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Planting a walnut from a nut in the fall is of interest to gardeners in the south and middle lane. Even Siberian gardeners have learned to grow a thermophilic culture. 5 and 6 climatic zones are considered optimal for growing walnuts. In zone 4, which includes most of the gardens near Moscow, trees need to create suitable conditions for growth.
When to Plant Walnuts: Spring or Fall
Opinions of gardeners regarding the timing of planting walnut seeds differ. Some people like to plant in the fall, others do it in the spring. Supporters of autumn plantings argue their choice by the fact that the germination of walnut seeds lasts 1 year.
Because of this, when planting in the spring, the percentage of germination is lower. Seeds planted in October undergo natural stratification over the winter. When spring planting walnut seeds, it must be carried out artificially.
It follows from practice that in regions with short winters it is preferable to plant walnut seeds before winter. This is practiced by gardeners in Ukraine, Moldova, the Caucasus, and southern Our Country. Where winters are long, snow melts for a long time in spring, walnut seeds should be planted in spring. The probability of their decay during spring planting is much lower.
How to plant a walnut in the fall
Before buying walnut seedlings, you need to evaluate the size of your garden, cottage. A fruiting tree requires a large area of nutrition. In adulthood, its crown reaches an impressive size. Its projection on the ground reaches 25 m².
A walnut tree can grow in a garden for hundreds of years. It is undemanding to the structure and composition of the soil, it can grow on sandy and loamy soils. A walnut seedling, planted in neutral soil with a pH value of 5,5-5,8, takes root well.
When planning the planting of a walnut seedling, it is necessary to take into account the factors that directly affect the yield:
- it is affected by the level of illumination, so seedlings are recommended to be planted in the sunniest place;
- winter winds have a negative impact, therefore, in the conditions of a garden (dacha), it is advised to plant a walnut on the south side of the house, fence, and other garden trees;
- cross-pollination of walnuts increases yield, so it is good to have several fruit trees in the garden.
How to plant a walnut seedling in autumn
Holes for planting walnuts are dug during the summer months. Before planting a seedling in the fall, about 1 month should pass. It is recommended to dig a hole with a shovel, not a drill, its optimal depth is 70 cm. It is more convenient to plant seedlings in a square hole with sides of 60 cm.
In addition to fertile soil, for refueling the pit, you need to prepare:
- fertilizer “Ammofoska” (for 1 planting hole – 1 kg);
- fresh manure, 50% straw;
- humus 5-6 years old (1,5 buckets per 1 planting hole).
Fertilizer should be poured out in a compact slide to the bottom in the center of the pit. Sprinkle it with fertile soil mixed with humus, with a layer of 20 cm. Ammofoska will nourish the young tree with phosphorus for 7-8 years.
Infertile soil, taken out when digging a hole, must be left on the surface. It is necessary to form a high roller around the landing hole. The seedling must be placed in the center of the hole. Cover the roots with fertile garden soil. Check that the root neck after backfilling with soil is at ground level.
From the northern (north-western) side of the seedling, it is necessary to drive a high stake (3 m). Tie a trunk to it in two places, use only soft knits. Attach the barrel to the stake with a figure-eight knot. From infertile soil, arrange a roller 25-30 cm high around the hole. Cover the entire area around the trunk with manure. The optimal layer thickness is 25 cm. Leave a small gap between the manure and the trunk.
Pour at least 6 buckets of water under the walnut seedling. Mulching the trunk circle with manure has many positive aspects:
- in winter it serves as protection against freezing;
- in the heat protects against overheating;
- during the warm season reduces the evaporation of moisture.
Planting walnuts in autumn with seeds
If in September it was possible to get fresh walnut seeds, then in the fall you can plant them in the ground. The largest specimens are selected, on which no damage is visible and the green peel is easily separated.
When planting nuts in the fall, the process of preparing planting material is simple. The fruits are peeled from the green peel, dried for 2 days in the sun. At the end of October they start landing. Seeds are planted in rows on a ridge prepared in advance or in holes of 3-4 pieces. The soil is prepared: they dig it up, add humus, ash, superphosphate.
When planting fruits in an ordinary way, they adhere to a scheme of 25 x 90 cm. 30 pieces are planted in holes with a diameter of 4 cm. The fruits are placed sideways, on the edge. In the spring, a stem hatches on one side and begins to grow upwards, and roots appear on the other side.
Medium-sized seeds are buried in the ground by 9 cm, larger ones by 10 cm. The approximate thickness of the earth layer should be equal to the diameter of the fruit multiplied by 3. The ridge is not watered during autumn planting. The entire surface is covered with mulch. Fallen leaves are usually used. They are poured with a layer of 20-25 cm. Shoots will appear in May.
Benefits of fall planting:
- I seed no need for stratification;
- shoots appear earlier in spring;
- after winter there is a lot of moisture in the soil, this speeds up the rooting process;
- seedlings planted in autumn are stronger, they develop faster than those planted in spring.
Transplanting a walnut in the fall to a new place
In the autumn, they transplant one-year-old walnut seedlings into a greenhouse (school). There they are grown for 2-3 years, then planted in the garden. With small dimensions of the school, seedlings are allowed to be planted often, maintaining an interval of 15 cm between them.
With a dense planting, walnut seedlings grow for 1 year. Transplanted to a permanent place at 2 years of age. Grown seedlings with dense planting will shade each other. The wood will mature more slowly, this will lead to a decrease in the frost resistance of walnut seedlings.
Seedlings are transplanted with a clod of earth, trying not to damage the tap root. Its length at the time of transplantation should be 35-40 cm. The varietal properties of walnut seedlings are rarely preserved, so they are most often used as a stock.
They are grafted with cuttings taken from a young fruit-bearing tree, or with eyes (budding). The grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit in 4-8 years. The better the care, the earlier the walnut bears fruit.
Care after landing
Caring for plants in the school is simple. It comes down to watering, loosening row spacing, removing weeds. The grown seedlings (1-2-year-old) are transplanted into the garden. Choose the strongest. For mature trees, care is minimal. Walnut seedlings require special attention after they are transplanted to a permanent place (1-2 years).
Formative and sanitary pruning of the crown is carried out in early spring, when the temperature is above zero (4-5 ° C). You need to do it before the start of sap flow. With a lack of moisture (there was little snow, there was no rain in the spring), water-charging irrigation is carried out in April. At the same time, an audit of the stem and skeletal branches is carried out:
- inspect;
- remove pieces of dead bark;
- wounds are washed with copper sulfate (3%);
- whitewash the trunk and large branches.
In April, the crown is treated for pests and diseases. Until the buds open, young trees are treated with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture. They also spray the earth with copper sulphate in the near-trunk circle. In May, root dressing is carried out with ammonium nitrate. It is needed for trees older than 3 years.
During the summer, under the fruiting walnut, make:
- ammonium sulfate – 10 kg;
- ammonium nitrate – 6 kg;
- superphosphate – 10 kg;
- potassium salt – 3 kg.
The main summer care comes down to watering. Walnuts require a lot of moisture in summer. Trees are watered every 2 weeks. The top layer of soil in the near-stem circle is not loosened after irrigation. Water the trees for 3 months, starting in May.
Water consumption – 40 l / m². Watering stops in August. In late autumn, the last watering is carried out – water-charging. It increases the frost resistance of the tree. To prevent fungal diseases of the walnut and protect against pests, the ground around the tree is kept clean. Remove weeds all summer.
Walnut fruits ripen from late summer to October. After leaf fall, the crown is treated for diseases with copper sulphate (1%). Before frost, young seedlings begin to prepare for winter:
- wrap the trunk and branches with covering material or burlap;
- the ground around the trunk is covered with mulch, manure or straw is used.
Tips from experienced gardeners
According to experienced gardeners, the first formative pruning should be carried out after the walnut seedlings grow to 1,5 m:
- the height of their trunk will be about 0,9 m;
- crown height – about 0,6 m.
No more than 10 strong shoots are left on a walnut seedling, and the weak ones are cut out. All remaining branches are shortened by 20 cm. Old trees thin out the crown in spring. This stimulates lateral branching.
Conclusion
Planting a walnut from a nut in the fall is one of the most common crop propagation options. It takes at least 2 years to get seedlings. In the central and central strip of Our Country, it is worth growing varieties with good frost resistance, early maturing, such as:
- Dawn of the East;
- Ideal;
- breeder;
- Giant.
