When to Plant Walnut in Cairns, Tropical Guide

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

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

This Walnut guide is written for the Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Brisbane 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.

Best Planting Window for Tropical

Walnut is not recommended for Tropical.

Not suitable. Needs cold winters.

Want a nudge when it is Walnut sowing time in Cairns?

One email a week with what is worth planting in the Tropical zone right now, Walnut included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.

How to Grow Walnut in Tropical Australia

When to Plant

Not suitable. Needs cold winters.

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

Tropical Growing Tips for Walnut

Key Challenges

  • No chill hours
  • No dormancy

Pro Tips

  • Walnuts cannot grow in tropical zones.

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 tropical zone this September: Lemongrass, Ginger, Cucumber and Basil.

Get the Full Interactive Guide

Track your garden, get real-time pest alerts, and plan around your zone's weather.

Open the planting dashboard Join Garden Buddy

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 Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.