Re: Walnut Confusion

Elle,

Here is another URL that may be able to help you, since it is basically a
search engine that draws from universities from all over the United States.

http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/Factsheet.html

Here is one about toxicology:

http://ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/

Those 2 urls may help define what sort of problems you could have in your
area, with your type of Walnut tree.

I have a couple of questions for you, too.  You say you want to make a 3
foot raised bed--how far would it be outside the drip line? You will need to
be careful how close to the tree that you place your raised bed.   Would
your plants be competing with the tree for water?  Will you have to install
a watering system?

The juglone problem is primarily in the rooting system, so if those roots
were to get into the raised bed, that's when you could have a concern.  Now,
it's been my experience that anytime new soil is laid, any self-respecting
tree will send it's roots into the place where they can get more nutrition
and room, even if that means travelling UP, rather than down or out.
Therefore, sooner or later, the roots from the walnut will probably make it
into your raised bed.

Your best bet might be to plant the perennials that have shown to be the
least affected by juglone toxicity.  It would be a shame to spend all that
time, effort and money just to lose your plants eventually.  Another thought
might be to plant juglone-tolerant plants near the tree, and further out,
place another flower bed, raised or otherwise, to hold your roses and
rhodies.  Or perhaps to enlarge the bed and place the roses and rhodies the
furthest from the roots of the tree (and then cross your fingers!)

That said, I recently checked the area where last year I had so many
problems with a Black Walnut in our yard.  I had planted Roses, Joe Pye
weed, Lamiums, and Sedums about 20 feet from the drip line, thinking they
would be safe.  The tree was subsequently taken down, due to the roots
interfering with the piping system.  When I visited last weekend, 3 of the
Lamiums were dead as a doornail, one of the sedums didn't make it, and most
of the roses.  The Joe Pye weed was fine, as was the Sedum Brilliant.  The
one rose that did make it was one of those roses Walmart sells in the pink
buckets, which I had rescued at the end of the season.  In another bed, a
little further away, one of the clematis made it, but the one closest to the
drip line didn't.  The candytuft made it, as did all of the sedum.  The
peonies are coming up, along with the other roses and various other
perennials, all planted further away from the old drip line.  My Whirling
Butterflies and the Siskayu (sp) pink didn't make it, but I'm beginning to
think that I need to consider those plants to be expensive annuals; it may
just be that we're at the outside edge of the Zone.  And it remains to be
seen whether any of the lily bulbs will return.  So far, they're not showing
up, but then, everything seems to be coming up later this year.

Hope you have fun creating your new bed and that I have been of some
assistance.  At least check out those url's.  I've found them to be very
valuable resources.

Lisa


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