Walnut tree not producing
duffyciaran
Posts: 2
Hi,
I have a well established Walnut tree in my front garden (at least 50 years old). Since I have lived here (6 years) it has produced a huge amount of walnuts each year.
Last year the crop was down by around 40% with the walnuts slightly smaller than usual.
This year, there isn't a single walnut on the tree. Nothing! I know it is still early but I would usually at least see them forming at this stage. During Spring this year most of the new shoots went black and fell off. Following that however the leaves all grew normally and the tree looked completely healthy throughout the Summer (although it took longer to look completely 'normal')
Is this a normal cycle for a Walnut tree or does it sound like a problem - considering what happened in Spring?
The surrounding area hasn't changed, I have never treated it. Pretty much left it to its own devices aside from a proper professional prune three years ago.
Any advice would be really welcome.
Thanks
Posts
The shoots going black and dropping off sounds like a severe frost at the wrong time. The tree then recovered, but you lost the fruit for this year. With a tree that age, a year off now and then is almost inevitable. Walnut trees require minimal pruning. Crossed and rubbing branches should be removed in late summer to prevent bleeding of sap.
Great - thank you for the info
This won't be helpful, but may be of interest. There's an old and very un-PC country saying:
A woman, a dog and a walnut tree: the more you beat them, the better they be.
I used to wonder how beating a tree would produce more or better fruit? Turns out it's nothing to do with the nuts; walnut is also grown for the timber, which is prized for fine furniture. And apparently the bruises produced by beating the growing trunk show as decorative whorls in the cut timber.