Crushed Walnut Shells - bonsaiTALK Community

24-Nov-2007	#1
mbs2 bonsaiTALK Journeyman Join Date: Oct-2007 Location: Boise Country: USA USDA Zone: 6-7 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 35	Crushed Walnut Shells I was just curious as to whether anybody has had experience with Crushed Walnut Shells as an organic in their bonsai soils. I have recently seen it at local pet shops used as litter/pet bedding. It seems to be in desireable size for soil. Please let me know what your thoughts or experiences are with this. Thanks so much!

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25-Nov-2007	#2
weeble bonsaiTALK Craftsman Join Date: Jul-2007 Location: Curry County, Oregon Country: USA USDA Zone: 10a AHS Heat Zone: 1-2 Posts: 79	I wouldn't bother. I know walnut WOOD has a growth supressing something in it that helps keep competing plants from growing around the wanut (its one of the sawdusts you do NOT want to compost because of this) and I suspect its in the leaves and nuts as well. Besides, the stuff I've seen is pretty soft and would probably break down too fast to be useful. Maryjane aka weeble woodworker in another life

25-Nov-2007	#3
bonsaial1 Greybeard Join Date: Aug-2001 Location: Fresno, CA Country: USA USDA Zone: 9 AHS Heat Zone: 13SH Posts: 5,248	Been there tried that! It molds....nuff said! __________________ Real men don't wear coats with "happi" in the title.

26-Nov-2007	#4
mbs2 bonsaiTALK Journeyman Join Date: Oct-2007 Location: Boise Country: USA USDA Zone: 6-7 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 35	Thanks for answering my question. I'll definiately stay away from them then.

31-Jan-2008	#5
FOX7591 wilJohnson Join Date: Feb-2007 Location: Langley Country: Canada Posts: 209	Hi, in my driveway there are a lot of large walnut trees,the soild is very nice and i use it some some plants. thye r very healthy in it and there are a bunch of crushed shells in the soil. __________________ ...FOX7591...

31-Jan-2008	#6
Dkozi bonsaiTALK Artisan Join Date: Nov-2004 Location: Chicago area Country: U.S.A. USDA Zone: 5 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 120	FOX7591, Walnut belong to the family Juglonacea. The smell you get when you crush the outer husk of a walnut come from the chemical juglones. Juglones is toxic to many other plants. Botanist theorize it is a defensive mechanism to weed out competing trees from crowding them out. If you are using the soil as an amendment to your house plants either they are immune, or you haven't used it long enough to kill them yet.

31-Jan-2008	#7
PatArizona Bonsai Master, in my mind Join Date: Feb-2005 Location: Back Home in Northern California Country: USA Posts: 1,635	A good thing to stay away from...there's lots of other stuff that you can depend on... Why risk it? Pat __________________ BONSAI isn't about surviving in a storm, rather, how to dance in the rain. THE ONLY WAY: Always remember, and don't ever forget, that whatever you read here is not cast in concrete... the intent of any advice is to help. In no way should you feel that I’m saying that my way is the only way…heaven forbid! I've seen far too much of the "my way or the highway" attitude in bonsai as well as in other areas of life. Pat Patterson...Bonsai in the Greater Bay Area, Northern California

31-Jan-2008	#8
rockm bonsaiTALK ArchMaster Join Date: Oct-2003 Location: Fairfax, Va Country: USA USDA Zone: 7 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 4,561	Juglone is present in the roots, bark and leaves of walnut, especially black walnut. It's also present in related species like pecan and butternut. It is extremely toxic to some plants, while others are unaffected. It can not only suppress growth in some plants, it can outright kill some of them. Its extract has been used as an herbicide. I would not use crushed walnut shells as a soil amendment for bonsai because of this. It would be like playing Russian roulet with your trees. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1148.html

2-Feb-2008

redhawkbonsai

redhawk 18-Mar-2004

Join Date: Feb-2007

Location: 3rd coast @ the "Coastal Bend"

Country: USA

USDA Zone: 9a

AHS Heat Zone: 11

Posts: 201

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Quote:

Originally Posted by rockm

Juglone is present in the roots, bark and leaves of walnut, especially black walnut. It's also present in related species like pecan and butternut. It is extremely toxic to some plants, while others are unaffected. It can not only suppress growth in some plants, it can outright kill some of them. Its extract has been used as an herbicide. I would not use crushed walnut shells as a soil amendment for bonsai because of this. It would be like playing Russian roulet with your trees.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1148.html

Interesting find rockm!

Thanks for sharing!

redhawk

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3-Feb-2008	#10
eeiko321 bonsaiTALK Master Chief Join Date: Jan-2008 Location: Sydney Country: AUstralia Posts: 1,650	well crushed wallnut shells still need Grit?

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