A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Caring for a Walnut Tree

Hello all,
I need specific advice for how to care for a baby walnut tree. I'm here in Connecticut, so I'm thinking that it's specifically an English Walnut?? Well, let me first explain how this tree came into my care.

This church near my house voted to cut this huge Walnut tree down because it was droping walnuts on their memorial garden.... So my father, being into woodworking and collecting his own wood, some how came across this opportunity to obtain some free wood (apparently walnut is a very nice wood for woodworking).

Well these huge logs have been in our yard for about a week now, and these two sprouts grew right out of the side of one of them. Since I've recently taken an interest in plants, and I want a bunch for my dorm room next semester, I decided to cut them off and thus save the tree. I made a nice angular cut on each of them and put them in a jar with water, with the hope that they will sprout roots and I will be able to plant them in soil shortly. Each of the cuttings is about 6'' in hieght with several branchings of leaves.

Here are my questions. Am I wasting my time by hoping they will sprout roots in water? I've cloned other smaller plants (african violets) before, so I don't see why I can't do it with this walnut. If they will sprout roots, how long will it be? If and when they do sprout roots, how much soil should I plant each plant in, considering I would like to not have to change the pot for at least a year? How fast would these cuttings grow in a year? If I kept the cuttings indoors, would a nice sunny spot next to a window be sufficient? What kind of soil should I use? How often should I water? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi! Welcome to the forum! I'm not sure how to answer your questions, but wanted to welcome you and tell you what I *DO* know about walnut trees.

I wouldn't suggest it for a garden, because it secretes jugalone into the soil, which is toxic to most plants and flowers, making it very hard to plant a garden nearby. If that's not a concern for you, then hey go for it!

As for your other questions, we have some real knowledgeable and friendly people here that I'm sure will come along and answer for you - hang in there, I'm sure they'll be by soon!

Thanks for the welcome. Hey that's interesting about the jugalone, but it shouldn't be a problem for me because I'm gonna keep it indoors for a while. I'll probobly end up planting it in my yard when I buy a house, someday.

I live in NY, Near the connecticut border, We have Hundreds of Black walnut tree's throughout our property!! they grow like weeds!! Which I love!! Good Luck, I think it will take!!!

ninni

If it's a English Walnut, ther'es not a problem
with the juglone,
If it's the Black Walnut...
then there's the problem..
It is toxic to some plants...

It realllllllly should be an out door plant,
it needs to go NIGHTIE~NIGHT in the winter time
for it to grow properply... and go thru it's natural cycle of life....
Keeping it awake can cause it to be a sick plant/tree..
And the roots on the tree are needed to spread out early in it's growth process to be able to hold it's self up later on, if you keep it in a pot indefinately, the roots will end up going around in a circle...

And I am nooooooooooo tree expert by no means,
but I don't think they'll live..

But always experiment, that's how you learn....

Try some rooting hormone on the area you cut...
May or may not work...

But keep us posted, we love updates...

The only drawback I've ever had with growing seedling trees indoors (spending summer's outdoors) is they grow slowly and tend to branch heavily on the lower trunk. If I were to do it again, I would prune a branch or two from the bottom annually.

Originally wrote....by savethegenetics

Originally wrote....

I think these are sprouts savethegenetics is talking about from a tree, like a new branch..
so, they would be "cuttings"??????
Not "seedling's"

Are they grown the same way???
Curious???

Once the cutting roots and is placed in soil I believe it is considered a seedling.