Walnut - Juglans
Regia / Nigra

Walnuts are known to take a long time to produce, but with a grafted variety you can start getting nuts within 3 or 4 years. Successfully growing walnuts depends on a few factors, drainage and irrigation, climate, and soil. They can be susceptible to bacterial and fungal diseases, particularly in damp, humid climates and to phytophthora in soil that is too damp. They are best suited to drier areas with less than 600mm in annual rainfall. They have a large tap root, and can't be moved easily so make sure you've chosen the right spot.

Walnut trees are BIG! Some varieties grow to 25m tall! Rex is the best, smaller tree, but will still grow to 5m in 5 years, and to 12m when mature. Rex is also an early producer and is blight resistant. Another popular choice is Meyric, which has a sweeter nut but it is susceptible to blight. Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra) is mostly grown for it's prized timber rather than it's nuts, but it does produce nuts also. Both Black and Common Walnut are allelopathic (they produce a toxin called juglone that inhibits growth of other plants, through their roots, leaves.

They do prefer somewhat cooler environments, and when established can cope with temperatures down to -10ºC, but late frosts can damage flowers, and young shoots and leaves.

Nuts are ready for harvest in Autumn and the first to drop will be any diseased or no- good nuts, and then afterwards the good ones. Itt's best to collect the nuts as fast as possible otherwise there is a chance that rodents and rot will get to them first. They are best laid out to dry in an airy place for approximately 6 weeks, give or take.

If you're wanting to stretch the season, did you know you can freeze the nuts? IThey'll come out as wonderful as they went in, fresh and full of good nutrients.​