Juglans regia
Walnut
Common names: Common walnut, English walnut
Photo: surrealpenguin · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source
Description
The walnut is a stately, long-lived tree that grows into a garden landmark over decades and drops oil-rich nuts from September. Grafted cultivars such as ‘Geisenheim 26’ bear earlier and more reliably than seedlings. Bear in mind when planting that the juglone in its leaves inhibits many neighbouring plants; it needs plenty of room to itself.
Care instructions
Plant it in a sunny, spacious site with deep soil and give it generous distance from beds and other trees from the start. Prune only when necessary and exclusively in late summer (August), because walnuts bleed heavily in winter and spring. Water in dry spells during the first years; established trees get by with little care.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, well-drained, lime-loving, nutrient-rich
Feeding
Medium feeder
Pruning
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Diseases & pests
1 relevantFrom the knowledge base, automatically linked by affected species. How to spot and prevent them is covered in full in the lexicon.
Cydia pomonella
You are dealing with the apple moth, the cause of the classic worm-stung apples: The nocturnal moth lays eggs on young fruit from May, the hatched larva bores into the core and leaves a feces-filled…
More on Apple MothVarieties
5 varieties‚Esterházy II’
An old variety from the Hungarian Austrian region, known for its especially large, well shaped nuts.
‚Franquette’
You will notice that the French classic from the Isère Valley sprouts very late and is among the most frost‑resistant walnuts overall.
‚Geisenheim 139’
This Geisenheim selection ripens late, making it well suited for sites where late frosts would otherwise spoil your harvest.
‚Geisenheim 26’
A proven German selection from Geisenheim, whose moderate growth often avoids late frosts and thus reliably bears fruit.
‚Weinsberg 1’
A variety selected in Weinsberg for growing in Württemberg, which protects itself from late frosts by leafing out late.
Notes from real gardens
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From the magazine
Harvesting, drying and storing nuts without mould
You harvest nuts at fruit fall, not off the tree. How to dry walnut and hazelnut correctly and store them cool so they do not go mouldy or rancid.
Planting a walnut: spot, final size and variety choice
A walnut tree grows huge and, as a seedling, takes forever. Why you plan plenty of space, buy a grafted early-cropping variety and what juglone is about.