The best and frost-resistant varieties of walnut

Many varieties of walnuts can be successfully grown not only in the fertile southern climate, but also in central Our Country. The material below describes the varieties of walnuts with a description of the varieties and photos that can bear fruit both in the south of the Federation and in the temperate zone.

How many varieties of walnut are there

Walnut is a culture known since time immemorial. It is grown in Central Asia, Moldova, the Republic of Belarus, Ukraine and the southern regions of the Federation. To date, a large number of varieties have been bred that are characterized by early maturity, high yield, frost resistance and unpretentious care.

A large segment of breeding work is aimed at creating cold-resistant trees in order to expand the area of ​​​​successful cultivation of the walnut. In the Tula region, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Evgeny Vasin created a collection of walnut crops, including 7 species and more than 100 walnut hybrids. Among them there are those that can withstand temperatures down to -38,5 ° C.

A valuable contribution to the creation of new hybrids was made by breeders from the Tashkent region, where walnuts have been growing in the wild since the Tertiary period. Extensive walnut forests are a valuable gene pool for breeding high-yielding varieties that can bring good profit when grown on an industrial scale.

Frost-resistant walnut varieties

In Central Our Country, when choosing a walnut, the first thing you need to pay attention to is frost resistance. In the harsh climate for this southern culture, not every hybrid will be able to survive the winter even under good shelter. There are several varieties specially bred for such conditions that have proven themselves well, from this point of view.

Ideal. It was bred in 1947 by an Uzbek breeder from Fergana, Sergei Sergeevich Kalmykov. Differs in precocity, can begin to bear fruit as early as 2 years after planting, however, a good harvest can only be harvested from a 5-year-old tree and older.

It grows 4-5 m in height, the flowers are perfectly cross-pollinated by the wind. The nuts are oval in shape, the shell is thin, the average weight of the fruit is 10 g. Harvesting is carried out from the beginning of autumn to the end of October. Can bear fruit in 2 waves. Walnut Ideal withstands temperatures down to -35°C, resistant to chlorosis.

Astakhovsky. A relatively new variety of walnut, characterized by increased resistance to frost and pest damage. Entered into the State Register of Our Country in 2015. Recommended for cultivation in private farms of the Central Black Earth, Central and Middle Volga regions of Our Country.

The crown of the tree is able to quickly recover from frostbite, calmly tolerates cold down to -37 ° C. It begins to bear fruit from the age of 6, 10-20 kg can be harvested from one hazel. Nuts with a thin shell that easily splits in two. The average weight of the fruit is 23,4 g, the maximum is 27,1 g. The variety is considered dessert, the assessment of professional tasters is 5 points.

Minov’s memory. Bred by Belarusian breeders on the basis of RUE “Institute of Fruit Growing”. It is positioned as a large-fruited walnut of medium ripening. The tree is characterized by a rapid growth rate, the crown is powerful, of medium density, forked. The type of flowering is homogamous, that is, male and female flowers bloom synchronously, which ensures excellent pollination. Fruiting is apical and regular over the years, the first harvest is obtained after 5-6 years. Ripens at the end of September.

The nuts are large, with a thin shell (1 mm), flattened shape with a slight ribbing. The average weight is 15 g, the largest is 18,5 g.

This winter-hardy walnut variety withstands frosts down to -37°C. Among the advantages worth noting is immunity to brown spotting.

Samokhvalovichsky-2. Early frost-resistant variety of medium ripening. RUE “Institute of Horticulture” of the Republic of Belarus was launched. The tree is powerful, with an average crown density, nuts are formed in 2-5 pieces. on a branch or in brushes of 8-10 fruits. The average weight is 8,3 g, the maximum is 10,5 g. The shell thickness is only 0,8 mm. Samokhvalovichsky-2 is considered a dessert variety.

Duet. A versatile variety with good winter hardiness, stable yields and high kernel yield. Recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth region. The tree grows up to 13 m, the crown is dense, rounded. The nuts are ovoid, weight – 11,2 g. Up to 10 kg of fruits per season can be collected from one specimen.

Early varieties of walnuts

Every gardener, when planting a new tree, wants to see the fruits of his labor as soon as possible, that is, the first harvest. For impatient summer residents, when choosing a walnut variety in the description, you must first of all pay attention to such a parameter as precocity.

Rapid Levin. Low-growing (4-5 m) variety, characterized by increased frost resistance. At prolonged negative temperatures of -35 ° C, it can freeze slightly, but after trimming it quickly recovers. This variety was bred by Ivan Pavlovich Levin, a breeder from the city of Voronezh, from Ideal.

The fruits are thin-skinned, easily broken when squeezed with fingers. Nuts weigh an average of 8-14 g, the kernels have a pleasant table taste. Fruiting is regular, up to 20 kg are harvested from one adult nut. Not susceptible to pests and diseases.

Krasnodar fast-growing. It has a high yield, is not affected by diseases and pests. The growth rate is high. Harvest ripens by the end of September. Nuts of medium size, weighing 8-10 g.

Dessert. A vigorous, spreading tree with a rounded oval crown. Drought tolerant, but winter hardiness is low. With proper agricultural technology, it bears fruit annually starting from 4-5 years, the type of fruiting is apical. A good ratio of fats and proteins in the composition of the core provides Dessert with an excellent taste. Nuts weigh an average of 11,8 g, up to 22 kg can be removed from one tree per season.

Korenovsky. Received by the breeder V.V. Stefanenko by pollinating local large-fruited varieties with Ideal’s pollen. The trees are low, bearing fruit in clusters for 2-3 years. Nuts are large, with a thin shell, dessert taste. Walnut Korenovsky can bloom twice a year.

Uzbek fast-growing. Released in Asia. The tree has a compact size, which makes it possible to plant more tightly. At the time of fruiting, it enters for 3-4 years, blooms in several visits. Nuts are large, weighing 14-16 g, retain their presentation and taste for a whole year.

It should be noted several early-growing varieties bred by Ukrainian breeders:

• Pyryatinsky;
• Donetsk skoroplodny;
• Porig;
• Champion;
• Treasure;
• Stus;
• Spark;
• The gift is pure.

Dwarf varieties of walnut

Low-growing varieties of walnuts are attractive for their ease of harvesting and the ability to plant more trees in a small area. The most famous, from this point of view, are the varieties listed below.

Dwarf-3. The tree grows weakly, by the age of 20 it does not exceed 2,3 m, the crown diameter is 1,8 m. The fruits are round-oblong, with an average weight of 12 g. The shell is strong, 1,5 mm thick. When broken, the whole kernel is removed. The crop is harvested in mid-September, from 1 ha – up to 50 c.

Dwarf-5. The name of the variety speaks for itself – the tree does not exceed a height of 1,5-2 m. It grows slowly, the crown is rounded, the branches are located at right angles to the trunk. The fruits are medium in size, ovoid, thin-skinned, average weight – 10,5 g. Begins to bear fruit after 3 years, brings the harvest annually. It is characterized by medium frost resistance, at a temperature of -24 ° C, the proportion of frostbitten areas is 40-60%.

Kocherzhenko. This walnut variety was bred by a breeder from Kyiv and named after its creator. This is an improved version of the notorious Ideal variety. The tree is distinguished by a sparse compact crown, the height does not exceed 2,5-3 m. It ripens early, the first crop can be harvested in 2-3 years. The fruits are large, round, covered with a delicate thin shell. The weight of an average nut is 14 g.

The Kocherzhenko walnut is characterized by unpretentious care, early maturity and high frost resistance (up to -30°C). Recommended for cultivation in private gardens from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg, there is a successful cultivation experience in the Urals and Siberia.

Иcrimson van. A low-growing hybrid that does not grow above 2-2,5 m. The same Ideal became the starting material for obtaining the Ivan Bagryany walnut variety. It bears fruit in clusters for 2 years already. Trees can be planted according to the scheme 3 * 3 m. It has better frost resistance compared to the Ideal variety.

Yuri Gagarin. The description of the walnut variety Yuri Gagarin indicates increased frost resistance, good yields and excellent immunity to diseases. It grows no more than 5 m, the crown is dense and sprawling. Nuts are large, oval.

Abundant. An adult tree does not exceed 3-5 m in height. It bears fruit from the age of 4, the fruits are formed in the form of a bunch of 3-8 nuts. The average fruit weighs about 12 g, 28-30 kg can be harvested from one plant. Abundant year by year is gaining popularity with gardeners, due to its high yield, excellent taste and resistance to brown spot. The only negative is that the variety does not tolerate frost.

Lateral varieties of walnut

Species and varieties of walnut with lateral (lateral) fruiting are especially valuable for breeding work. On such a hazel, female inflorescences, and subsequently fruits, develop not only on the tops of mature branches, but also on young shoots. With sufficient illumination, such a side branch is able to bear fruit for several consecutive seasons, which significantly increases the yield of lateral trees compared to hazels of terminal (apical) fruiting. Lateral varieties enter the time of stable fruiting faster, on average 4 years after planting in the garden.

Peschansky. Tree of medium size, rounded crown, medium leafy. The branches are quite rare, located almost 90 ° to the trunk. The nuts are smooth, without pronounced ribs, rounded oval. The core is dense, oily, pleasant creamy. Dessert taste. Harvested from late September to early October. Variety Peschansky is characterized by good resistance to drought, frost (down to -30°C).

Vasion. Tree of medium height, not prone to major diseases of fruit and berry crops. It tolerates frosts well down to -30 ° C, only young shoots can freeze without negative consequences for the plant as a whole.

The fruits are spherical in shape, on average – 18-20 g, the shell is thin. Variety Vasion is high-yielding, from 1 hectare you can collect up to 50 centners of nuts.

Taisiya. Variety with late flowering and ripening. With regular pruning of the crown, the tree does not exceed a height of 3-4 m. The average foliage makes it possible to plant more densely. With sufficient penetration of sunlight, the side shoots will also be fruitful. Taisiya walnuts are large, on average 16-20 g, the shell is thin, the inner partition is easily separated. Presentation and taste qualities are on top.

Timothy. The variety is an exact copy of Taisia, with a difference in the timing of the blooming of male and female flowers. Timothy and Taisiya are mutually pollinated.

Chandler. American scientists worked on the creation of varieties of the lateral type of fruiting back in the 19th century. The most famous variety, obtained in California in 1979, bears the name of its creator, William Chandler. This is a medium-sized high-yielding variety that begins to bear fruit in 3-4 years. The fruits are formed in the form of clusters, the weight of one nut is 14-16 g. Up to 1 tons of dry nuts can be harvested from 5 ha. In conditions, it is possible to cultivate this variety only in the southern regions on frost-resistant acclimatized rootstocks.

Large-fruited varieties of walnut

Fruit weight is an important factor taken into account in breeding work. To date, several varieties leading in this indicator have been bred.

Giant. Variety Giant – an improved version of the Ideal. Possesses identical indicators of frost resistance. The tree grows up to 5-7 m, the crown is graceful and compact, which allows planting this walnut not only as a fruit crop, but also as an ornamental one. The Giant begins to fully bear fruit from the age of 6. The weight of nuts reaches 35 g, up to 100 kg can be collected from one adult hazel.

Bukovina bomb. The parental form of this mid-ripening nut was found on a personal plot in the Donetsk region. The tree is vigorous with a spherical crown. Fruiting is moderate, but annual, the average fruit weighs about 18 g, specimens of 28-30 g are known. Nuts have a round-cylindrical shape, compressed from the sides. Bukovina bomb is characterized by increased winter hardiness, mediocre immunity to brown spotting. It perfectly conveys the properties of the mother plant when propagated by seeds.

Kalarashskyi. A tall tree with a dense lush crown. It bears fruit annually, in rainy summers it can be affected by brown spotting. The nuts are large, weighing 15-19 g. The shell is slightly ribbed, round, of medium thickness, when splitting the kernel can be taken out entirely.

Without a doubt, the plants described above can be attributed to large-fruited varieties:

• Astakhovsky;
• Memory of Minov;
• Ideal.

Varieties of walnut for the Moscow region

In addition to the winter-hardy varieties listed above, a sufficient number of walnut variations have been created for the Moscow region and regions with similar climatic conditions. The main criteria for the selection of seedlings are frost resistance, productivity, and excellent taste.

Harvest. Mid-season variety, nuts ripen by the end of September. In height, Harvest can reach 6 m, the crown is broadly oval, dense, with an apical-lateral type of fruiting. The harvest is regular from 4-5 years old, up to 24-28 kg of nuts can be harvested from one copy. The weight of an average fruit is 8,7 g, the shell is no more than 1 mm thick. Resistance to brown spotting is mediocre.

It is winter-hardy, it is recommended for widespread cultivation. Productive – an old, time-tested variety, listed in the State Register of Breeding Achievements back in 1965.

Aurora. Vigorous tree growing over 6 m in height, growth rate is fast. It bears fruit from the age of 4, with each season the yield increases. An adult Aurora walnut can bring up to 25 kg per season. The weight of an average nut is 12,8 g, the shell thickness is 0,9 mm.

Differs in winter hardiness and good immunity to various diseases. Recommended for widespread cultivation in industrial plantations.

Sadko. This frost-resistant dwarf variety is often called Shugin’s nut, after the name of the breeder. A native of Kharkov, when moving to the Moscow region, he set out to breed a variety that could winter in the conditions of the Moscow region and at the same time not be inferior in taste to its southern Ukrainian counterparts. In the early 80s, he received Sadko – prolific, winter-hardy and early ripening.

The tree is characterized by short stature (up to 3,5 m), begins to bear fruit for 3 years. The fruits are medium-sized – with a caliber of about 4 cm, but on one bunch they ripen 6-8 pieces.

Moscow region. An early maturing variety with good frost resistance. The nuts are large, the kernel has an excellent dessert taste. The name implies cultivation in the conditions of the Moscow region.

Varieties of walnut for the Krasnodar Territory

Especially for the favorable conditions of Krasnodar with its warm climate, specialists from the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution SKZNIISiV obtained several varieties of walnuts that are optimally suited for cultivation in this region.

Elegant. Mid-early variety, beginning to ripen from mid-September. The tree is medium-sized, up to 5 m in height, with a powerful, well-leafy oval-shaped crown. The first decent harvest is taken for 5-6 years, fruiting is terminal.

Nuts of excellent presentation, weigh about 12,5 g, shell thickness does not exceed 1,2 mm. From an adult hazel tree, you can get up to 20 kg per season. Grade Graceful is characterized by high resistance to drought, it rarely suffers from marsonia. Recommended for industrial cultivation.

Krasnodar. The variety is under state testing. The tree is tall, with a wide-rounded dense crown that requires thinning. Fruits every year from 4-5 years, harvesting occurs at the end of September.

Nuts have an excellent taste and a worthy presentation. The average weight is 12,7 g, up to 10 kg is removed from a 20-year-old hazel. Krasnodar tolerates drought well, rarely suffers from fungal diseases, in particular from marsonia.

Pelan. The tree is tall, with an apical-lateral type of fruiting, by the age of 14 it reaches a height of 10 m with a crown diameter of 9,5 m. It brings a stable harvest from 4-5 years. In the Kuban zone, nuts are harvested on the 20th of September. The fruits are small, wide oval, average weight – 9,5 g. The shell is thin, when removed, the core breaks in two.

Pelan rarely suffers from pests and diseases, it is characterized by increased resistance to freezing temperatures and drought.

Dawn of the East. Early maturing variety, zoned in the Krasnodar Territory. The tree has an average growth rate, bears fruit from 4-5 years, the type of fruiting is apical-lateral. Nuts ripen by the end of September. Fruit size is average, weight is about 9 g. Up to 10 kg of nuts can be removed from an adult specimen aged 12-24 years. The variety has an average winter hardiness, resistance to marsoniosis is also average. Dawn of the East is considered one of the best varieties of walnut for the Kuban. Recommended for private gardens.

Uchkhoz Kuban. It is characterized by abundant and regular fruiting starting from 4 years after planting. The nuts are thin-skinned, weighing an average of 9 g. It tolerates frost well, but it has low immunity to diseases and pests.

Five-year plan. A new variety under state testing. It is characterized by increased frost resistance, high annual yield. Resistant to brown spot in the field. Fruiting is apical-lateral, occurs 4-5 years after planting. Nuts are harvested in the last days of September; up to 8 kg can be removed from one tree aged 10-20 years. The weight of an average fruit is 9 g. Pyatiletka is a promising variety for cultivation in the Kuban.

In addition to those described above, such varieties are popular in the Kuban as:

• state farm;
• breeder;
• Beloved Petrosyan;
• Krasnodar skoroplodny;
• Dessert.

What kind of walnut is the best

The concept of the best variety of walnut is ambiguous. It is for every gardener. With today’s rich assortment, it is easy to choose a variety based on your own preferences and the climate of the region. Some focus on productivity in order to plant crops in industrial quantities, others on frost resistance so that a young tree does not die during the first snowy winter, and still others on tasting kernels.

Conclusion

Various varieties of walnuts, bred recently, have significantly expanded the area of ​​possible cultivation of this crop. Having planted at least one nut seedling in your garden once, you can provide yourself and your loved ones with a useful and environmentally friendly product for many years to come.