Walnut Growing Guide
Growing Walnut is easier than you think. This guide walks you through everything you need — from planting your first seed to harvesting.
At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Nut
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -29°C
Plant Family
Juglandaceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
Also grows well as
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
A named grafted tree fruits in 4–6 years, true to type. Plant bare-root while dormant, with space for a large canopy.
A magnificent, long-lived shade tree — but a BIG one, needing lots of room. Most walnuts are self-fertile, though the male and female flowers can open at different times, so a second tree nearby improves the crop. IMPORTANT: walnut roots release juglone, a natural chemical that stunts many plants (tomatoes, apples, and more) — so don't plant a veg garden beneath it.
When To Start
First Chance to Plant
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Last Chance to Plant
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When should you plant Walnut?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Walnut Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
The Journey Ahead
Walnut's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
1200 cm
Plant Spacing
1400 cm
Row Spacing
Vertical Growing
No.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Give a walnut space and patience — it's a large, undemanding tree that mostly looks after itself.
- 2Prune only in late summer or early autumn (walnuts 'bleed' sap heavily if cut in late winter/spring).
- 3Remember the juglone effect: keep sensitive plants out from under the canopy, and compost walnut leaves separately.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
1500 cm
Mature Height
1200 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
30 days
When to Pick
Gather in autumn as the green husks split and the nuts fall
How to Harvest
- 1Collect walnuts as they drop and the green husks split.
- 2Remove the staining husks straight away (wear gloves — they stain everything brown), wash the nuts, then dry them for a couple of weeks before storing.
- 3Beat the squirrels to them.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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