Carpathian/English Walnut, formative pruning suggestions

General Gardening
#1

Hi, I have a young walnut tree of the kind, ‘Broadview’. It is branching a lot and I want to perform some formative pruning, so the tree will look better and have fewer problems with limbs when fully grown.

They say walnuts should be pruned whilst branches are under one inch in diameter, so the time for pruning is now, whilst the tree is young. The tree has forked, but the angle is quite good, so I think I’ll leave it and concentrate on the scaffolding branches.

Any does and don’ts?

When to prune this? automn or winter?

Apply a wound sealant, like grafting wax?

The entire branch to the sleave, or 50% this year and the rest next year?

I have taken a photo and marked the branches I want to remove. Does this look Ok? Should I take everything below the fork?

Regards

Fred.

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#2

I would also remove the left side limb that is going to create a weak angle. Keep the one attached to your brace for your leader.

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#3

Hi Fred,

Here’s an old Broadview.

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You can see it’s branching very low and has multiple (so-called problems) however it is 30-years old.

This is not how it should have been started as a youngster.

Do as @Auburn suggests, however, do not make cuts where your red slashed are. Leave everything else alone. For the remainder of the trees life try your best to keep a single leader and remove any branching that crosses inside the canopy toward the trunk. Thin as necessary on occasion but don’t do a lot of pruning future-wise.

You have a very nice specimen there with the only problem being the double leader trunk.

Regards,

Dax

P.s. What’s it’s pollinator?

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#4

Hi Auburn,

So the low branches are Ok? Or should/can they also be removed?

Would you wait until deep hibernation with removal?
Or when do you think it’s best to remove?

  • Fred
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#5

Hi Dax

No pollinator yet. Does it need one? I thought ‘Broadview’ was apomixic? Self fruiting?

I have a space for one more big tree… But was reserving it for a Sorb tree (Sorbus domestica)

Does your tree need one/have one?

  • Fred
#6

It depends on what shape of a tree you desire. For me I would prefer to have my limbs start higher up. This will be a large tree and I prefer to be able to walk under it. Pruning lower limbs early in the season pushes more growth into the uncut top.

#7

We allow limbs as long as my wife can mow grass under it. :grinning:

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#8

Ok, but wouldn’t the tree bleed? I thought walnuts were bleeders? Use grafting wax as wound sealant?

  • Fred
1 Like
#9

Sorry but I don’t know if they are bleeders or if it matters if they do. I have pruned black walnuts without any problems but not Carpathians.

#10

Any Persian are capable of self-pollination but they won’t do a good job and set heavy crops without a mate. That’s how I would describe it, Fred. I haven’t studied Persian walnuts enough to know good mates. I’m sure the information is available but I do not know where. Here my friend grows many varieties and there is some overlap with ‘Fately-5’/‘Fately 5’/‘Fately #5’. I do not know anyone propagating it, however.

Let me know what you find. I’d be interested to hear about possible mates.

Thanks,

Dax