You can replenish and diversify the collection of trees on your site with an amazing hybrid plant - Lancaster walnut. The original, improved hybrid combines plants from two continents: North America and Japan. It was bred artificially by cross-pollination of the heart-shaped nut and the gray walnut. Lancaster winter-hardy nut is ideal for the climate of central Russia and is characterized by abundant fruiting.
Description and characteristics of Lancaster walnut
The Lancaster Giant got its name in honor of the Botanic Gardens in Lancaster, where it was born.
Man is partially involved in the creation of this hybrid. Breeders inadvertently planted two species of heat-loving nuts next to each other in a nursery. Then nature took the initiative to create a new plant. As a result of cross-pollination, a new hybrid emerged - the Lancaster nut. Having absorbed all the positive characteristics of its parents, the new type of walnut trees improved them and turned into an independent species.
The hybrid is capable of independently producing offspring with exactly the same set of properties and characteristics.
Description of Lancaster walnut:
- A tree with a strong trunk, a wide spreading crown, and can reach a height of 10 m.
- Resistant to frost, able to adapt to harsh climates.
- High yield - up to 8 buckets of fruit from one tree.
- Excellent taste characteristics of ripe fruits: the taste resembles a walnut, but the fruits have no bitterness due to the low tannin content.
- The fruits are elongated, slightly flattened with an elongated nose, and fall to the ground on their own.
- The leaves are used in folk medicine.
- It bears fruit from the age of six, increasing the number of fruits every year.
- Undemanding to soils and agricultural technology.
The plant amazes with its characteristics and properties: a medicinal tree with strong immunity is not afraid of frost and produces up to 8 buckets of fruit per year.
Main positive and negative aspects
Lancaster hybrid is difficult to find in the wild, but in recent years this plant has fallen in love with a large number of gardeners. Main advantages of the type:
- winter hardiness and frost resistance;
- high productivity;
- disease resistance;
- stable fruiting;
- excellent taste of ripe fruits;
- medicinal use of plant leaves;
- Suitable for long-term storage.
The main disadvantage of this species for planting in personal plots is the height of the plant. In adulthood it can reach 10 m in height. You need to be careful when choosing a place for this tree.
How to grow the variety correctly
Lancaster walnut is a godsend for the Russian gardener. Having taken root well in the middle zone of our country, the hybrid does not require complex care, is loyal to various types of soil, and is capable of breeding.
Landing dates
Young plants are planted in early spring or late autumn. Here the nut is no different from other trees. The main requirements are to choose the right location, planting material and follow the planting technology.
Selection and preparation of a site
Choosing a place to plant a nut on a personal plot is a responsible undertaking. The tree grows very tall and can provide shade for other plants. The nut itself is light-loving: the more sunlight it receives, the faster it will tolerate replanting and will delight gardeners with its first fruits.
The hybrid does not have any special requirements for soils; it can be planted both in loamy soil and in soil saturated with sand.
Note: Air pollution also does not frighten the giant; these trees are often used for urban landscapes.
Planting material
The seedling must be healthy, without signs of infectious diseases. Particular attention should be paid to the root system: the roots must be intact, strong, and without signs of rotting.
The optimal age of seedlings is 1-2 years. Older plants will take longer to establish.Already 4-year-old trees have a powerful and spreading root system that does not tolerate transplantation well.
The plant can be grown and propagated by seeds. Nuts that fall to the ground in autumn easily survive the winter; to get seedlings next year, it is enough to make small depressions under the fruit and sprinkle them with soil. Not every seed will germinate in the spring. Germination will be only 30%. Young plants must be protected from pests, and at the age of 2-3 true leaves, they must be moved to a permanent place along with a lump of earth, so as not to damage the roots of the plants.
Landing technology
Even a novice gardener can handle the rules for planting an exotic nut; the main thing is to follow the sequence of actions:
- Dig a shallow planting hole: the plant goes deep into the soil on its own with the help of a long main root. At the bottom of the hole you need to put drainage and various fertilizers: rotted manure, peat, humus, sand, wood ash, you can add a little urea. The components are mixed together with the main soil and a little water is added.
- The seedling is released into the hole carefully, in the center, with the roots straightened. Then sprinkle with earth.
- It is recommended to compact the soil to bring the root system into contact with the nutrient layer. Then the seedling is watered abundantly.
When planting several trees on a site at the same time, it is necessary to maintain an interval between seedlings. Lancaster walnut is a giant tree; neighbors should be located at a distance of 5-6 meters from it.
Subtleties of nut care
The nut hybrid is easy to care for, but when growing it it is useful to know some nuances. This knowledge will allow you to quickly obtain a high-quality and abundant harvest.
Watering
The plant does not require frequent watering and tolerates drought well.Regular watering is carried out only in the first three years after planting seedlings in open ground.
Subsequently, the tree is watered during periods of prolonged absence of rain and abnormal heat.
Trimming
Lancaster nuts are recommended to be trimmed, although this is not mandatory. The formation of the crown is carried out for the purposes of landscape design: the tree takes shape, becomes neat and well-groomed.
The lower branches are removed to save space on the garden plot: the tree and its crown go up, and below the area of the shaded area where other plants can be planted is reduced. The hybrid survives pruning easily, does not get sick and quickly regains strength.
Fertilizer
The plant does not require additional nutritional components. A powerful root system provides the tree with nutrition and mineral components. Light and water are the sources of life for the giant tree.
Tree diseases and pests
The hybrid inherited lasting immunity from its parents. But still, the plant has enemies - tinder fungi. Parasitic on the trunk and branches of the victim, they are able to destroy the tree in a few years. Lancaster walnut should not be planted next to old trees affected by these fungi.
If the nut is infected with parasites, it is necessary to remove all dried and affected branches. It is recommended to burn them. Cover the cuts from cut branches with garden varnish or a mixture of clay and sand. In case of heavy infection, pesticides are used.
Note: To prevent pests, it is recommended to coat tree trunks with lime mortar at a level of 1.5 meters from the ground.
Harvest and storage
The gardener receives the first fruits of his labor in the sixth year of the plant’s life. With each subsequent year, the harvest volume increases rapidly.Ripe nuts fall to the ground on their own; there is no need to collect them from the tree.
The fruits of the Lancaster hybrid can last all winter. After collection, it is necessary to sort, selecting contaminated and rotten fruits. It is recommended to store the harvest in canvas bags in a dry, dark place. During the winter, nuts do not lose their beneficial properties and their taste does not deteriorate. In spring, small roots may appear on the nuts. Such fruits can be planted in the ground and it is very likely that a new tree will grow from them.
Lancaster nut is an exotic guest that has adapted to the natural and climatic conditions of central Russia. The giant tree will decorate the garden plot and give the gardener a bountiful harvest of healthy nuts.
