A walnut tree needs to be cut differently than other fruit trees because it is particularly sensitive to it. For this reason, it is also important to choose the right time for pruning. You can find detailed information about this in our article.
When should you prune a walnut tree?
The optimal time to prune a walnut tree is in late summer (mid-August to late September) for corrective pruning and after the leaves have sprouted (mid-June to mid-July) for planting and training pruning. Choose a dry, sunny and warm day for cutting work.
This is why cutting a walnut tree is difficult
Walnut trees bleed significantly more than their related fruit trees. If you prune your walnut, extremely large amounts of tree sap will come out at the interfaces (referred to as “blood of the tree”). Anyone who is embarrassed to touch a walnut for the first time will certainly be surprised or even shocked when they see the intense flow of juice.
But why does a walnut tree actually “bleed” so excessively? The cause is buried in the ground: a walnut has extremely strong tree roots. These are so massive that they create enormous outward pressure and literally force the juice out of the cuts.
Now the walnut plant needs its blood just as urgently as humans need theirs. The hobby gardener is therefore responsible for cutting his tree as carefully as possible and, above all, with a good strategy to ensure that as little tree sap escapes as possible.
If you proceed carelessly and incorrectly, this could result in massive damage to the fine pipe system in the walnut tree. If frosty temperatures prevail during pruning (or shortly after the procedure), the sap freezes in the wounds. As a result, the tissue tears. Other problems can also arise. For example, plant fungi and pests have an easier time due to the increased humidity.
All of these facts show that when cutting a walnut tree, it is not just the cutting technique that is important, but also the right time.
The right time to cut a walnut tree
In view of the risks described above, you should never cut your walnut after the leaves have fallen - i.e. in spring or winter. Otherwise it is foreseeable that your tree will not fare well.
Always carry out the corrective cut in late summer, as the conditions are ideal at this time as the tree is neither sprouting nor preparing for winter.
Between mid-August and the end of September, the sap pressure of the walnut tree is relatively weak. You should seize this moment. You are not allowed to cut any later - make sure to finish all cutting work in early October.
If you wait too long, the walnut will not have enough time until winter to regenerate from the procedure and close the cuts.
Choose a dry, sunny and warm day!
When should planting or training pruning be carried out?
In addition to the corrective pruning, which you have to carry out regularly on older walnut trees, there is also planting and training pruning.
It is best to carry out these two cuts after the leaves have successfully sprouted - i.e. between mid-June and mid-July.
Short summary of the optimal cutting times
- Correction cut: late summer, mid-August to end of September
- Pruning: after leaves emerge, mid-June to mid-July
- Pruning: after leaves emerge, mid-June to mid-July