I agree that a serious fruit gardener has enough to contend with without handicapping themselves by having chemical war waged against their trees in the soil. Also I believe that it is more than simply poisoning- established black walnuts are extremely competitive as their roots are extremely prolific in areas where they grow. I have recently established an orchard in the vicinity of these trees and the density of black roots in the area is remarkable. I have the area around each individual tree spaded with a King of Spades type solid steel, long handled shovel just as BW's show signs of growth. So far so good, but I'm sure the roots will eventually go under depth of spade work. As usual, it is the peaches that have been most sluggish- they tend not to compete well against established trees when transplanted. I've often thought that some kind of heavy fabric or copper screen set in the planting hole might be affective if it was part of the original installation.

Three more common reasons that leaves scorch on the tips are: late freeze, fertilizer burn, too much water. It could be fertilizer burn, but if you have been watering frequently, especially if your soil is heavy, that could do it, too.

i use generic TS RU ... thats not your problem... i suspect you may not have studied the label ... different weeds require different dilutions [annual vs perennial vs vines vs stunk killing] ... i go with what i think is level 2 ... or about 2 5/8 oz per gallon ... or lets just call it 'just under 6 oz' for my tank ... the real trick is to learn your sprayer.. filled with water... and learn how to make big drops.. that gravity makes fall to earth ... and the biggest variable with that is just enough pumps to create such.. using too much pressure... makes it drift like perfume .. and that isnt usually good ... you can also adjust the nozzle... and when you get real good.. the trigger ... and when you master it all.. you can make single drops come out the tip .... anyway ... i understand why the grass was kept from the trees when they were seedlings or small transplants... what i dont understand is why it needs to be maintained... with mature trees as such ... except as an aesthetic ... to look pretty ... those trees are now super competitors ... finding and taking.. everything they need.. no grass nor weed is going to have any impact on them ... so i really dont understand why you need to mow more than once or twice per year ... if that ... in regard to the trees.. rather than perhaps zoning issues ... and that would be a prime subject for the forester.. where is +om when you need him .. lol .. as you can see at the link ... i have failed in google... for lack of proper words to search ... thought nuts are technically a fruit.. you are not really dealing with high fruit production crop trees... like apple/etc .... so the info in regard to such.. is not narrowed to the issue which you face .... i am in Adrian MI there are a lot of orchards out your way ... and they may be a great source of info ... if you can talk to the manager ... and a reason.. the forester probably loops thru your area often ... the orchard.. may even be able to give you a contact ... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

Wass, It sounds like you have a good plan. Your previous experience in gardening, plus the knowledge gained on this forum. What's left? Come late March/April stick the shovel in the ground. I lay my borders out with a garden hose as most know. Easy to adjust till you get just the right look. I use to measure, stake and white lime but that was a pain in the a**. A lot of tricks to the trade out there. I have picked up a few here and shared a few. When I began I made a few bad choices and later corrected them. We all do. Don't let that hold you back. Plan on loosing a few...it just happens. Yes landscaping can help sell your house up to a point. In today's fast pace society most potential buyers don't have the time & resources to take care of anything. Everything is throw away. In the case of my garden...landscaped to the max...it will take a special person to sell to. I'll keep it till I am gone. Somebody else can deal with it. Maybe I will give it all to Dax if he wants to come and dig it. Bring a big truck...lol Dave