Black Walnuts/Compost
beeman_gardener
13 years ago
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jean001
13 years agoKimmsr
13 years agoRelated Discussions
Black Walnut question as a mulch
Comments (9)I learned the hard way to show a lot of respect, or perhaps to use a lot of caution, with black walnut. I composted the leaves and nut husks one time many years ago, mixed with a great deal of other leaves (ash, oak, maple, and black cherry mostly), grass clippings, and other plant matter. After a couple years of decomposition, the black, fluffy, crumbly compost looked terrific. And, it severely stunted a lot of things in my 110 x 100 foot vegetable garden for a couple of years. Now, the walnut leaves and husks are used as mulch UNDER THE WALNUT TREES. Now, what I can grow near or under them successfully includes pretty much anything in the compositae family -- Rudbeckia, Echinacea, Aster, Helianthus, Heliopsis, and so forth - Daylilies are OK, Iris is OK, Lilies, Lily-of-the-Valley. Astilbe and Hosta seem OK (not sure about Hosta, deer at it too fast to really tell). Sedum is OK near them. Acorus is very happy under there. Lamium, Lamiastrum, Ajuga, and English Ivy are fine, too. Yucca does OK, but its a tad shady so it doesn't bloom well. Most spring bulbs have done fine, too -- daffs, hyacinths, hyacinthoides, cammas, and tulips all do fine....See MoreWalnut Mulches
Comments (5)The use of black walnut compost with vegetables Summary: There is no published research showing that composted black walnut leaves result in a product toxic to vegetables. Published research on composted English walnut leaves showed no phytotoxicity to the tested species. Do not use freshly-cut mulch on any vegetable crop. The bacterial decomposition process will cause a nitrogen deficiency for the crop, regardless of the species of plant used. Based on verified, published research, any plant material, adequately composted ,can be used as an amendment for planting mixes for vegetables. Do not use pure plant compost of any species as a planting medium for vegetables. Additions of soil, sand, vermiculite, perlite, coir, etc should always be made for reasons such as aeration, drainage, pH, etc. There are reports involving black walnut roots and bark, but these are not used in most compost preparations. There are observations regarding planting within the drip line of the black walnut and resulting toxic effects. Vegetables should not be planted within the drip line of any tree. This is for the well-being of the tree and the light requirement of the vegetables....See Moreblack walnuts and black hills spruce
Comments (3)I had a avery healthy little Black Hills Spruce which succumbed to the nearby Black Walnut Juglone within 2 years of planting. . . But a nearby Norway Spruce shot up big and tall, as soon as I cut down the maple that shaded it...in the same location where the black Hills spruce died. I am thinking of getting more of these Norway Spruce. It's a very pretty pine. I researched the trees I could plant and my 3 year old Arborvitae, Canadian Hemlock Pines and Pagoda Dogwoods are thriving in the dappled sun/shade of 2 Black Walnuts....See MoreBlack walnuts, black locusts, oaks, redbuds...
Comments (11)I plan to prune the centerpiece American persimmon at least a bit, while keeping it's natural shape. It'll also provide shade against the sun. The house faces almost due west with no shade on that side of the house. The persimmon tree will have some room to grow, while the other fruit trees in the front garden need some height restrictions placed on them through the open pruning techniques we're using. I hae considered pruning the persimmon into a semi-vase or partially open shape of some sort, which should keep the mature height somewhere well under 60 ft. Providing I live long enough to keep it pruned up at the proper intervals. LOL. Mulberry Knob, we are also looking for two paw-paws. If you happen to learn of the whereabouts of any small ones,lemme know. Chances are, it'll be better to go ahead and just buy them in order to get the size I want. Those are on the planting diagram for the front garden. They go in the northeast corner of the front garden, closer to the house. A bed is already prepared for them. I'll prune those the same way we're doing the rest of the fruit trees - a combination of open/vase and espalier techniques. Believe it or not, two spice bushes are on our planting diagram for the front garden, for exactly the reasons you've listed. They'll be planted on either side of the walkway on the north side of the garden, next to the long bed. Yeah, I'm after some of the oddball stuff that provides different nutrients while adding to the variety of flavors, colors and textures we'll have in the garden. All of those bushes and trees will also offer some noise mitigation for the day time trafic around here. It's wuiet at night and on the weekends, but during business hours, it can be hard to hear someone standing just a few feet away. That, or I'm gettin' old. One of the two. We still have the driveway bed to play with, too. The only thing we've planned for it are two fig trees. The rest of that bed is only three feet wide, but would work for espaliered trees, bushes, vines and such. The soil in that bed has already been amended enough for those types of plants. Most of the sassafras trees would go along our back fence somewhere. ...mebbe. That, or in the driveway bed. They're really an understory tree, if I remember my youthful woodland wanderings. They weren't really on the list, but then again, we haven't really planned anything for the back yard, either. Not even a bubble diagram. Jusrt, "Something, something' for fence beds and 'something, something' for the center of the yard" is as far as we've gotten. I sent you an email through your profile. Lemme know if you've recieved it, please....See Moregoren
13 years agojean001
13 years agojolj
13 years agohelenh
13 years agobosal44
13 years agohelenh
13 years agofusion_power
13 years agojolj
13 years ago
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