Apple trees, pears and cherries are represented in almost every garden. The situation is different with the walnut, which is probably mainly due to the fact that it is a very large tree. It will quickly become a nuisance, especially in a small garden. It is also known for its dense shade, which, although extremely inviting in summer, is detrimental to surrounding plants. Is there still a way to keep the walnut tree small?
Severe pruning is a disadvantage, but there are alternatives
Anyone who has been working with fruit trees for a long time probably knows that regular pruning gives them a spherical, compact and, above all, low crown, which makes the fruit easy to reach. Unfortunately, this is not an option for the walnut tree. For the common variety, there is actually no way to stop or at least slow down its upward growth. Why?
- Pruning promotes strong new growth.
- The crown becomes too compacted due to the many new shoots. This disrupts ventilation and promotes diseases that are promoted by too much moisture.
- A walnut tree that is cut frequently will live significantly less time than one that has been allowed to grow naturally.
A training cut can have a positive effect on the shape of the crown
Due to the above facts, it is advisable to prune walnut trees only when necessary and as sparingly as possible. And you should start with the young tree, because then is exactly the right time to shape the tree crown including the trunk according to your needs. So they influence the basic structure of your tree.
To do this, proceed as follows:
- Always orient yourself towards the main trunk.
- If branches grow in the crown area that are also vertical, remove them. From a purely visual point of view, they are competitors for the main stem and are unnecessary as they will produce unnecessary new growth over time.
- Shoots that grow from the trunk below the crown must be removed.
- A basic framework should be created from the smaller branches within the tree crown. For this purpose, any branches that grow longer than the diameter of the framework can be shortened.
There is more about pruning walnut treesin this article.
Other tricks you can use to keep the walnut tree small: Reduce the growth rate
There are still some advanced pruning techniques that make it possible to keep the tree not much smaller, but to reduce its growth rate and keep the diameter of the crown somewhat more compact.In springor late summer you should:
- Shorten half of all outer branches and twigs. This means that every two branch tips can be cut up to the first branch, but no more than 1.5 meters away (so if the first branch is further than 1.5 meters away, leave this branch out).
- Next year, prune the branches you left out in the same way.
- The branches within the tree crown are not cut unless they are diseased or dry!
- However, if a shoot in the crown grows steeply like the leading branch (which you shouldn't cut, as we mentioned in the previous point), you can tie it down instead. To do this, bend it towards a lower branch (be careful not to apply too much pressure, otherwise the branch will break) and fix it in this position by tying it to one of the lower branches. This more vertical growth direction (an angle of at least 45 degrees) also slows down the growth rate.
A notice:Walnut trees “bleed” after cuts, causing them to heal themselves. Special wound care is therefore possible, but rather unnecessary.
So is a walnut tree not suitable for a small garden?
Fortunately, breeding makes it possible to choose small walnut tree varieties. Which are these?
- Royal Juglans ‚Europe'
With a height of around 3.5 meters, this dwarf walnut tree is significantly smaller than the normal one with its impressive 20 meters. This makes it possible to specifically choose a shady spot in the garden, which is then provided with natural shade, while there are still enough sunny spots in the beds for your sun worshipers.
- Weinsberger Walnuss
This variety grows to a medium size, both in terms of width and height. Expect a crown with a diameter of 6 to 8 meters and a height of up to 10 meters.
Other fruit trees for which dwarf varieties are offered,can be found here.
Is keeping in a bucket possible?
You're probably guessing that, based on all the information above, you can't grow a walnut tree in a pot. But we will surprise you: There is actually a mini variety with which this is possible and cultivation can even take place on the balcony. This is a variant of the Juglans regia, namely Dwarf Karlik 3. Its surprising height of 50 to 150 centimeters can hardly be surpassed.
Tips and ideas for small gardensyou can get it here.
