Although it is widely believed that the walnut tree can only take root in the south, this is not true. Breeders have developed fairly frost-resistant varieties. Their fruits are tasty and have time to ripen. It is only important to study the information in detail in order to know how to plant the plant correctly.
Gardeners have different opinions on how to grow walnuts from walnuts at home on a plot. Some recommend planting by winter, others prefer to do it in the spring.
In practice, it has been proven that for regions where winters are short, it is preferable to plant in the fall. But if frosts last more than four months, snow lies for a long time in the spring - it is better to plant a plant from a seed in the spring. Then there is a lower chance that they will disappear.
"Astakhovsky"
It grows up to ten meters and is resistant even to severe frosts. It begins to bear fruit relatively late - after the sixth year of life, but the harvests are very abundant.
The tree can reach a height of about 20-25 meters, so when deciding that you can plant a walnut on your plot, you need to sensibly assess the area that this majestic tree will occupy.
The land around the walnut cannot be used for growing any crops, because the walnut draws a large amount of nutrients from the soil and shades a very large area with its dense crown.
Those gardeners who decide to plant this tree on their plot will receive an incredible amount of healthy and tasty nuts from an adult plant with a minimum of care.
Most of the actions necessary for the successful growth and development of a walnut are carried out at the planting stage and in the first couple of years of its life. Below is a breakdown of the most important elements of growing a healthy and fertile tree.
Varieties in demand
The most famous types of nuts:
- “Dessert” - can hardly tolerate frosts; it can only be planted in the south of the country. Ripens quickly and produces high yields. Sweetish in taste. Begins to bear fruit after 3 years. Produces 25 kg of fruit.
- “Graceful” is a very hardy variety: it tolerates dry and frosty weather well. Brings about 22 kg of fruit/tree, but after 4 years.
- “Abundant” - the variety has low winter hardiness, but is resistant to brown rot disease. After 3 years it bears fruit. Productivity is high - almost 30 kg of fruits/trees
Frost-resistant varieties are also popular: “Urozhayny”, “Aurora” and “Giant”, which can withstand up to -30 degrees below zero.
But “Ideal” gardeners love to grow it the most. It does not need to be covered for the winter: it can withstand up to -35 degrees. Fruits appear already in the 2nd year, under favorable conditions, 2 times per season (60 kg each). It can only be grown from seeds. In the southern regions they prefer to grow varieties that differ:
- short stature;
- precocity;
- productivity.
Among these varieties: “Selecter”, “Pyatiletka” and “Zarya Vostok”.
The right time and place to plant
The best time to plant walnut seedlings is mid-spring, when frosts are no longer expected and the soil is well warmed up. The seedling must have time to take root before the arrival of autumn frosts, and it takes several months to do this.
The fact that you need to be wise when choosing a landing site has already been mentioned. These are not empty words: the plant is almost impossible to replant after 4-5 years of growth in one place; if you try to remove it, the walnut will die.
You need to choose a place based on the fact that nothing prevents the seedling from receiving a sufficient amount of fresh air and sunlight, and that subsequently the seedling, which has become an adult tree, does not damage the site with the shadow of its voluminous crown.
Of course, it is preferable for walnuts to be planted in sandy or rocky soil, but the type of soil does not really play a big role.
When to plant
When deciding on the optimal time of year, consider the walnut's preference for heat. As soon as the ambient temperature decreases, sap flow will slow down.
If all the work is not completed on time, the plant will not be able to adapt to a permanent location and will die with the onset of winter. To avoid such situations, planting is carried out in the spring.
In autumn, walnuts can only be planted by experienced gardeners who are well familiar with the climate of their region. They will be able to determine when frost will occur.
Growing and planting seedlings
Seedlings can be purchased at a specialized nursery or grown independently.
Self-cultivation will take about two years from the moment of planting the seeds to planting the seedlings in open ground, but it has a significant advantage - the gardener will be able to independently select planting material, choosing the largest nuts and familiarizing himself with the condition of the mother tree.
Seed germination is done as follows:
At the beginning of winter, the selected planting material is sent for stratification for about four months. In March, you need to plant a walnut in a pot to a depth of about ten centimeters.
It is important to place the nuts with the seam side up for their speedy development. For two years, the seedlings are cared for directly in pots, growing them to a state in which it is easiest for them to take root in open ground.
Seedlings obtained in this way or purchased from a nursery are planted in the same way. At the age of two years, the plant is planted in a hole about one meter deep, with drainage always added to the bottom.
The root must be trimmed so that its length does not exceed forty centimeters. This measure is cruel, but effective as a stimulus for the active breaking of lateral roots. Understanding how to plant walnuts at home is already half the way to a bountiful harvest.
Pre-landing preparation
In order for tree growing to be successful, planting material must be prepared in advance for planting. Place the nuts in a suitable container, sprinkle them with damp sand and place them in a room with a temperature of 0 to +5 degrees. You can put them in the cellar or in the refrigerator. Every 3-4 weeks of planting, ventilate and moisten the sand. The total period for stratification of nuts should be 3-4 months.
After the end of the stratification period, peel the nuts from the pericarp so that they germinate faster.
Although this procedure is not required. During cleaning, make sure that the inner shell is not damaged. An injured nut may not sprout. Soak the planting material in water. Suitable for planting are nuts that have sunk to the bottom. Floating fruits are usually dry or spoiled inside. On a note! If planting is planned in the spring, then the fruits need to be dried in the sun for 1-2 days, if in the fall, then there is no need for drying.
Further care
Procedures for caring for a young tree are no less important than the need to plant a walnut correctly. Here are the aspects you need to pay attention to:
Watering
It is necessary to water walnuts only in spring and in the first half of summer, and then only until a maximum of 7-8 years of age. After this period, the plant becomes completely self-sufficient and does not need further irrigation.
Fertilizer application
For abundant fruiting, nitrogen fertilizers can be applied in early spring, and to maintain the strength of the tree after fruit formation: potassium and phosphorus.
Wintering
In the first two years after planting, it is necessary to mulch the tree trunk generously to protect the roots from frost. After the second winter, the walnut is already strong enough and hardened to withstand frost without support.
Separately, it is worth noting the fact that walnuts are extremely resistant to damage by various diseases. With annual preventive treatments of your garden, aimed at protecting plants from various ailments and pests, the health of the tree will be strong and the harvests will be plentiful.
If the tree does get sick, it is necessary to determine the nature of the disease and direct all efforts to treat the walnut as soon as possible.
In general, despite some difficulties in growing, walnuts are worth growing on your own plot for its extremely useful fruits.
The benefits of walnuts have been confirmed by many scientists:
- They have an incredibly rich composition;
- Reduce the risk of developing heart and vascular diseases;
- Fight cancer;
- Improve brain health;
- Supports intestinal function;
- Helps you lose weight;
- Provide prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus;
- Reduce blood pressure;
- Improves male reproductive health;
- Slow down aging;
- They are simply a tasty product that is widely used in cooking. Walnuts are used as a seasoning for meat dishes, as part of desserts, and even as the main ingredient in delicious jam.
Digging holes
We recommend digging holes for the seedlings before you receive them
. The holes can be dug by hand with a shovel; or they can be dug out using an auger. An auger is a tool that digs holes by rotating.
Mark the places
where you will plant the seedlings. The distance between seedlings should ideally be 7 x 5 m. In other words, the distance should be 7 meters between rows and 5 meters between seedlings. After marking the locations, start digging holes. Each hole should be about 60 centimeters wide and 60 centimeters deep.
Alternative methods for digging holes
Photo of walnut
Water the seedlings
Now that we have planted the seedling, we need to give 5 to 10 liters of water
. Water moisturizes the roots and helps the seedling settle in a new place. If you are planting your seedling during the winter months, the soil should be shaped to prevent rainwater from accumulating at the bottom of the seedling. Once you've given the trees this first water, don't water them again until they begin to leaf out. When a seedling is dormant, it does not photosynthesize and does not consume water. Additionally, watering the seedling during dormancy can fill oxygen pockets in the soil. This can suffocate the seedling. For this reason, follow this very important and simple rule: no leaves = no water.
Step-by-step instruction
How to determine soil parameters at your dacha?
Acidity
An important parameter on which the fertility of a crop depends is soil acidity, the degree of which can be determined by soil analysis in a specialized laboratory. It's much easier to do it yourself.
To do this, take a handful of soil from different points of the garden plot and mix it thoroughly. From the resulting mixture, a small amount of soil is placed in a vessel with water (10 g of soil per 25 g of water) and, after mixing, left for 10 minutes to allow the resulting mixture to settle.
A strip of indicator paper is dipped into the resulting solution and the degree of acidity of the soil is assessed by color:
- red color – increased soil acidity;
- orange indicates a land of average reaction;
- yellow indicates weak acidity;
- light green – neutral reaction;
- green indicates alkaline soil.
Humidity
This is an unstable parameter that depends on the climate of the area, the level of groundwater, and the mechanical composition of the soil. Determining the degree of humidity is not difficult:
- wet soil - when clenched in a fist, liquid drips;
- raw – when squeezed, it becomes elastic, the palm gets wet, no liquid is released;
- wet to the touch and does not lose its shape when dry;
- damp – moisture is not felt to the touch, but it cools the palm;
- dry - dusty, moisture is not felt and does not cool the hand.
Important!
The root system of the plant is fixed in the lower soil horizon, so it is important that there is enough water in it, and not on the surface.
Type
Depending on the mechanical composition, soils are divided into several types:
- light (sandy and sandy loam);
- medium (light loamy and medium loamy);
- heavy (heavy loamy and clayey).
In order to distinguish light soils from medium and heavy ones, it is enough to take a handful of soil in your palm, moisten it to a paste-like consistency and squeeze tightly.
Sandy loam will crumble and crumble, loam will form into a plastic lump, but when it dries, the lump will partially collapse, clayey and heavy soil will show a high degree of plasticity, and the shape of the lump will remain for a long time.
picket
If your land is in a very windy area, you may consider staking the seedlings. This can keep them straight and prevent the wind from breaking the seedling. If there are no strong winds in your area, there is no need to place a bid. When placing stakes, the direction of the prevailing wind must be taken into account, and the stake should be located on the opposite side of the wind. There should be at least 20 centimeters of space between the seedling and the stake. For the binding material, you should use a soft material such as cotton thread or elastic thread.
