How to grow a walnut

Thanks to valuable wood and tasty healthy fruits, the walnut was introduced into culture several thousand years ago. Most modern botanists are inclined to believe that they began to breed it in Ancient Persia, then the seedlings came to Greece. From there, culture spread first to the Balkans, then to Western Europe. Now it is imperative to plant a walnut on the site, not only southerners, but also residents of regions with a temperate climate are trying.

Is it possible to grow a walnut from a nut

For many centuries, the walnut was propagated only by seeds. Varieties are created exclusively by the method of selection and acclimatization, therefore, biologically cultivated trees do not differ too much from wild relatives. Cross-pollination with other species is possible, but so far has not given worthy results.

So trees grown from nuts may not be identical to the original variety. But they usually produce large tasty fruits and thrive in the region where the mother tree comes from.

When can you plant a walnut

Walnut planting time varies by region. In temperate and cold climates, the best time is spring, before the buds swell. If you plant a tree there in the fall, it is almost guaranteed to freeze over in the winter. In the spring, the soil warms up more and more every day, contains a lot of moisture – in such conditions, the seedling takes root well, quickly restores damaged roots and starts to grow.

It is impossible to be late with spring planting, especially in areas where there are problems with watering, or rarely visited by the owners. Moisture from the soil evaporates quickly, leaves that have already begun to grow intensively lose it. The roots cannot provide water to the above-ground part, since they themselves do not receive enough water to take root in a new place. And the temperature is rising every day. As a result, the walnut often dies in the first winter.

In the southern regions, on the contrary, the appropriate time for planting a crop is autumn, during or after leaf fall. It is in cool weather and sufficient soil moisture that walnut roots take root best. Although there are drawbacks here too – with dry autumn and snowless winter, the seedling may take root poorly, freeze slightly, and even die. Strong dry winds are especially dangerous for a young plant.

Where to plant a walnut on the site

Proper planting of a walnut is the key to high yields and longevity of the tree. Culture takes up a lot of space, besides, in adulthood it does not like transplants. If we add here the allelopathic nature of the walnut, it becomes clear that the wrong arrangement of the tree can cause a lot of problems.

Culture occupies an intermediate position between shade-tolerant and sun-loving plants. At a young age, the seedling is quite shade-tolerant. When it grows up and begins to bear fruit, the yield and further development of the tree depend on the illumination of the crown.

The walnut root system is adapted to many types of soil:

• on chernozems, an adult tree generally grows without top dressing;
• walnut develops well on alkaline, lime-rich soils, loose fertile loams and sandy loams;
• it will grow on calcareous-gravel, stony-sandy, rocky soils, if they are well moistened and permeable;
• on dense, poor soils, the tree forms a small crown, grows poorly and produces few fruits;
• podzolic, acidic, freezing, cold soils inhibit development, often causing freezing and death of the seedling.

Completely unsuitable for growing walnuts are only heavily saline, swampy and dense wet clay soils.

The tree will reach its maximum height and will produce the greatest yields when the groundwater occurs no closer than 2,3 m from the surface. But the walnut is a unique, plastic culture. With a higher stand of aquifers, it simply will not grow to 25 m.

Since the walnut is often the tallest tree in the garden, it should be planted on the northern or western edge so as not to shade other crops. The place should be sunny and sheltered from the wind. When the tree grows, it will be impossible to protect it, but this will no longer be critical.

How to germinate a walnut at home

In the south, walnuts sprout, falling to the ground. They sprout in a compost heap or sprinkled with a small layer of soil. Not harvested in autumn and knocked down to the ground by birds in winter, the fruits easily turn into young trees. They need to be transplanted, or uprooted and thrown away as soon as possible.

But, of course, it is best to grow walnuts from fruits taken from a healthy, bountiful tree. If you place them in loose soil in the fall, shoots will appear in May.

Stratification is needed for spring planting. The fruits are soaked in warm water, which is changed every 12 hours, for 2-3 days. Then they are placed in a box with holes for the outflow of moisture, filled with clean, damp sand. Kept at a temperature of 5-7 ° C for about 90 days. The substrate is constantly checked and moistened as necessary, and stirred every 10 days to saturate with oxygen.

But fruits with a thin shell, which is easy to crush with your fingers, will rot with such stratification. They are kept in clean wet sand for 30 to 45 days at room temperature.

If the time has come for planting, and the seedlings have not hatched, the fruits are transferred to a room with a temperature of 25-30 ° C. There they will quickly germinate.

By May, in a place well protected from the wind, loose soil is prepared by adding leaf humus and sand. Then they dig a groove 7-10 cm deep and put the nuts on edge into it.

If the stratification was carried out correctly, seedlings should appear in 10 days.

How to plant a walnut properly

Growing and caring for walnuts begins with planting. If you choose the right place and time, the culture takes root well. A tree has been growing in one place for decades, it is very difficult and sometimes impossible to transplant an adult tree, but removing it from the site requires a lot of time and effort.

How to plant a walnut seedling

For planting a walnut in the spring, a pit is prepared at the end of the previous season, in the fall – 2-3 months in advance. The top fertile soil layer is mixed with humus. On chernozems, a bucket is added, for poor soils, the amount of rotted manure is increased by 2-3 times and starting fertilizers are added. In dense soils, leaf humus can be added. In acidic soils add from 500 g to 3 kg of lime (depending on pH).

The depth and diameter of the planting pit depends on soil fertility. On the poor, they should not be less than 100 cm, on chernozems – 60 cm wide, 80 cm deep. The pit is filled with planting mixture and allowed to settle.

On the eve of planting, a part of the soil is taken out of the pit and filled with water. All damaged roots are cut out from the seedling to healthy tissue, the central one is shortened, leaving 60-70 cm. Planting is done together in the following sequence:

1. A strong peg is driven into the center of the pit.
2. A seedling is installed next to it so that the root collar rises 6-8 cm above the edge of the pit.
3. The tree is tied to a stake.
4. One person holds the seedling, the second begins to cover the root, constantly compacting the fertile soil around it.
5. When planting is completed, check the position of the root collar.
6. According to the diameter of the landing pit, the sides are formed from the remaining soil.
7. Each seedling is watered abundantly, spending 2-3 buckets of water.
8. The trunk circle is mulched with humus.

How to plant a walnut from a fruit

The sprouted walnut is dug up next spring, the root is shortened, leaving no more than 60-70 cm, and moved to a permanent place or to a school. Preferably growing with subsequent transplantation.

The walnut root grows faster than the aerial part. If it is cut several times, the quality of the wood will become worse, but the yield will increase significantly. In summer cottages in the south, where nuts are grown for their own consumption and some are left on the tree anyway, this is of little importance. But on industrial plantations and in cold or temperate climates, where the trees do not grow so large, and the yield is much less, significantly.

Walnut grown from seeds for better fruiting is transplanted several times, shortening the root. In farm gardens, seedlings are not transferred from place to place, but with a special tool they cut the root right in the ground.

The technology of planting a walnut grown independently from seeds is no different from that brought from the nursery.

Walnut Planting Scheme

There is no agreement on the schemes for planting walnuts on industrial plantations. Some farmers claim that the distance between the trees of 10×10 m is quite sufficient. Others are firmly convinced that in this way the plantation will be able to bear fruit for no longer than 20 years and plant nuts according to the 20×20 m pattern.

Perhaps both are right:

• on chernozems in a warm climate, trees grow taller, the planting pattern should be sparse;
• in the Middle lane on poor soils, compacted planting is possible.

Of course, varieties also matter, among them there are stunted ones. Although the crown is still sprawling, they take up less space than high ones.

In dachas and household plots, there can be no question of any kind of planting pattern. One or two walnuts grow in every yard. There simply isn’t room for more trees, especially since the culture doesn’t like neighbors. Or rather, the nut does not care if anything grows next to it. It is the neighbors who do not like his proximity.

The tree is usually located on the periphery of the site, it is better to plant it on the north or west side so that the shadow from the giant does not fall on other crops. But you can place it in the center of a large courtyard, paved or tiled. It will give a shadow, next to it you can put a bench or a table for family holidays.

Such a tree is called a family tree. In its quality, they choose a beautiful large long-lived culture that can preserve the memory of generations of people gathering under its canopy. Walnut is the best suited for this role. But you will have to take care of the tree carefully so that the crown is beautiful, and dry branches, diseased leaves or pests do not fall on your head.

Features of growing a walnut tree in different regions

In Our Country, walnuts bear fruit well in a warm climate on black soil. With due care, they can be grown in the Middle Lane, but other regions cannot boast only the harvest and the safety of trees.

How to grow a walnut in the suburbs

Growing walnuts in the Moscow region is quite possible, and under certain conditions, you can often get a pretty good harvest. The main thing is to find the “right” seedlings or fruits. They must be adapted to local conditions.

It is better not to buy walnut seedlings for growing in the Middle lane from your hands – you can stumble upon southern trees. You need to take them in a nursery located nearby or to the north. Growing a crop from a walnut bought on the market is generally a hopeless business. Planting material should be shared by neighbors or acquaintances living nearby, only then there is a guarantee that the seedlings will not freeze.

The culture in the Moscow region does not like the soil, a large planting hole needs to be dug, the soil should be deoxidized with lime. For the future, small gravel can be added to the bottom of the pit. But once a year it will still be necessary to water the tree with lime milk.

Further care consists in rare watering in the heat and mandatory feeding. Moreover, if the walnut grows well, nitrogen can be omitted in spring, limiting itself to late autumn mulching of the near-trunk circle with humus. But at the end of summer, phosphorus and potassium must be given – without this, the tree is unlikely to overwinter.

Trees should be planted freely – in the Moscow region, good crown illumination is especially important. If the neighbors do not have nuts, it is better to plant two at once – this will increase the likelihood of fruits.

Growing walnuts in the Leningrad region

On the Internet, you can find articles that describe how well the walnut brought from Moldova took root in the Leningrad region. Don’t believe! No, it is theoretically possible. But only if you find a fruit-bearing nut near St. Petersburg, take the seeds to Moldova, germinate there, and return the seedling to the Leningrad region. Only painfully complex intrigue is obtained.

In fact, it is very difficult to grow a fruit-bearing walnut in the Northwest, but it is possible. Those trees that have not completely frozen out most often grow squat and practically do not bear fruit. But there are a few walnuts that have reached a decent size and are bearing fruit. Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Starostin V.A. recommends that they all be registered and used for further breeding.

This is where it makes sense. Only gardeners who were lucky enough to get “local” nuts can be more or less sure of success. The rest can do experiments – a young tree does not take up much space.

How to grow a walnut tree in Siberia

So far, the cultivation of walnuts in Siberia most often ends in failure. And it’s not just cold winters. Long-term acclimatization and selection allow trees to winter at -40 ° C. Return frosts are terrible for walnuts, which in some years reduce the yield or destroy specimens located on open hills even in Central Ukraine.

But selection does not stand still, scientists say that culture will soon grow in Siberia. The following varieties are considered the most promising for further selection:

• Voronezh;
• Sturdy;
• Kamensky;
• Shevgen.

Walnut cultivation in the Urals

When growing walnuts in the Urals, gardeners face not only the same problems as residents of other cold regions. More than the winter cold, trees are hindered by the changing climate. In the Urals, frosts occur even at the beginning of summer, which does not contribute to the promotion of culture in the region. Therefore, here the selection is aimed at creating varieties that are distinguished by a delay in vegetation.

Walnut care

In the south, close attention is paid only to young trees. In other regions, culture must be constantly looked after.

Watering and top dressing

Walnut is one of the crops that require sufficient, but not excessive moisture. He needs the greatest amount of moisture in spring and in the first half of summer, when the growth of green mass and the formation of fruits is in progress. In the second half of summer and autumn, excessive watering or frequent rains can damage the tree. But moisture charging before retiring is a mandatory procedure, otherwise it will freeze slightly or not survive the winter at all.

In short, you should pay attention to the following points:

1. In the south, an adult walnut growing on chernozems does not need to be fed. Once every 4 years, the trunk circle is mulched with humus.
2. In other regions, the tree is fertilized with nitrogen in early spring, and in the second half of summer with phosphorus and potassium. Before winter, humus is introduced into the trunk circle.

Trimming and shaping

Often the crown of a walnut is not formed at all; at best, one trunk is removed if a fork has formed on the central conductor. But to improve fruiting, especially on varieties with densely growing branches, pruning should be done.

When forming the crown, it is recommended to make the stem height at the level of 80-90 cm. This will make it easier to harvest and care for the tree. In all varieties, it is better to leave one central conductor.

The crown should retain its natural shape, the branches are thinned out to improve the lighting of the tree. The further north the site is, the greater the distance left between the skeletal shoots. For example, in the southernmost regions, the uterine branches can be 25-30 cm apart, closer to the Middle lane – 40 cm.

If the crown of the walnut is sparse and well lit, pruning is to prevent the occurrence of sharply angled forks. Every year, all dried and frostbitten ends of the shoots in winter or spring are removed.

Protection against diseases and pests

Nuts growing in well-lit and ventilated areas, which are properly cared for, rarely get sick and are affected by pests. This is largely due to the fact that the phytoncides secreted by the culture have a detrimental effect on pathological microorganisms, and the specific smell repels insects.

The culture is affected by brown spotting, which should be combated by spraying with copper-containing preparations. Before the leaves bloom and after they shed, fungicides are used in strong concentrations, for example, 2-3% Bordeaux mixture. During the growing season, the solution is made 1%. Usually 2-3 treatments are enough.

A sooty fungus can settle on a walnut. True, it causes little inconvenience to the culture itself, but the plants growing nearby are quite striking.

Of the pests you need to highlight:

• aphids;
• moth moth;
• ticks;
• walnut goldfish;
• urban barbel;
• walnut moth.

It is better to deal with them with biological methods, for example, spraying with a solution of green soap or tobacco infusion. Only if these measures fail, insecticides are used.

Preparation for winter

Only young nuts can be covered for the winter. Very quickly, the trees become so large that they cannot be placed in a special tube or wrapped with agrofibre. It remains only to carry out measures that increase resistance to frost:

• form trees with one conductor (trunk);
• reduce watering in the second half of summer;
• mulch the trunk circle with humus;
• feed in late summer or early autumn with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers;
• whitewash the trunk and skeletal branches for the winter.

How long does it take for a walnut to bear fruit after planting?

Walnuts grown from seeds come into fruiting later. They are divided into three groups:

• precocious – yielding a crop for 7-8 years after emergence of seedlings;
• mid-fruited, entering fruiting after 9-13 years;
• late fetal, the harvest from which is harvested for 14-17 years.

Much earlier, the crop is harvested from grafted walnuts – from 1-4 years of age.

The maximum fruiting of the crop falls on 50-100 years, when 100 kg of nuts are harvested on average from each well-developed tree.

What to plant under a walnut

The correct answer is nothing. Sometimes something takes root under a walnut, for example, periwinkle or shade-loving unpretentious hosts: plantain and lanceolate. But this is rather an exception.

Walnut leaves contain juglone, which is toxic to many plants. When it rains, it falls on the ground and poisons it, making it unsuitable for growing other crops. Apple and pear trees, tomatoes and other vegetables especially do not like the neighborhood of walnuts.

But this does not mean that there should be a dead zone around the tree. Planting directly under a nut costs nothing, although you can experiment with shade-loving, not particularly expensive crops. In the same place, where drops that fall from the leaves after rain do not fall, you can plant berry bushes or plums, aromatic and medicinal herbs.

Reviews about growing walnuts in the Moscow region

Conclusion

You can plant a walnut in any region, but they get stable yields only in the south. In the Middle lane, the culture bears fruit every few years and requires care. Individual trees can grow in colder climates, but this is more of an exception than the rule, although breeders promise to create varieties that are resistant to spring frosts in the near future.