From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Ohio

About 3 years ago I had a pumpkin plant planted about 20 ft away from a Walnut tree and grew a 845 lb pumpkin. My Dads patch has about 4 Walnut trees about the same distance from where his patch is. Now I have heard Walnut tress can be toxic (roots and nuts) but how about the leaves? I myself have never heard of anyone's plant dying because it was planted to close to a walnut, have you?
I did make sure however when I would see few nutz laying in the patch( not my wife mind you) that I would pick them up and throw them out.

I remember talking to Tremor a few years back and If I remember correctly he said you could compost the leaves with no trouble and use them on your patch, as long as they was completely composted. What have you guys heard about walnut trees and has anyone had trouble planting a pumpkin plant close to one? I know I haven't.

Brooks

10/25/2007 7:45:14 PM

Billerica,Massachusetts

walnut trees especially black walnut produce a non toxic chemical called hydrojugolon - it exsist in the leaves stems bark roots and hulls of the fruit, when exposed to air or soil it oxidizes and forms into jugolone which is highly toxic.
also it is found in lesser degrees in english walnut and some pecan trees and hickory.
for what i have read on it it can be composted out, but i wouldn't take the chance.
Glenn

10/26/2007 8:40:38 AM

Bethlehem CT

Some plants are more tolerant of juglone, than others. I have heard tomatoes are particularily sensitive. Maybe pumpkins won't be bothered by the Juglone at the levels your father has. My gut tells me if clover and a wide range of other broadleaved weeds/grasses can grow there, you'll be O.K. If you see a monoculture, the juglone may be having an effect there. Maybe try taking a pot of soil from the prospective garden spot and try growing a tomato in it. Take some soil from a different spot without walnut growing near it and plant a tomato in it as a control. I would not start the seed directly in the test soil, as I can almost guarantee it will damp off in the house, transplant it into the soil after the plant is up and growing. Observe the results. It sounds like alot of work, but it might be a fun thing to try in winter without much else going on.

10/26/2007 8:55:11 AM

New Salisbury IN

I have grown apples,peach tomatoes,and pumpkins and lots of others under walnut trees for 45 years neaver seen any sine of jugolone ingery not even on weeds my pb pumpkin 770 on your seed was grown under walnut tree.

10/26/2007 10:23:07 AM

Delaware, Ohio

We have walnut trees in the backyard and can't even get grass to grow.

10/26/2007 10:46:40 AM

I believe it was Joe Ailts that ammended his soil with a bunch of black walnut leaves a long time ago, and had poor growth the following year. It might have been someone else though.

The correct term for this situation is allelopathy. Something from one plant basically inhibits the growth of another. Sometimes it is even found in the same species... the adult inhibits any seedlings from its own species from growing nearby.

10/26/2007 6:01:26 PM