Cheer up. You can use the walnuts to go fishing.

Don't get caught, but if you take about 6 walnuts still in their husks and whack them with a hammer, then put them into a weighted gunny sack and throw them into the pond, fish will magically float to the surface.

The walnuts release natural cyanide and the fish fall victim. I'm sure it's worth a stint in "Hotel No-knob", so proceed with caution!

Sorry but yes, you need to move the plants. The roots of the tree are a source of the juglone as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Juglone toxicity

You can also use walnut husks supposedly to draw earthworms out of their holes, so there's another way they help with fishing.

If you research how to cure and shell black walnuts, I've heard they are very tasty (although my attempts to cure them resulted in insipid-flavored nuts, not sure why).

Members of the nightshade family are known to be poisoned by walnuts, and it's not from water off the leaves; it's from the roots underground. So if you cut the tree back on top, the roots are still underneath, and whenever your tomato and habanero roots reach the walnut roots, they'll probably be poisoned.

The toxin behind this all is called Juglone, an astringent that gives walnut husks their dark brown stain. The squirrels like them, but from what I've read, they can't break the shells because they are so hard. We've had squirrels breeding in our house this winter, and we don't have walnut trees near our property so they're not to blame. The squirrels will bury the nuts, but can't break them so the nuts just end up sprouting the following spring.

Good luck with your garden. ;)

My back yard is small and right in the corner (actually on the neighbors lot) is a pecan tree, so I feel your pain. Not only does it shade 1/2 of my back yard but I'm also very allergic to pecan pollen. So I placed my veggie garden in the far corner from that tree. It gets plenty of light in the morning and early afternoon and is only shaded in evening. Hopefully you have a similar location. If not, you could always try working in a veggie garden in the front yard.

I dont have a front yard. The sidewalk hugs almost to the wall. The house I'm in now is historically part of the original homes on this town when the population was very small. people can barely drive up here the roads are so small also. Such bad designs...

This is the dreaded walnut in my backyard. I'm growing about 15 feet away from the base of that tree.

Roots will extend well out past the drip line of the tree and the juglone will permeate the soil surrounding the roots. So if you have no alternative location then containers is the solution to your problem.

Dave

Yes, all is not lost.

You can certainly plant many veggies in containers, particularly tomatoes. Also peppers, bush cukes, bush squash, onions, lettuce -- the list is long. You can find lots of free containers if you apply yourself to the search. The Burger King about a mile from us is quite happy to give me their 5-gallon pickle buckets, which are a good container size for everything mentioned except indeterminate tomatoes. You'd need a bigger container for them, but that's quite doable, too. When large-sized Totes or other storage bins are on sale, you can get some good deals.

I'd suggest growing in containers since the walnut is your only other option.

chellestar83 - wish we could trade trees; I'd love to have a pecan tree and they don't bother me. Do you get any good fruit from the tree or are you allergic to pecans as well as their pollen?

I had a big tree like that in my last place. I had a raised bed 25 feet from the tree and did just fine. I was very careful though, not to use any walnuts or leaves in my compost. Building and filling the box was fairly expensive.

I just got a truckload of mulch from the city for free, and thought "Oh no what if that came from Black Walnut"

:)

Alright thanks everyone for you opinions.. but more are welcome. :)

Look who I found in my Bed burying a walnut!

kterlep - the free city mulch probably came from many trees, and likely at least one black walnut may have been in the mix. I would be hesitant to use it.

If you ever decide to take that tree down, remember that the wood in it is extremely valuable. Black Walnut is becoming more rare every year. You might even find a company that will remove it for the wood.

But, that will not solve your juglone problem because the roots and all the particles of nuts and leaves from all the years it has stood there will take a couple of decades to leave the soil. Yes, I said DECADES.

I also have the juglone issue, but my problem causer is a huge Bitter Hickory tree. Containers are a wonderful solution. In fact, I feel that even if I were to solve the juglone problem, I would still grow in containers. The absolute control of the water and nutrients to the plants and the elimination of soil-borne diseases has me spoiled.

BTW, to insure that my tubs will not "wick" up water from the ground, I have all my containers sitting on landscape timbers, stepping stones, bricks, or other items. There is no direct contact with the native soil.

Ted

Black Walnut is becoming more rare every year.
I wonder why? *shrug*. Maby because their poison..
So What kind of Container do you use Ted? I was looking at some building some Earthtainers. But the cost is too high. Just 5 (which is actually 10 ) earthtainers would cost $80 and probably another $30 to fill them with soil. Would just just buying say some 60 Litre (20 gallon) rubbermaind tots without modifying them work?

Hi, You could try raised beds with a thick weed barrier at the bottom if the tree gets chopped down then you could grow there as long as you want. if the tree is still alive then the roots will eventually break through the barrier amd you will have to re build the raised bed.

Would just just buying say some 60 Litre (20 gallon) rubbermaind tots without modifying them work?

Yes, cut some drainage holes in the bottom, either use a commercial mix or make your own, and set them on bricks above the ground. You may need to rig up some shade cloth to protect the totes from UV, and prevent them from getting the roots too hot.

Hand watering is a pain. I've got drip irrigation for mine.

-Bruce

Black walnut trees are valuable due to all the furniture that has been built in the past and all that nice dark wood trim that people like. I have a woods that was harvested in the early 70s just for the walnut trees. 3 years ago, there was only 5 trees out of 20 acres that was "to size" to harvest. A walnut tree "of size" can bring over $500.00.

Yep walnut is highly prized; because it makes such beautiful furniture, turnings, etc. It's also an easy wood to work with. It's actually hard to get good quality black walnut without sap wood in it. Last I checked it was about 5 bucks a board foot for four quarter less than 9.5 inches wide. I have my raised beds about 100 feet from a walnut so I think it's far enough away. I hope anyway. oh and a board foot it an unfinished piece with an area equivalent to 1'x1'x1" or 144 cubic inches which actually ends up about 11.75x11.75x.75 when surfaced and straight lined or 103.5 cubic inches.

I use containers that range in size from 2 liter soda bottles to 30 gallon tubs. I have begun this year to build some SWC's, but will have most of my tomatoes in 18 gallon plastic pots with two plants per pot.

A few years ago, a neighbor took down a very old and very large (30 inches in diameter) black walnut tree. I tried to get some of the main trunk, but after a lot of "begging", was finally told that he had sold it all but that if I wanted, I could have the stump. As he told me I'd have to dig it out, he was grinning in that way that makes me wander if he was laughing at me.

After digging for "a while", I finally used my truck to jerk the thing out of the ground. I smiled and as he helped me load it, I thanked the "gift horse" for being so generous. He laughed and asked me what I could possibly do with that "worthless" stump. I just smiled and said, "I might get a bowl or two turned out of some of it.". He just shook his head and laughed again.

I just kept smiling as I drove off with the bed of my truck covered with the best part of the tree.

Ted

I have walnut trees all around my property, I hate them. I still grow tomatos, but they don't thrive, but I do get some. I found I have better luck in raised beds, but eventually all succumb. Since I have a large yard, I am experimenting with various planting locations to see if I can find a lesser affected area.

I actually am growing a bunch of plants in a friends garden this year to see if I can get a good crop somewhere else away from walnuts.