When to Plant Walnut in Sydney, Warm Temperate Guide
What this month normally looks like in Warm Temperate
In October the Warm Temperate zone normally runs 24°C by day and 13°C overnight, with about 66 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -1.5°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 153 postcodes, SILO.
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This Walnut guide is written for the Warm Temperate zone, which takes in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Jun to Aug
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5
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.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Warm Temperate
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun P
- Jul P
- Aug P
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
P = Planting window
Walnuts need about 800 chill hours, so grow them in the ranges or inland, not on the coast. Nuts drop in autumn.
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How to Grow Walnut in Warm Temperate Australia
- 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.
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun.
- Good companions
- Grass (tolerant of juglone)
- Keep away from
- Apple (juglone toxicity), Capsicum (juglone sensitive), Eggplant (juglone sensitive), Potato (juglone sensitive), Tomato (juglone sensitive)
Warm Temperate Growing Tips for Walnut
Recommended Varieties
- Chandler (lateral-bearing, most popular commercial variety)
- Howard (lateral-bearing)
- Vina
Key Challenges
- Marginal chill in coastal areas
- Blight in wet springs
Pro Tips
- Blue Mountains and western Sydney hills may succeed.
- Coastal Sydney is marginal for chill.
- Lateral-bearing varieties are more productive and bloom later.
Pests and problems for Walnut in Warm Temperate
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.
Storing and preserving walnut
How to keep it
- Freezing (shelled). Crack, shell, vacuum seal or zip-lock. Keeps: 24 months.
- In-shell storage. Dry for 2-3 weeks. Store in hessian bags in cool, dry, dark place. Keeps: 12+ months.
- Walnut oil. Cold press for premium oil. Delicate nutty flavour for salad dressings (not cooking). Keeps: 3 months refrigerated.
- Pickled green walnuts. Pick green (unshelled) nuts in November-December before shell hardens. Pierce with fork, brine for 2 weeks, pickle in spiced vinegar. Traditional English/Italian preserve. Keeps: 12+ months.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
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:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): not recommended
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jun to Aug
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jun to Aug
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jun to Aug
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jun to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jun to Aug
When should I plant Walnut in Sydney?
Walnuts need about 800 chill hours, so grow them in the ranges or inland, not on the coast. Nuts drop in autumn.
How do I know when Walnut are ready to harvest?
Green husk cracks and separates from shell. Nuts begin to fall from tree. Shake branches to accelerate harvest.
What are the best Walnut varieties for Sydney?
Recommended varieties for the Warm Temperate zone include: Chandler (lateral-bearing, most popular commercial variety), Howard (lateral-bearing), Vina.
What grows well with Walnut?
Good companion plants for Walnut include: Grass (tolerant of juglone).
Are walnut salt tolerant?
No. Walnut are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it 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 Warm Temperate zone, Sydney is its reference city.