There are several ways to plant a walnut. In any case, it is important to carry out the preparatory and planting work correctly. In order for the tree to actively develop and produce crops, it is necessary to organize proper care and create the required conditions. It is important to know about the first symptoms of problems when growing a tree. To preserve all the beneficial components in nuts, the crop must be harvested on time, following certain rules.
- Wood Specifications
- How to choose a variety for different regions of Russia
- Is it possible to germinate walnuts at home in a pot?
- Landing technology
- Seeds
- Seedlings
- Grafting
- By layering
- When does rooting occur?
- How do you care for a planted tree?
- Watering
- Soil fertilization
- Trimming
- Control of diseases and harmful insects
- How to cover a walnut for the winter?
- Why is it necessary to replant walnuts?
- How to properly transplant a fruit tree
- Transplant timing
- Preparing the site
- Procedure technology
- When does a young nut begin to bear fruit?
- Maturation period
- Signs of fruit ripeness
- Harvesting Rules
- The main difficulties with growing nuts
- The tree does not bear fruit
- Doesn't grow
- Leaves and branches dry
Wood Specifications
Walnut is a strong and large tree with a spreading, dome-shaped crown and a powerful root system. The trunk of many trees is straight, reaches 24 meters in height, the bark is ashen in color. Walnuts begin to bloom in May. At the same time, elongated leaves of light green color also bloom. Pollination occurs with the participation of wind. The fruits can be oblong or round in shape. The kernel of the nut, divided by partitions, is covered on top with two halves of a hard brown shell.
How to choose a variety for different regions of Russia
There are a large number of walnut varieties, which differ in ripening limits, resistance to cold and disease, yield, and the taste of the fruits themselves. In central Russia, it is best to grow nuts with early fruit ripening, high resistance to diseases and pests, resistance to winter cold and sudden temperature changes. Suitable varieties include Ideal, Aurora, Graceful, Giant, Dessert, Izobilny, Zarya Vostoka.
Is it possible to germinate walnuts at home in a pot?
You can germinate a walnut tree for planting at home, and then the mature, strong plant is transplanted to a permanent place. Work begins in late April.
Step-by-step action plan:
- A fertile soil mixture is prepared from turf soil, peat and humus.
- For planting, choose a wide container 30 cm deep.
- A drainage layer is laid on the bottom of the pot, and then the prepared soil.
- Make a hole 7 cm deep and lay the nut edge up. Cover with soil and water.
- The container with the nut is placed in a warm, bright place.
After 2.5 weeks, the first shoots should appear. If you plan to further grow the tree at home, then as it grows, the tree is transplanted into a larger container. The seedling is transplanted into open ground one year after planting. By this time, the length of the stem reaches 20 cm. Make a planting hole 1 meter deep and place fertilizers. Then carefully remove the plant from the pot along with the earthen lump. The central root is cut by a third.
Landing technology
An adult walnut tree is tall, spreading, the trunk reaches 5 meters in diameter, the roots are powerful and occupy a large area. All these characteristics indicate that for planting in the ground you need to choose a spacious place, away from other crops and buildings. The distance between two mature walnut trees should be at least 5 meters. The tree can be planted in spring or autumn.
If the climate in the region is cool, then it is preferable to carry out planting work in the spring before the sap begins to flow. In the southern regions, walnut trees are planted in the garden in the fall.
Any soil is suitable for planting nuts, as long as there is a sufficiently good drainage layer and neutral acidity.If the clay composition predominates in the soil, peat and compost are added. Seedlings do not develop well in the shade, so choose a place where the sun's rays fall without obstacles. Groundwater should not pass close to the surface of the earth on the site. The crop can be propagated by seeds, seedlings, layering or grafting. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Seeds
The most common but long-term method of propagating walnuts is through seeds. Fresh, just fallen nuts with smooth, undamaged shells are suitable. Initially, the seeds should be germinated. The stratification procedure speeds up this process. Moistened sawdust or river sand is poured into a wide container with holes in the bottom. Then the nuts are laid out so that the edge is at the top, and covered with the rest of the substrate.
Nuts with thick skins are stratified for three months at temperatures from +1 to +6 degrees. If the nuts have a thin shell, then 1.5 months is enough. In this case, the air temperature should be closer to +18 degrees.
Planting of seeds is carried out in mid-spring, when the soil has warmed up well enough, or in mid-September.
Many experienced gardeners believe that it is better to remove the shells before planting. This will allow seedlings to appear faster.
3.5 weeks before sowing, dig a planting hole 58 cm deep. A nutrient mixture containing manure, superphosphate and wood ash is poured into the bottom of the hole. The nuts are placed in the holes to a depth of 13 cm. If the size of the seeds is too small, then the depth should be less - 8 cm. You can dig a trench into which the nuts are placed at intervals of 22 cm. Under favorable conditions, a sprout will appear after 11 days.
Seedlings
It is better to plant walnut seedlings in the spring:
- Two-year-old seedlings are suitable for growing.
- The thickness of the trunk near the root neck should be at least 1 cm.
- The central root of the seedling is shortened to 42 cm, the cut is treated with clay.
- Damaged, rotten or dried roots are removed.
Planting green cuttings will take little time. In the selected area, dig a hole 90 cm deep and 48 cm wide. The seedlings are placed in the hole, the root branches are straightened and covered with earth so that the root collar remains 3.5 cm above the surface. The soil around the trunk is compacted, watered and mulched.
Grafting
Walnut crop grafting is carried out using the budding method. The cut shield from the scion branch should be large in size. This will provide the eye with enough moisture and nutrients. The shield is placed under the bark of the rootstock.
But winter cold leads to the death of most of the grafted buds, so the seedlings are dug up and stored in the basement at a temperature of +1 degree.
In the spring, when the soil warms up to +11 degrees, the seedlings are planted in a greenhouse. As soon as the seedlings reach a height of 130 cm, they are transplanted to a permanent place.
By layering
Propagation of walnuts by cuttings is considered a popular method. In this case, the plant is planted in late April or November. Two days before the procedure, the tree is watered. The cuts are made with a sharp, disinfected knife. Cut off the cutting, which is located on the south side of the tree, at a height of 5 meters from the ground. Using a knife, make several cuts on a smooth surface, after which the resulting shield with a good eye is removed. Its size should be about 3 cm.
The cut shield is placed on the rootstock and the area is wrapped with film.After two weeks, the petiole will change color and become light gray. Seedlings planted in this way grow quickly.
When does rooting occur?
For good rooting of seedlings, it is necessary to create conditions. The cuttings are planted in a greenhouse, where the air humidity should be 98% and the air temperature should be +28 degrees. The soil should be warmed up to +25 degrees. Rooting will occur within 2.5 months.
They help speed up the rooting of fertilizing. Immediately after planting the seedlings, granular superphosphate should be added. After a month, use fertilizers that contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and after another 1.5 months, repeat the application of fertilizers.
How do you care for a planted tree?
Walnut care is carried out all year round. Growing is not complete without fertilizing the soil, watering, weeding, pruning branches, and treating diseases and pests.
Watering
After planting in open ground, the tree must be watered frequently and abundantly. One root should require about 30 liters of water. It is recommended to moisturize twice a month. If the weather is hot, you should water more often. As soon as the tree reaches 4 meters, watering is reduced. In rainy weather, they do without additional irrigation.
Soil fertilization
For better development of the crop and increased immunity, it is necessary to fertilize the soil twice a year:
- In the spring and early June, the need for nitrogen components arises. You cannot add nitrogen during the fruiting period, as an excess of the component leads to the development of fungal infections.
- In summer, it is recommended to foliar feed the plant with phosphate and potassium fertilizers with the addition of microelements.
- In the fall, it is necessary to apply fertilizers rich in potassium and phosphorus. Top dressing is placed in the tree trunk zone.
Green manure (peas, lupine, oats) are planted around the tree, which enrich the soil with nutritional components. With the onset of autumn, the soil is dug up.
Trimming
At the end of March, the first sanitary pruning is carried out, provided that the weather is warm. In case of cold weather, the procedure should be postponed. Before sap flow begins, you need to have time to remove frozen, dry, damaged branches. Sanitary pruning of the tree is repeated at the end of August. At this time of year, diseased, dry branches are clearly visible, which should be gotten rid of.
Dry, broken and diseased branches should be removed in late autumn.
Pruning is carried out using a sterile, sharp garden knife or pruning shears. The first time the procedure is carried out after the tree reaches a height of 1.6 meters. At the same time, the formation of the crown is carried out. 11 main branches are left on the tree, the rest are shortened by 22 cm. Formation is carried out for 4 seasons in a row.
Control of diseases and harmful insects
To ensure that the walnut is protected from attack by pests and infections, it is sprayed with special solutions twice a year. The first treatment is carried out before fruiting, the second - in the fall, after the leaves fall. In the spring, before sap flow begins, the crown is treated with a solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate. The same solutions are used to treat the tree in the fall, after the leaves have fallen.
Frequent diseases that infect walnuts are: bacteriosis, brown spot, root canker, fire blight. In all cases, spots appear on the leaves, they dry out, curl and fall off. The yield decreases, and in some cases the situation threatens the complete death of the plant. Treatment is carried out with drugs such as Vectra and Strobi.
The most commonly attacked pests are: American white butterfly, warty mite, nut moth, moth and aphid. Such drugs as Lepidotsid, Dendrobacillin, Aktara, Akarin, Decis, Actellik help to cope with insects.
How to cover a walnut for the winter?
Many walnut varieties do not tolerate winter frosts well. Already at a temperature of -26 degrees they can die. Young seedlings need shelter. The tree trunk is wrapped in warm fabric material, and the tree trunk area is mulched with manure. After snow falls, a snowdrift is placed around the trunk.
Why is it necessary to replant walnuts?
Walnuts should be replanted when they are planted near the house or near other cultivated plants. Transplantation is carried out before the walnut tree is 4 years old.
In order for the tree to continue to grow and bear fruit, digging and transportation are carried out with extreme caution. If the root system is damaged, the death of the plant may follow.
How to properly transplant a fruit tree
The process of transplanting a walnut tree to a permanent place requires the fulfillment of a number of conditions:
- the place should be away from buildings and other trees;
- the day before the procedure, water the plant so that the soil is wet to a depth of 50 cm;
- the roots are cut off, leaving a length of 45 cm;
- It is better to do the transfer in the afternoon.
It is important to determine the timing of transplanting seedlings. This is prohibited in summer. In this case, the roots will not adapt to the new location and will rot.
Transplant timing
Replanting should be done in the spring (in April), before the buds appear, or in the fall after all the leaves have fallen (in October). At the same time, the soil should warm up, and the air temperature at night should not fall below +10 degrees.
Preparing the site
A planting hole is dug in a new location. Its size will depend on the age of the tree, the volume of the earthen ball and the quality of the soil. The denser the soil and the more mature the plant, the larger the size of the hole to be dug should be. A drainage layer 16 cm high is installed at the bottom. Then they begin to prepare the nutrient soil. To do this, the top layer of soil removed from the pit is combined with humus, compost, ammophos, wood ash and superphosphate. The resulting soil mixture is used to fill the hole, leaving a hole equal to the root system of the seedling.
Procedure technology
The transplant procedure is not complicated, but it requires following some rules:
- seedlings are placed in the center of the prepared hole so that the root collar is slightly above ground level;
- two pegs are driven in next to the seedling, to which the plant is tied;
- fill the voids with earth;
- a small edge of earth is made around the trunk, which will prevent water from flowing away during watering;
- the tree trunk area is mulched;
- at the last stage, water the plant generously with warm water.
If you follow all the rules, you will be able to replant the tree without damaging the roots, and proper care will ensure rapid rooting.
When does a young nut begin to bear fruit?
How many years will it take for a nut to bear fruit depends on many factors. A tree grown from a fruit begins to produce a harvest in the 7-9th year. With proper care, the first nuts will appear on purchased seedlings already in the 3-4th year. To increase productivity in the future, the first 3-4 years of growth should be monitored so that the tree gains sufficiently branched green mass. If few side branches are formed, then their tops are cut off into 2-3 buds.
Maturation period
Nuts begin to ripen at different times.The variety plays a decisive role:
- Harvesting of early ripening crops begins in early September;
- mid-season varieties begin to ripen at the end of September;
- Late walnut varieties ripen in mid-October.
The climate of the region also plays an important role. In places with cold weather conditions, fruit ripening is delayed by 2-2.5 weeks.
Signs of fruit ripeness
In order for the harvest to be stored for a long time, it must be harvested on time. Signs of fruit ripening, which begin to appear as early as August, include:
- shedding of nuts from branches;
- darkening and cracking of the green shell of the nut;
- The nut shell takes on a brown tint.
The harvest does not ripen evenly, so the nuts are collected in several stages.
Harvesting Rules
When can you start harvesting? Nuts begin to ripen towards the end of summer, beginning of autumn. Those fruits whose green skin has begun to crack are suitable for harvesting for storage. It is not recommended to collect fruits from the tree, since they do not contain the entire supply of useful components. It happens that a nut is ripe, but does not fall from the trees. Therefore, a long pole comes to the rescue, which is used to carefully hit the branches. The collected nuts are cleaned of pericarp and other debris.
The main difficulties with growing nuts
Improper care, non-compliance with the rules of planting or replanting walnuts, as well as other unfavorable factors lead to the fact that the tree begins to dry out, the yield decreases, and other problems appear.
The tree does not bear fruit
There are several reasons why a tree does not bear fruit:
- crown too thick;
- an abundance of side branches without flowering;
- heavy rains during the flowering period or low air humidity lead to disruption of the pollination process;
- pest attack or infection;
- incorrect pruning procedure;
- lack or excess of fertilizers.
All these reasons indicate that it is necessary to properly organize the care of the crop.
Doesn't grow
Walnuts require some attention. The growth of the seedling stops as a result of the following unfavorable factors:
- early planting in open ground;
- poor soil;
- improper treatment with insecticides;
- lack of garter;
- damage to the root system during transplantation.
It is necessary to deal with the problem in time in order to preserve the crop and get a large harvest.
Leaves and branches dry
A common cause of drying of leaves and branches is fungal diseases. Plant immunity is reduced due to frost damage, acid rain or hail, excessive watering, and excess nitrogen.