There is a noxious weed that lives in my garden, popping up with its tree-like leaves and thick stem, and, worst of all, its brutally-deep root system. So, while Steve’s Mom was visiting for his graduation and for Mother’s Day, we did what any self-respecting pair of women would do. We pulled weeds.
“See?” I said, yanking at a stem that seemed more interested in hanging out in the ground than coming with me. “These were not even here yesterday. They’re brutal.”
Further down the garden bed, I encountered something that looked sort of like a noxious weed, but yet totally different. I reached. I pulled.
I brought up a huge clump of dirt.
“Look at this!” I shouted at Mary Beth. “This is the worst weed ever! It has a frickin’ bulb!”
She took it from me, because I was too hysterical to be trusted even with a weed, and brushed the dirt away. She fumbled with the bulb for a few seconds, then looked up at me with a twinkle in her eye.
“Do you know what kind of weed this is?” she asked.
“No.”
She split open the bulb and displayed it to me. “It’s a black walnut. You were growing a new black walnut tree in your garden.”
Oh, tree. You drop your juglone, you poison my tomatoes, and then you try to propagate? Whut…evah…
Photo credit: Mary Beth Bishop
on May 30th, 2007 at 4:39 am
Ooooh, lucky you — black walnut trees are such fun. Provided, of course, that they grow just where you want them!
on May 30th, 2007 at 7:02 am
A Mom that pulls weeds? Mine just eats the tomatoes.
on May 30th, 2007 at 11:21 am
Lydia, I don’t know if fun would be the word I’d use, but they are beautiful. Beautiful and poisonous… :-)
Steven, she’s a pro in the garden and very helpful! She has tons of great advice to share.
on May 30th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Just found your site recently and love it as I am beginning my first foray into gardening.
Growing up in Iowa, the worst part of the walnut tree at my parent’s was the incredible mess it left every other year. Readying the walnuts for consumption requires an incredible amount of labor that was never worth it for my family.
on May 30th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Ah yes, trees. We get oak, walnut, wild plum and redwood here. All except the plum are hard to grow under. I usually transplant the redwoods though.
on May 30th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
Once upon a time, my neighbour had a black walnut tree in his yard and I did battle with the walnuts … they were constantly popping up and were real pains if they went undiscovered for a year or two.
How are the veggies doing?
on May 30th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
Libby, I tried to pick some of the nuts up last year with an eye toward trying to open them, and they molded before I got brave enough to try. So much for that!
Chigiy, a redwood would be gorgeous, but yes…awfully impactful on the garden, I’d think!
Kate, the veggies that are under the tree are all the kinds that seem to be OK with it — so far, so good. The tomatoes are far, far away, so they’re fine, too.
on May 31st, 2007 at 9:46 am
Wow. Your landlord gives the kind of advice that just keeps on giving… Self-propagating advice.
on May 31st, 2007 at 11:09 pm
Briana, yes — self-propagating advice…it’s exciting stuff!
on Jun 1st, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Squirrels! They bury those little suckers everywhere and before you find them they have roots 10 feet long. I had one heck of a nightmare once-the squirrels buried the walnuts under my deck and dozens of trees began growing thru it. had to tear the damn deck down. arrghh.
on Jun 2nd, 2007 at 7:33 am
Wackyweeder, I didn’t even think about it being the squirrels that buried the nut…but that makes sense. That’s terrible about your deck!