How close together are you talking about? You could mean basically orchard spacing (10+ ft apart) and eventually the walnut would probably still shade out other trees around it. I have a neighbor with a mature English walnut tree (50 years old?) that easily shades their entire suburban back yard (a few thousand sq ft of shade). Pretty deep shade, too, other than when it’s bare in winter.
I grow numerous fruit trees under a giant black walnut tree which is about 100 years old. The tree casts a shade but I still get a decent amount of fruit.
The juglone thing has simply been a non issue for me.
Pears and apples do fine under a walnut tree. My pears eventually died from fireblight but apples are doing great.
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Well, I was thinking that they span 60 feet full grown, and a lot of the full grown semi dwarf trees are 20 feet, so if you centered 4 trees in the 1/4 circles of the canopy you could put 5 trees in. So, each one would be 15 ft from the trunk. I am not sure how far from the walnut tree you were planting yours, but it is insightful and I hope you can share how close to the trunk the apple and pear trees were and how big the canopy is on the walnut tree.
I am no greater than 10 feet from the walnut trunk for the nearest tree. And the apple trees are really close to each other – like 3 feet.
The walnut canopy is around 50 feet I would estimate. Its been pruned back a bit and in need of some more thinning during the dormant season.
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Do you think it would work well with peach trees? How many lb fruit per apple tree and how big are they?
Do a search here and you’ll find information on the experience of others. My impression is that fruit trees near walnuts usually don’t fare well for very long.
Growing Fruit Trees in Black Walnut Stands - General Fruit Growing - Growing Fruit
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How big are the apples trees supposed to get, how big are they, and how old are they? I just want to figure out how much it stunts their growth.
It is all about how much light they get, trees are fueled exclusively by sunlight. 100% is ideal, as you cut back from that you get less and less.
Elderberries are native to my area and while they can put up with under canopy shade those are small with meager flowering and fruiting. The ones on full sun are monsters that get covered in fruit. Sadly I don’t care for elderberry.
What rootstock will the walnuts be on? The reason for asking is because black walnut or paradox walnut are often used as rootstock. Either will produce so much juglone that nearby plants are suppressed. If on persian walnut rootstock, you have a chance of it working. IMO, a better choice would be to plant pawpaws. They thrive under walnuts. Sunlight is still needed so best to plant near the dripline of the walnut tree.
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Hi! I’m actually reaching out on a post you did in 2017 that named Sylvester Shessler in one of the walnut trees that produce well. I’m the great daughter of Sylvester Shessler. I’d like to know where to find more information on this.
Welcome to the forum, Maggie!
It looks like you’re referring to this post by @Fusion_power?
It is a little off-topic to discuss that in this thread, but you could either start a new thread or reply in that other thread by clicking on that quoted sentence.
I’ve never used this site before. Yes, I’m am trying to
Connect with the poster.
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I think you better look to berries or maybe Pawpaw if you plan to grow fruits under a walnut. (Even one that produces less juglone than juglans nigra).
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I’ve killed quite a few kinds of plants by planting near a black walnut. If I planned to try tree fruits, I’d begin using a callery pear root, under the walnut, and graft one or more pears to it.
But, the easiest route to fruit under a walnut is black raspberries…just as in nature.
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Hi Maggie, my number is 801-215-9173. I am not certain I am the poster you are talking about, but if so, you are welcome to reach out.
I would highly suggest using the forum’s DM/PM messaging system to exchange personal contact info. Posting your phone number/address on a public forum probably isn’t a good idea for security reasons these days.
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I sent Maggie a message with the information I have about Shessler walnut. It is not much, but was written about in an issue of the Northern Nut Growers annual report back in the 1960’s. I got some nuts from Gerald Gardner in 2003. They are good walnuts, but is is a variety I did not follow up on and graft in my planting of walnuts.
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I have seen persimmons and black walnuts growing side by side and both thriving and producing fruit.
The persimmons were wild americans.
I have a huge muscadine and some pawpaws growing right under a huge pignut hickory… possibly a milder dose of jugulone than walnut.
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Like most others here so far, my experience is essentially Black walnut (and Butternut). Those are precocious enough that when squirrels plant them inside almost anything else, they’ll shoot right up. If your other trees are already there, they would not interfere with the walnut finding its place. I presume other walnuts would be as happy to find place. My two English walnuts were grafted onto J nigra and I’m fairly certain the second will be following the first into the grave by the end of summer.
I have several pawpaws in range of the black with no concern so far (three years and growing) and the wildlings the squirrels are attempting to cultivate have assorted wildling cherries, oaks, and maples (probably Norway) all within a couple feet with no issues. One lonely little dogwood as well. I just gave it an increase in sun last month, so maybe I’ll know what type that is this year, but hte nearest known are Kousa.
Trev, muscadine and pawpaw are both highly tolerant of juglone. If you ever want to see something interesting, try spraying muscadines with roundup. Hint, they slow down for a few weeks, then grow twice as fast to make up for lost time.
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