"paghat" wrote in message
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Composting breaks down the juglone, so if you mix the leaves with soil &
keep it moist & add some nitrogen to speed up the process it will take
care of itself at the speed of composting, even without entirely removing
the leaves.

Since you indicate that your uncle will be raking out the walnut leaves,
that'll speed up the process dramatically. He can follow the removal with
deep watering now & then to flush any lingering juglone deeper into the
soil, where bacteria will take care of it before too long. Presumedly he
won't be planting any new veggies this time of year anyway, & the area
should have repaired itself by next spring's planting time. He's not
committed any end-of-world catastrophic garden booboo, it's something
gardens can pretty much repair on their own.

Thanks! I sent your reply directly to my uncle.

You say, however, "I think" it was black walnut -- if no one's sure there
were walnut leaves involved, there could be some other problem. I mulch
with fallen leaves of chokecherry & sweet cherry & plum trees which all
have juglone & this does't bother the plants at all, not even the azaleas
which can be juglone-sensitive, but of course the concentrations are a
fraction that of walnut, & I don't use these leaves for anything as
senstive as tomatoes.

No we aren't sure, but where we live is plentiful with black walnut trees. I am only
guessin', and my uncle is havin' a soil test done, though I believe he will take your
advice regardless. He has worked very hard on his veggie garden and the asparagus is
his trophy--so to speak. Dick is around 77 years of age and his veggie garden and
fishin' are his greatest hobbies. Gardenin' is fairly new to him, but he has taken to
it like a duck to water, so I imagine he doesn't really need my assistance; however,
he isn't familiar with the availability of instant info via NGs. You have been most
kind and I thank you very much!

Mark


-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com