Especially when space in the garden is limited or there is no garden at all, but you want to cultivate a walnut tree, all sorts of considerations come to mind. Questions like "Can I keep a walnut small?" are often found on forums. Plant lovers often want to know whether a walnut tree can be grown in a pot. We want to clarify this matter below.
Even dwarf walnut trees bear fruit with good care
Keeping normal walnut trees in pots? Impossible!
Bad news first: You definitely cannot keep a normal walnut tree in a pot in the long run. This works quite well for a few years, after all it is even advisable to grow the walnut in a bucket, if only to protect it from pests and frost.
But sooner or later every classic walnut tree needs an outdoor space - its gigantic taproot needs a lot of space to develop, apart from the fact that walnuts grow up to 25 (sometimes even 30) meters high and the crown has a diameter of up to can reach 15 meters.
Dwarf varieties of walnuts as pot solutions
Fortunately, if you are only interested in growing in a pot and you don't want to miss out on the beauty of a walnut tree, there is a healthy solution that will make both you and the tree happy: buy a dwarf variety!
Walnut tree dwarfs are unusual breeds that are grafted onto weak bases, so that the smallest trees ultimately develop. However, there are still differences within this walnut category:
The 'Europa' variety, for example, grows to a height of around 3.5 meters and is recommended for keeping in small gardens (in the ground!).
But there are also varieties that only reach about 1.2 meters in height - with a trunk circumference of about 40 to 60 centimeters. You can also keep such walnuts in a pot if you want.
But make sure to provide the tree with a very sunny location so that it can develop well.
The dwarf varieties surprise their owners after just a few years (it often takes just two to three years) with a rich harvest of delicious walnuts.
For comparison: With a normal walnut tree, the first harvest can usually only be expected after about 15 to 20 years.