How to Plant a Walnut Tree

Walnut trees make impressive specimen trees. Walnut trees are long lived, have nice silhouettes and provide food and shelter for wildlife. Planted on the south or southwest side of houses, walnut trees provide shade during the summer, reducing cooling costs. Walnut trees are not suitable for small yards or areas with high pollution. When you plant your walnut tree, select a site suitable for the adult size, not the current sapling size. An ill-sited tree can lower your house's value. Site your walnut tree away from overhead power lines and do not plant close to houses, sheds and property lines. Walnut trees do not tolerate competition. The roots secrete a substance called juglone that is toxic to most plants.

Things You'll Need

• Bare-root walnut sapling
• Shovel
• Fertilizer or compost
• Mulch

Instructions

Planting Walnut Trees

1. Walnut saplings do best if planting in spring after threat of frost. You can plant in fall, 8 weeks before you first frost date. Choose a walnut variety that is suitable for your region.

2. Plant your sapling as soon as you get it. If you cannot plant it straight away, keep the roots moist by wrapping them in wet newspapers or paper towels. Keep the roots moist, not wet.

3. Select a site that is in full sun with loose, well-drained soil. Dig a hole twice as big and deep as your tree's roots.

4. Create a mound in the center of the hole with soil. The mound should be high enough that when the walnut tree is placed on it, the trunk will be level with the ground and the roots will be completely covered. Place the tree on the mound and tease the roots out so they drape down the sides of the mound.

5. Add soil until the level of the roots are reached. Add compost or fertilizer around the roots. Two of three handfuls of compost are sufficient. Add the fertilizer according to package directions. Finish filling the hole, tamping the soil down around the roots.

6. Water the walnut sapling. The tree will need to be watered every other day during its first growing season.

7. Mulch your sapling. Spread the mulch to the drip line of the tree. Create a "doughnut" of mulch around the tree. Pull the mulch 1 to 2 inches away from the tree and create a doughnut of mulch 3 to 4 inches high. You will need to keep the mulch away from the trunk as your tree grows.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant the tree appropriate for its adult size rather than the size of the sapling. If you have clay soil, you can still have walnut trees. Dig a hole four times larger and deeper than your sapling. Mix half of the soil you remove from the hole with compost and refill the hole with the soil and compost mixture.

• Do not soak your bare root saplings in a bucket of water. Do not plant your walnut tree in areas of standing water. Do not use walnut chips or mulch made from walnut trees as you might introduce diseases or pests to your young tree.