Black walnut trees & tomatoes

jlmann

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What is the deal with not planting tomatoes near black walnut trees? I remember hearing about it years ago , but it has slipped my mind. I have one garden that is maybe 15-20 ' from a very large black walnut tree and I'm just wondering. It has other things in it now and I have plenty of other space for tomatoes, but I'm just curious what would happen if I put some t-toes in there. Has anyone else ever planted tomatoes close to a walnut tree? What effects does the walnut tree cause? Did you get hit on the head by a green walnut falling while you were pulling suckers? Just wondering.
 

lesa

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Apparently, there is a compound in their roots that is bad for veggies. I can't remember what it was. I don't think it kills veggies, but it is not going to be the best for them either....20 feet away- I wouldn't worry about it. The other option- putting in a raised bed, with new soil...Sorry I can't remember the details on the compound....
 

Hattie the Hen

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HI THERE! :frow

Here they say don't plant anything in the shadow of a walnut tree -- my granny told me that as a child -- so I haven't! :idunno She was always right about things horticultural ! :bow :bow :bow :love

I don't have a walnut in my present garden but I did in my last one -- it was already there when I moved in. Strangely nothing much grew near it...........!!!!! Spooky! So granny was right........!!! :tongue :plbb :old :D

Gosh! I wish she was alive now: I would have so much to talk to her about -- so many questions to ask! I miss her every day of my life; she taught me the most useful things I know!
( now I'm in :hit ) I have just realised I am now a year older than she was when she died --that makes me feel very odd, all of a sudden!!!

Sorry I got rather off the subject ; so I'll stop right here! :bow My apologies!


Happy Gardening !

:rose Hattie :rose
 

Ridgerunner

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If you are pasturing cattle, walnut trees are good to have in the pasture as they keep certain brush and weeds from growing but do not limit the grass. It helps keep the undergrowth down yet will provide some shade. However, I've read that horses can be allergic to black walnut trees.

As mentioned in Steve's link, other trees, such as pecans and hickories produce lower amounts of that substance. I still would not use these for mulch and would be careful with compost from them.

I decided to not put a black walnut in my nut orchard because of this toxic property, but one of the English Walnuts I got is grafted onto a black walnut stock. I stuck that one in a corner and only put hickories and pecans anywhere close. I don't know if that will work or not.

If memory serves me right, it takes a black walnut tree about 20 years to produce commercial quantities of nuts and about 60 years to produce lumber.
 

Catalina

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My favorite gardening book Rodale's Garden Problem Solver says,
"Allelopathic reactions occur within a circle one and a half times the distance from the trunk to the outermost branches. Plants suffer stunting, wilting, or even death when they come in contact with blck walnut roots."
 

vfem

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I go with DigitS because NCSU can never be wrong!! Never... do you hear me!?!?

Sorry, can you tell I took college courses there?! :lol:

Yes, I heard about diseases tomatoes can contract from Walnut trees....
 

Hattie the Hen

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Catalina, :frow

It sounds from what you quote that my grandma was correct (as usual). Thank you , I would like to get hold of that book -- I'll give Amazon a try! :D

:rose Hattie :rose
 

chixrule

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When I first put in my veggie garden, I didn't know about the walnut tree/tomato thing. Figured it out when I lost all my tomato plants. They just died!! I put the tomatoes at the other end of the garden the next year.
 

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