Walnut that has dropped all its leaves

[JimN]

I have a Common Walnut (diameter 440mm at 1.5m above the ground) in my garden that dropped approx 50% of its leaves over the summer of 2019.
 

This year (2020) the same tree leafed very weakly - approx 30% of normal leaf cover. Then in June/July it has gradually dropped all its leaves and partly grown nuts/fruit. Over recent years the tree has started to be crowded out by others (younger) trees from a neighbouring property. Should I ask for the neighbouring trees to be pruned?

 

Also - this year (2020) in the same part of the garden another tree a Pissards Plum (diameter 400mm at 1.5m above ground) has leafed weakly and then in July also dropped most of its leaves. This tree is not crowded by other trees.  

 

I am concerned about the condition of the Walnut (it has no leaves) but I am now also concerned that the Pissards Plum is going the same way. Could it be the same problem (whether light, insect/pest, blight/dieback, etc) causing both trees to drop their leaves?

 

Is there anything I could do to help the trees recover or investigate what is causing them to drop?

 

Thank you for any help.

[Ian C]

It’s dead or it soon will be, hard to say why but it’s v unlikely to be from the trees next door be interested to know why.

 

[JimN]

Thanks for your reply ... although it’s sad to hear you think the Walnut (photo 1) is died or about to die. I had hoped I could save it. If the tree is soon to be dead, rather than already dead, is there anything I can do to save it? Do you think the Pissards Plum tree (in photo 2) is going the same way? Do you think there is anything I can do to help this tree?

[spuddog0507]

Hi i have noticed this last few weeks on my travels around the northwest there is a fair amount of Beech and Sycamore that are dropping there leaves now and the trees dont look in that good of shape and i am not talking about 10 or 20 trees i mean hundreds of them, i think this goes back to 2018 with the very dry summer and a very dry spring this year, this last few wk we have been digging some trenches any where between 6 and 9 ft deep and once dug out the top 18" is quite damp then there is about 2-3ft of very dry clay but when we dug up between 2 on there way out Ash trees the ground was considerably drier than it was away from the trees, this is just my theory on it, but sub soil/clay does not abbsorbe water that fast once dried out and a tree will suck a lot of water in the spring from as deep as the roots go, so given the dry spring and the tree sucking most the water out the ground at this time as not left much for this time of year,as said above this is my thoughts but would be interested in what others think,

[Stere]

Noticed some large mature sycamores (north wales) around 90% dead tops, only a few live lower branches and  suckers. Theese were growing on an eroded field hegde bank (clawdd) others nearby not growing on bank are completely healthy.