When to Plant Walnut in Brisbane, Subtropical Guide

Not recommended for the Subtropical zone. The window below explains why.

Planting window
Standard walnuts need more winter chill than the subtropics give, so the book does not plan them here. Low-chill types have cropped in a...
Sunlight
Full sun.
Soil pH
6.0-7.5

Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.

This Walnut guide is written for the Subtropical zone, which takes in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Cairns Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth

Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.

Walnut

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Large deciduous nut tree that needs cold winters (500-1000+ chill hours) and warm dry summers. One of the best nut trees for cool-temperate and cold-highland Australia. Beautiful timber tree and shade tree. Important: walnut trees produce juglone, a chemical toxic to many plants grown nearby (allelopathy). Long-lived (100+ years). English walnut (J. regia) is the eating nut; Black walnut (J. nigra) used as rootstock and for timber.

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Best Planting Window for Subtropical

Walnut is not recommended for Subtropical.

Standard walnuts need more winter chill than the subtropics give, so the book does not plan them here. Low-chill types have cropped in a few cooler Northern Rivers gardens; ask a local nursery before trying one.

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This month in Subtropical

In October the Subtropical zone normally runs 27°C by day and 15°C overnight, with about 77 mm of rain over 7 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -0.2°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 33 postcodes, SILO.

The full twelve months are on the Subtropical zone page.

How to Grow Walnut in Subtropical Australia

When to Plant

Standard walnuts need more winter chill than the subtropics give, so the book does not plan them here. Low-chill types have cropped in a few cooler Northern Rivers gardens; ask a local nursery before trying one.

Soil
Deep, fertile, well-drained. Walnuts have deep tap roots and need minimum 2m soil depth. Reasonably tolerant of clay but must not be waterlogged.
pH Range
6.0-7.5
Sunlight
Full sun.

Companion plants: Grass (tolerant of juglone)

Avoid planting near: Tomato, potato, pepper, eggplant (juglone sensitive), Apple trees (some juglone sensitivity), Azalea, rhododendron (juglone sensitive), Any plant within root zone that is juglone-sensitive

Subtropical Growing Tips for Walnut

Key Challenges

  • Insufficient chill hours
  • Humidity drives blight

Pro Tips

  • Walnuts are not suited to subtropical climates. Insufficient winter cold for proper dormancy.

Harvesting Walnut

When ready: Green husk cracks and separates from shell. Nuts begin to fall from tree. Shake branches to accelerate harvest.

How to harvest: Collect fallen nuts. Remove any remaining husk (stains hands, wear gloves). Dry in single layer in shade for 2-3 weeks until shell interior walls are dry.

Where to next

Also worth sowing in the subtropical zone this October: Lemongrass, Ginger, Basil and Climbing Beans.

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Common Questions About Walnut

When do you plant walnut in Australia?

It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:

Which zone am I in?

Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Subtropical zone, Brisbane is its reference city.