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Manchurian walnut: description of the species, cultivation and planting
The Manchurian nut is a close relative of the walnut. However, unlike the popular relative, this species is resistant to low temperatures and is suitable for growing in northern regions.
What does a Manchurian nut look like?
The Manchurian nut is similar in appearance to the walnut. This is a tall, fast-growing tree, the height can reach thirty meters. Has a dense spreading crown. The bark is gray in color, darkens with age to dark gray with blackness. The fruits grow mainly in clusters of several pieces and are covered with green amniotic rind.
The homeland of the Manchu nut is China.
Visually, the species differ in the shape of leaves and fruits. The Manchurian walnut has thinner and more oblong leaves with sharp ends and serrated sides. The size of the fruits is slightly smaller than the walnuts, on average, the diameter does not exceed four centimeters. The shape of the nuts is round, pointed at the end.
The shell of a ripe nut is much harder and thicker than that of a walnut. The kernels are distinguished by a more delicate, sweetish taste.
Planting a Manchurian nut on the site
This type is planted in the ground with seeds or ready-made seedlings. In the first case, the nuts pre-harvested in the fall must be dried naturally indoors. In the middle of winter, they are placed in a container with wet peat or sand, wrapped in plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect. Within two to three months, sprouts hatch from the seeds. After the snow melts in March-April, the nuts are ready for planting in the soil.
A simpler option: peel the nuts that have fallen from the tree from the pericarp and plant them in the ground to a depth of about ten centimeters. Pre-dip the fruits in kerosene to protect them from rodents, put them on the edge, cover them with earth. Cover the top to maintain moisture. Young shoots appear in the spring.
Nuts are suitable for planting in the ground within two years from the moment of ripening.
Planting ready-made seedlings is more problematic, since the young tree does not like transplants. When purchasing a seedling, you should pay attention to plants with developed lateral roots. Such seedlings are better prepared for transplanting to another place. The optimal time for planting is April or October.
Manchurian Nut Growing Tips
The site for the tree should be chosen open and sunny. Given the powerful root system, it is not recommended to plant the nut near buildings.
A young tree needs moderately moist soil. An annual plant already requires watering every two to three weeks during the entire summer season, and once a month is enough for a grown three-year-old seedling.
It is enough to feed the nut once a season, in June, before the fruit begins to form. Optimal choice: phosphate-potassium fertilizers.
The nut does not like acidic soil; when planting and fertilizing, it is recommended to use wood ash.
Every season, the trunk and main branches should be whitewashed with lime so that the plant does not overheat.
An adult tree has a spreading crown of up to four meters, so pruning is carried out at the discretion of the gardener. You can start forming the crown from the age of two years of the plant. Any time for pruning will do, the tree easily tolerates such procedures.
The Manchurian nut, in contrast to the thermophilic walnut, grows successfully in the middle zone of the country, in the Far East and northern regions. An unpretentious view, resistant to frost and winds, will not only decorate the garden area with a lush crown, but also spoil the fall with delicious nuts.