Dec 30, 2014 3:14 PM CST
Name: Jeanie
Minnesota (Zone 4a)
Replace your lawn with a garden!
Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Sedums Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers
Region: Minnesota Hostas Heucheras Butterflies Cat Lover Daylilies
Go for it!
:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:
Old gardeners never die. They are just pruned and repotted.
Avatar for tantefrancine
Jan 17, 2015 6:10 PM CST
Falls Church, VA
Birds Roses Garden Procrastinator Plumerias Peonies Region: Mid-Atlantic
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Thank you so much for the excellent article. My neighbor, who had 1 black walnut tree saw that 2 small ones were growing, one in his property very close to the fence dividing our properties and another one on my side of the fence. I pulled mine out and he said, oh too bad, it would be nice to have 2 trees. He said that they were very slow growing trees and beautiful, and very expensive trees. He was wrong. It grew very fast. And because his yard is covered with all kinds of trees and bushes near the fence, and all reaching to my yard to get some sun light, the black walnut is doing the same thing. I got every year lots of nuts and leaves AND baby trees, also of his rose of sharon bushes and crepe myrtle tree. Half of the branches of those plants are all on my side of my property. I keep pulling the young plants and cleaning the leaves and throwing the nuts away, because he does not want them either. But now that I have learned how to get the goodies out of them, thanks to you, I will try to enjoy them when fall comes.
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Jan 17, 2015 6:23 PM CST
Name: Jeanie
Minnesota (Zone 4a)
Replace your lawn with a garden!
Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Sedums Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers
Region: Minnesota Hostas Heucheras Butterflies Cat Lover Daylilies
Thanks, Tantefrancine! I agree they do require some cleanup, but if you can manage to keep some of the nuts you will enjoy them. The squirrels get most of mine!
:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:
Old gardeners never die. They are just pruned and repotted.
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