Ben Wingerter

Benny Lawson wrote:I would like to point out that walnut trees emit a poison through their roots to stop competiton , it is called juglone. Thats why they have all that nice open area around them.

I just checked and it appears pawpaw trees are tolerant to juglone.

Thanks everyone! I've never heard of pawpaw before. I just did some research and it looks like they should grow well in my area. I'll order some seeds as soon as possible and plant them. The only thing I'm worried about is too much water. I read that they should live in well drained soil, but I already built a pond about 30 away from where they'll grow and I have another pond planned about 20 feet in the other direction. Oh well. It's worth a try. Yesterday I extracted 12 apple seeds from apples and put them in the fridge for germination. I'll probably plant them back there. Apple seeds aren't supposed to grow in shade, but maybe they'll defy the conventional wisdom and thrive just like that plum tree did.

I have a small bit of land that is a forest of walnut trees. It had a dry floodplain in which I would like to apply some permaculture principles and plant some fruit trees. The only problem is that I can't find a fruit tree that it suitable for the environment. It is a shaded area that receives a little sunlight every day. I would prefer not to cut down any of the walnut trees because I love trees . The soil is dark, rich, and moist. I live in the American midwest so I have cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers. We have lots of rain in the spring but not very much in the late summer, but I will still be able to irrigate using rain catchment systems I have planned. Does anyone know of a fruit tree or fruit shrub that can grow in this environment? Thanks in advance for any replies!