Keeping walnut trees small by constantly cutting?
"If I cut back my walnuts regularly after a certain age - then theoretically they should also be small enough to be cultivated, right?"
also read
- Keeping the walnut tree in the pot - is that possible?
- Keeping a walnut tree as a bonsai - tips and tricks
- Digging up the walnut tree - this is how it works
This is what posts on the topic in tree forums are like.
However, we must urgently advise against wild pruning. The walnut tree generally only acknowledges radical pruning with increased budding.
Rule of thumb: the more radically you cut your walnut, the more the large root will pump the stumps full of plant juices. As a result, new shoots arise wherever possible. In some cases there are too many shoots that are too dense, which ultimately attracts plant diseases because the leaves of the tree cannot dry off well.
In addition, ongoing radical cuts have an adverse effect on the life of your walnut tree. That is, the tree dies much earlier than usual.
In short, radical cutting is definitely NOT an option for keeping a walnut small.
Cultivating a walnut tree as a bonsai?
Most experts speak out clearly against cultivating a walnut tree as a bonsai. This method of keeping things small can also increase the susceptibility to disease and shorten the life of the tree. Basically, the bonsai variant is even more justifiable than radical cutting.
The only sensible solution: dwarf varieties of the walnut
In addition to these half-baked or sometimes extremely harmful procedures, there is fortunately also a healthy solution to keep a walnut tree smaller: decide on an appropriate variety from the start.
There are now dwarf varieties of walnut trees too. One of them is called 'Europa' and, according to the breeder, should only be about 3.5 meters high.
Such dwarf varieties are breeds that are refined on weak bases and thus only result in the smallest trees.
Note: As far as we know, among the “classic” walnuts, the 'Weinsberger Walnuss' is the type with the smallest space requirement. Their crown diameter does not normally reach more than seven to eight meters.
