Walnut is a tree of the Walnut family. Planting, cultivation and care

To avoid disappointment and not harm your garden, it is important to know how to plant walnuts correctly. This tree is a long-liver, so you need to think about whether there is a suitable place for it on the site, and take into account all the nuances in its development. A careful approach to this issue is the key to an excellent harvest in a few years.

Features of walnut

Walnut is a tall tree. If it is properly cared for in the garden, it can grow up to 20 meters in height. Its crown is spreading, up to 15 meters in diameter, the branches diverge from the trunk at right angles.

The root system of the walnut is powerful. The first 3 years the main root grows. It is rod-shaped and penetrates deep into the soil. At 4-5 years, lateral roots begin to develop, which rush in all directions and diverge at a distance of 5-6 meters from the main root. They are located shallowly, 30-50 cm from the soil surface. In hundred-year-old trees, the roots occupy a space with a diameter of about 20 meters. A developed root system allows an adult tree to easily tolerate insufficient watering and low rainfall.

If you cut down a walnut and leave the stump, a lot of shoots will begin to grow from it, which will begin to bear fruit in 2-3 years. If it is necessary to get rid of the old stump, it will have to be uprooted. The shoots do not grow from the roots.

Flowering begins in spring, in early or mid-May. Flowers and leaves bloom at the same time. Repeated flowering is possible in June, most often this happens in the southern or middle zone. Male flowers appear on the nut, collected in earrings of several pieces, and female flowers appear at the ends of annual shoots. They are pollinated by the wind.

Nuts are ready for harvest in September or October; fruits from the same tree may differ in taste and size.

Propagated by seeds or grafted seedlings.

Rules for planting a walnut tree in the garden

When planning to grow a walnut tree in the garden, you need to consider the following.

• Due to the developed root system and spreading crown, plants should be planted at a distance of 5-6 meters from each other.
• A walnut, having reached 20 years of age, takes nutrients and moisture from the soil, and its crown provides dense shade. When choosing a place for seedlings, you must take into account that it will be impossible to grow anything within a radius of 10 meters from the nut.
• You cannot grow a walnut tree near your home. Its roots can destroy the foundation.
• During the process of photosynthesis, nuts release substances that inhibit other fruit trees. It will be correct if you leave at least 10 meters between them when planting.
• The place should be sunny; in the shade the plant lags in growth and dies.
• Walnut prefers loose, well-drained soil.
• Does not tolerate areas with high groundwater levels, as well as areas flooded during floods and rain.

It is best to grow a walnut tree at the far end of the garden. In a spacious area, it will be able to fully develop and will not interfere with other plants. In a small garden, planting walnuts is undesirable.

Requirements for climatic conditions

Walnut is a heat-loving plant. Effective cultivation is possible in the southern regions.

In the middle zone, the tree takes root well and bears fruit, but only if the winter temperature does not fall below -25°. In severe frosts the tree dies.

In the Leningrad region, tree-shaped walnuts do not grow. Doesn't bear fruit regularly. If some of the branches freeze in winter, there will be no nuts in the fall.

Adult plants can easily tolerate summer heat thanks to their developed root system. Young trees up to 5 years old require watering 2-3 times a month, more often during drought.

Propagation by seeds

Growing from seeds will be successful if nuts collected last year are used. This method has a number of disadvantages:

• The nut grows slowly and can only be planted in a permanent place after 5-7 years;
• 10 years after seed germination, the first harvest appears, but it is meager;
• full fruiting begins only at 20-30 years of age.

If the seeds are planned to be germinated in the spring, they must undergo stratification. The nuts are buried in a container with moist soil or sand and placed in a cold place where the temperature is kept at 4-6°. The soil and sand must be heated in the oven or disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

It is correct if the nuts are sorted first. Thick-walled ones are sent for stratification 3 months before planting, and those with thin shells - 2 months before. Seed care during stratification consists of keeping the sand moist and controlling the temperature.

It is recommended to take seeds from trees growing in the same area where you plan to plant the new plant. If this is not possible, then you should buy them from trusted sellers. Only last year's high quality nuts have good germination.

Planted in the ground in April. It is important that the soil warms up to 10°. The bed must be prepared in advance.

Planting depth is from 5 to 8 cm, depending on the size of the seeds. The distance between the nuts is 30 cm. Correctly position the nut sideways, with the longitudinal groove down. They hatch quickly, within 5-10 days. The seedlings grow vigorously at first, but when they reach 15 cm, growth slows down. A stem begins to form.

You can accelerate the growth of seedlings if you sow the seeds in a greenhouse. The period for preparing seedlings is reduced by three times.

Caring for seedlings both in the open ground and in the greenhouse is simple: watering, weeding, loosening. You can make maintenance easier by mulching; it reduces the frequency of watering and prevents weeds from growing.

Graft

You can speed up the fruiting of trees grown from nuts by grafting. To carry out this procedure correctly, you need to wait until the age of the seedlings (rootstock) reaches 2 or 3 years.

The best time for vaccination is February, when sap flow has not yet begun. The scion must be taken from a nursery in your region, from a mother plant adapted to the climate. Graft into the cleft.

Grafted seedlings can be planted in a permanent place in the second year after grafting.

Planting seedlings

The time for planting a seedling in a permanent place depends on the region.

In the southern zone, the best period is autumn. The nut will have time to take root before winter without wasting energy on growing green mass. In autumn, its care is minimal - there is no sweltering heat, the soil is moist, no weeding or loosening is required.

If you plant a nut in the south in the spring, it will not have time to grow stronger and will die from the summer heat. To preserve such a seedling in the summer, a lot of effort will have to be spent on additional care, which consists of constant watering with warm water.

In the middle zone, seedlings are planted only in the spring, so that by autumn they take root and become stronger.

The pits should be 50x50 cm in size and the same depth. Fill them with fertile soil, add humus and wood ash.

A peg is driven into the center of the hole for support. In the first three years, the central tap root develops, and there are very few lateral roots that support the tree in the soil. A seedling without support may be damaged by the wind.

The plant is deepened into the soil so that the root collar is at ground level.

Further care

Good care is needed in the first three years after planting in a permanent place. Fertilizing is carried out twice: in the fall, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are applied, and in the spring, nitrogen is needed to build up the above-ground part. The soil should be moist, but not wet. The soil should dry out slightly between waterings.

When the tree reaches the age when fruiting begins, nitrogen fertilizers are reduced or applied once every three years. Water only during dry periods.

Remove branches that are bent down, crossed or pointing inward.

Walnut is almost not susceptible to diseases and pest attacks.

Conclusion

Walnut is an easy-to-care tree that, once it reaches 4-5 years, requires almost no special attention.

You can speed up the harvest if you plant seedlings purchased from a nursery or grafted yourself. To get fruits from a tree grown from seeds, you will have to be patient and wait at least 10 years.

Walnut is a large garden favorite that looks beautiful as a single plant. It will also grow in a small garden, but will destroy all the trees and shrubs growing next to it.

Many gardeners dream of planting walnuts on their plot, but most give up this idea right away, fearing difficulties. In fact, it is quite possible to grow a nut, and even novice gardeners can do this task.

How to plant a walnut correctly - the basics of agricultural technology with seedlings

There are two options for planting walnuts: seedlings and seeds (nuts). Let's look at each option in more detail:

• Saplings.

In order to plant a tree on your site, you need to get a seedling. It can be purchased at specialized sales points or you can take a young shoot of a plant from friends. If you buy a seedling, then pay attention, firstly, to the bark - it should be without damage. Secondly, take a look at the root system - the main root should be undamaged. Only a strong two to three year old seedling, with a trunk thickness of at least 1 cm, is able to quickly take root and avoid various diseases.

As for the landing time, there is no consensus. Some gardeners argue that planting should be done only in the fall, since at this time the sap flow of the tree slows down, and therefore even a weak seedling with bark damage is easier to take root and avoid infection. Other gardeners believe that planting walnuts in the spring is the only correct option. Moreover, planting work must be carried out in early spring, before the buds swell. Since there is no consensus, it is worth focusing on the climatic zone in which the site is located. Thus, for residents of the southern regions, thanks to the warm climate even in winter, it is better to plant seedlings in the fall; for residents of the northern regions, it is better to do planting work in the early spring - a young tree planted for the winter may not tolerate severe frosts and die. Residents of the middle zone are better off, since they can plant seedlings both in early spring and late autumn: in this case, the young tree has an equal chance of taking root and growing.

Planting a seedling is carried out as follows: holes are prepared in the selected location with a depth of approximately 50-60 cm and a diameter of 1 m. Potash and phosphorus fertilizers, humus, and lime are placed in the holes, after which the future tree is placed in them so that its root collar is 3-5 cm above the ground. The hole is filled with earth, which must be compacted tightly around the plant, and then watered abundantly.

Growing nuts from seeds

Planting walnuts with seeds is more labor-intensive, but interesting in terms of at least a country experiment. First you need to select planting material. For planting, we select only high-quality nuts whose shells are neither too soft nor too hard. In addition, the shell should not be damaged, and the nuts themselves should be large enough.

It is curious that opinions regarding the preparation of nuts for planting vary greatly - some believe that to ensure germination it is necessary to remove the outer shell, while others are sure that nuts should be planted only in their original form. Alas, the long-standing dispute has not yet been settled, so if you are planting a walnut for the first time, you can use both methods. The only condition that is equally suitable for both methods is the choice of seeds. The easiest way to do this is by placing the nuts in a container of water. Some of the seeds will go under water, some will remain on the surface. And despite the fact that both are suitable for planting, drowned seeds have a much higher chance of germinating, since they have a solid and large core. By the way, this method is perfect for selecting cleaned seeds, but it must be used only if the shell is not damaged.

Then you can follow one of two paths: the first is to plant the selected material in pots or special containers and in a couple of years, with proper care, you will have an excellent seedling, ready to be transplanted into open ground. The second option is to plant the prepared nuts directly in open ground.

When planting nuts in pots, you must do the following: 4 months before planting, you must place the nut in damp sand and make sure that the environment in which the planting material is placed does not dry out, but is not too wet.

The container with sand and nuts planted in it must be placed in a cool place. Ideally, this will be the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, or you can use the basement or, ultimately, the balcony.

Thus, the nuts undergo stratification, which improves their germination, and subsequently the fruiting of the tree. When the time has come to plant a nut, you need to take it out and place it in a pot with prepared fertile soil, deepening it 4-5 cm. The plant does not require specific care; within two years it is necessary to carry out timely watering, loosening the soil, and removing weeds.

On the question of how to plant walnuts in open ground in the middle zone, all gardeners agree that if you place the seeds at a depth equal to their greater length, then they simply will not survive not only the winter, but even spring frosts (if For some reason, planting is carried out in the spring).

The nuts are buried to a depth of 1/2 - 2/3 of a spade bayonet, since this is the only way to protect them from the extreme effects of low temperatures. And only in the southern regions the rule of choosing a planting depth for a large seed length is relevant. But in northern latitudes, planting in the autumn is out of the question, and you will have to do germination at home.

When planting in open ground, the seeds are placed three at a time, with a distance of 12-15 cm between them. In this way, the best germination can be ensured, but if all three sprout, then after two years you will have to choose one, the strongest seedling, and the rest either transplant it to other places, or remove it altogether.

Soil preparation

Of course, you cannot sow seeds anywhere, since good germination, confident growth and fruiting seriously depend on how correctly the place was chosen and how well it was prepared.

First of all, you should remember that this plant is heat-loving, and therefore you will have to choose land from well-insulated places in your garden. In addition, walnuts do not tolerate crowding, so there should not be tall trees and shrubs around the future tree (like pears, apple trees, overgrown cherries), but small shrubs (currants, raspberries, gooseberries) may already be present within a radius of at least three meters . The walnut planting interval is at least 10 meters.

Soil preparation is quite simple, but prolonged. It begins in late spring with the deepening of the fertile layer - the soil is removed to a depth of 0.7-1 m and a width of 0.5 m. The fertile layer of soil taken from the same area is poured into the resulting hole. Then, throughout the entire time until late, the planting site is loosened to improve aeration and remove weeds.

Finally, it should be said that even with careful observance of all conditions and rules, the taste and abundance of the harvest on a new tree can seriously differ from the mother tree, both for the better and for the worse, and even seedlings grafted in nurseries are not a guarantee of tasty and large walnuts . However, even if the fruits disappoint you, the tree itself will become an excellent decoration for the site, and from its seeds you can make more and more attempts to achieve your goal.

Tell me, what kind of care does a walnut need? Three years ago I planted seedlings of large-fruited nuts, the establishment was successful. I wouldn’t want to ruin the trees with the wrong approach, since I have no gardening experience.

Some gardeners, having planted a nut on their plot, immediately forget about it, believing that the nut will grow without their participation, and ten years later they wonder why there is no harvest. Of course, walnut is one of the most unpretentious garden long-livers, but it also requires a certain amount of attention. Otherwise, over time, instead of a large, tall tree with a sloping crown, a lopsided little one with small fruits will grow.

Walnut care is simple and includes:

• regular watering;
• periodic feeding;
• pruning;
• treatment against pests and diseases.

Watering mode

The frequency of watering directly depends on the frequency of precipitation and the age of the tree. Young walnut seedlings, from spring to autumn, need very abundant watering 2 times a month. However, if the summer turns out to be rainy, additional moisture is not needed to prevent the roots from rotting. In the absence of autumn rains, young hazel trees need moisture-replenishing watering for a good wintering.

Large nuts, whose height exceeds 4 meters, practically do not need watering (except for prolonged drought), since their powerful roots are able to take moisture from deep in the earth.

As for loosening the tree trunk circle after watering, this is often not necessary so as not to damage the roots. Two loosenings per season and autumn digging are enough. Walnut generally does not like excessive interference, and to protect the soil from the formation of a dry crust, it is better to use mulch.

Features of nut fertilization

Nut feeding begins in the fourth year of life. This applies to those seedlings, when planting them, the substances necessary for the development of the tree were added to the planting hole. Their nuts usually last for the first three years.

Starting from the fourth year after planting, nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium nitrate) should be applied in the spring, and mineral preparations containing potassium and phosphorus (potassium salt, superphosphate) should be applied in the fall.

Walnut trimming

During the first five years of a nut’s life, the tree crown is formed:

• From an annual nut, select and leave the strongest shoot, which will become the main one, and pinch the tops of the remaining branches;
• in the future, the side shoots must be pruned until 6 to 10 skeletal branches are formed on the tree (they are pinched out).

Formative pruning is best done in the spring, and sanitary pruning in the fall.

Preventative treatments

Walnut, like other garden trees, is prone to pests and diseases, so it is better to take action and protect it from damage than to actively treat it later.

For prevention, the nut must be sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate twice a year: in early spring, when the buds have not yet opened, and in late autumn, after the leaves have fallen.

Video about the peculiarities of the formation of a young nut

Walnut (Juglans regia)

originally from Central Asia. It came to us more than 1000 years ago, it was brought by Greek traders the old way - “from the Varangians to the Greeks”, which is why the tree got its name. Now it is grown in the south of Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and the Caucasus.

Walnut The walnut has been called the food of heroes, the tree of life, the acorn of the gods. And there are reasons for this: nut kernels are not only healthy, but also taste great. And other parts of the plant will be useful: for example, the leaves are used for various medicinal purposes, and the wood of the nut is considered very valuable.

Walnut kernels are tasty and very healthy

Planting a walnut

Walnut is a mountain plant that tolerates low temperatures well. Its spreading and beautiful crown is formed in constant sunlight. He does not like tight spaces and groundwater lying close to the surface. Also, do not plant walnuts on very swampy and compacted soil. The best soil for planting– wet carbonate loams with low groundwater content in the soil.

With constant sunlight, the walnut forms a beautiful spreading crown Place for planting walnuts You should also choose carefully. If you want to plant not one, but several trees, then the distance between them should be at least 5 meters. An exception is planting trees on a slope, then they can be planted closer to each other (but not closer than 3.5 meters).

The soil in the place chosen for planting walnuts must also be well prepared and cultivated. If the fertile layer at the planting site is shallow, then you need to replace the soil or add additional fertilizer. To do this, add a large amount of manure mixed with ash (2 cups of ash are added to a bucket of manure), with an additional addition of superphosphate. We carry out this improvement of the soil cover to a depth of 80 cm in the hole itself, then, with further favorable growth of the plant, we annually replace the soil along the width of the walnut crown.

Walnut seedling

• In the ground prepared for planting, make a hole 40x40 cm wide.
• To further stimulate the growth of lateral roots, place a sheet of plastic film on the bottom of the hole.
• When planting, slowly and carefully lay out the lateral roots in a horizontal position, sprinkling them with fertile and crumbly soil. We do this slowly, starting from the lower roots, gradually moving to the upper part of the root system. The upper roots should be located close to the soil surface, at a depth of 6-7 cm.

Walnut propagation

Below we will describe methods for propagating walnuts by seeds and grafting .

Propagation of walnuts by seeds

First, we need to select seeds for further planting, and we try to choose local varieties. The nuts should be large, without damage, and the kernel should be easy to remove.

The nuts must be large and without damage. Seeds are harvested when the outer green shell of the nut begins to crack. After collection, we finally dry the nuts at room temperature in a dry room.

In order for the seeds to germinate faster, it is advisable to carry out additional stratification. Varieties with thick shells undergo stratification for up to 100 days at low temperatures above zero (0...+7°C), walnuts with medium and thin shells undergo stratification at a temperature of +18°C for about 45 days.

Planting seeds in the beginning of April, when the earth warms up to +10°C, into previously prepared fertile soil. We plant large nuts to a depth of 11 cm, small and medium nuts to a depth of 7-9 cm. To get straight shoots from seedlings, place the nut in the prepared hole on its edge, sideways.

Walnut sprout When planted in open ground, walnuts sprout slowly. You will receive seedlings suitable for planting in the garden only after 5-7 years, and for rootstocks - after 2-3 years. Therefore, it is better to grow them in special film greenhouses: in them you will receive seedlings suitable for rootstocks by the end of the first year, and seedlings suitable for planting in open garden soil after 2 years.

This method of propagation is chosen when it is necessary to preserve the positive qualities of the fruits of the mother tree. For the rootstock, two-year-old seedlings planted in special pots are suitable (flower pots with a diameter of 12 cm are suitable). It is best to bring rootstock seedlings indoors in winter (around December) so that by the time of grafting they will produce good shoots. The best time for vaccination is February.

After grafting, in the room with seedlings it is necessary to maintain a temperature of +24...+26°C both in the soil and in the air. At this temperature, seedling growth will be continuous. We plant grafted plants in open ground in the middle of May.

Walnut care

Walnut care

Trimming

The walnut does not need to do anything to form a crown - the tree can handle this on its own. If you still need to remove unnecessary branches, do not do this in the spring: the walnut will lose a lot of juice, and this will negatively affect the growth of the tree in the future. You can remove unnecessary branches starting in the summer, for example in early June, and this is done in two stages. In the first year, we cut off part of the branch, leaving a small (7 cm) twig. And we remove the dried twig from the tree next year in the spring, while covering the cut

garden varnish

Watering

Young trees will need watering in the spring and summer when they consume large amounts of water. Additional watering will be necessary in case of drought. Each tree requires approximately 3 buckets of water per 1 m² of soil. We water the tree 2 times a month – that’s enough. Trees that have grown to 4 meters in height can be watered less intensively.

Top dressing

Walnut trees are usually fertilized 2 times a year - in spring and autumn. Nitrogen fertilizers are added in the spring, and potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are applied to the soil in the fall, before plowing. An adult tree aged 20-50 years needs up to 7 kg of ammonium nitrate, 2-3 kg of potassium salt and up to 10 kg of superphosphate.

There are some nuances when using nitrogen fertilizers:

1. firstly, they should be applied carefully, as they can favor the development of bacteria harmful to the tree;
2. secondly, you should refrain from using them in the first 2-3 years of the tree’s fruiting, so that it can produce more nuts in the future.

Harvesting

The time for collecting nuts is determined by the green pericarp. As soon as they begin to crack, the nuts are ready.

You need to collect nuts when the outer green shell begins to crack. After collecting the fruits, it is advisable to keep them in the basement for up to a week, then it will be easier to clean them from the softened and blackened pericarp. If you don’t want your hands to turn black while cleaning, wear rubber gloves - there is a lot of iodine in the nut pericarp, believe me, it won’t be superfluous :) After cleaning, we wash the nuts in water and dry them in the sun. If there are some nuts left whose pericarp cannot be removed, then pour them into a pile and keep them in the sun for some time - this will help the fruits ripen.

Walnut varieties

The most common varieties of walnut are ‘Ideal’ and hard shell ‘Angulos’.

Variety ‘Ideal’

Trees of the ‘Ideal’ variety love light and moisture and grow well on carbonate loams with moderate moisture. The root system of trees of this variety is powerful and dense, penetrating deeply into the soil, so try not to plant them near buildings so as not to damage anything during the further growth of the tree. It blooms in May, the fruits can be collected in October-November. The ‘Ideal’ variety belongs to the early-bearing forms of walnut; a noticeable harvest can be harvested from trees already at 5 years of age. The flowers of this variety are collected in inflorescences; when the fruits ripen, a cluster consisting of several nuts is formed.

Walnut variety ‘Ideal’. Photo from blueberry.su

Variety ‘Angulosa’ (‘Yaglydzhevyus’)

This strange name for the ear is given to the hard-shell variety, which, due to its productivity, is widespread in the Crimea and the southern regions of Russia. Some trees of this variety, up to 40 years old, produce up to 25 thousand nuts in Crimea annually.

In addition, ‘Tenera’ (‘Jelter-Jevus’) deserves attention; ‘Hag-burun

, ‘Maxima’ (‘Kab-jevyus

), 'Buccaneer',

‘Serotina’ and other walnut varieties.

Walnut variety ‘Buccaneer’. Photo from wikimedia.org

Do you have walnuts growing in your garden?

Usually this is a huge tree, by our standards, up to 25 meters has a very indirect relation to Greece: the fruits were brought from the south, and “everything is available in Greece.” Surely it grows there too; wild forms of this tree are common in Europe.

The tree looks impressive. A separately growing nut not only differs in height - its crown also reaches a diameter of 20 meters.

By European standards, it is long-lived (second only to oak)- specimens of 300-400-year-old trees are often found.

The development of the tree begins with the formation of a powerful tap root, which reaches a depth of 1.5 meters in the 5th year and 3.5 meters by the age of 20.

Horizontal ones do not grow immediately - they are formed after the rod one, located in the surface layer of soil at a depth of 20-50 centimeters.

The tree begins to bear fruit after 10 years of life, and from the age of 30-40 the time of full fruiting begins.

If trees grow in groups, partially shading each other, they rarely produce more than 30 kg of harvest, while a free-growing nut can produce up to 400 kg of nuts.

But such cases are rare; only a tree 150-170 years old is capable of such a harvest. Typically, an adult tree 25-40 years old in Moldova produces 1500-2000 fruits or 2000-2500 in Crimea.

Moscow region, central Russia - where else can you plant and grow walnuts?

They are found in the European part from the foothills of the Caucasus to St. Petersburg, where the northernmost nuts in Russia grow. But these are isolated cases, exceptions that only confirm the rule.

These trees do not freeze out completely, but they also do not grow to their full potential.

The main factor determining the possibility of growing this southern tree is not the subzero winter temperature. The sum of average daily temperatures above 10 degrees is taken into account. It cannot be less than 190 C.

If in winter the temperature does not drop below -36 degrees and for 130-140 days a year the temperature is above 0 C, the walnut can grow and bear fruit.

Hybrids of Manchurian and walnut showed the best winter hardiness.

When planting even the best seed material brought from the south, adaptation to the cold climate does not occur - such trees regularly freeze and practically do not bear fruit.

Varieties from places with a humid, warm climate are completely unsuitable for growing.(west and south of Ukraine, Black Sea coast of the Caucasus).

Only nuts from eastern Ukraine, the mountains of Central Asia or the Caucasus successfully adapt to the new conditions of central Russia.

Moreover, It’s better to grow a nut from a seed yourself- an imported seedling (even from the indicated regions) will be significantly inferior in terms of endurance and adaptability to new conditions.

Walnut is found in the European part of Russia from the foothills of the Caucasus to St. Petersburg

How and when to plant and grow a tree from a seedling: conditions

It must be immediately planted in a permanent place. It is impossible to replant a 5-year-old tree. Therefore, you need to take into account all the factors and calculate the consequences.

A vigorous tree can form dense shade over an area of ​​approximately 100 sq.m. You will have to cross this area out of circulation - under the walnut there is little that can bear fruit(this is due to the strong suppressive effect of the biofield of a huge tree).

On the other hand, you can set up a summer recreation area in this area - the essential oils of the nut keep flies and mosquitoes away.

Choose a planting site at the edge of the garden so as not to shade other trees. Walnut is very unpretentious to soils, although it prefers loose sandy and rocky soil.

Walnut prefers loose sandy-stony soil; it should not be too fertile

The planting hole is dug so that under the roots there is a layer of stones of at least 25 centimeters.

The bottom of the planting hole must be half filled with construction waste.(broken brick, pieces of cement, crushed stone) - this technique allows you to shift the flowering time of the tree by 1-2 weeks (the stones warm up slowly, the nut begins to grow a little later, skipping the period of frost).

Half a bucket of ash, compost or humus is added to the pit. The soil should not be too fertile; the nut will grow intensively and will not have time to prepare for winter.

A seedling for planting must be taken only from a trusted seller, otherwise you will get nothing but frostbitten branches of a southern tree, and you probably won’t get a harvest.

A walnut tree is planted only in the spring; it enters the dormant period too early and will not have time to take root before winter.

It is believed that a nut planted with one’s own hand from a bone will grow into a tree practically adapted to the new conditions, which will develop successfully.

Seeds are planted in the fall directly into the ground to a depth of 7-10 cm. It is advisable to lay it in the soil sideways at the seam. Spring planting requires 2-3 months of stratification in wet sand.

No special care is required for the seedlings - even in the middle zone The nut has no pests.

How to plant an annual walnut seedling:

Care after planting: spring, summer and autumn

How to care? Walnut may only need watering in spring and early summer when there is intensive growth of green mass. Usually the tree has enough soil reserves of winter moisture.

Water only young trees up to 5-7 years old, if it is completely dry.

The taproot system of the southern tree is adapted to find water in the lower horizons. After 10 years of age, you should completely forget about watering the nut.

For him, excess moisture threatens too active growth, to the detriment of ripening and preparing wood for winter. Freezing after a wet summer is guaranteed.

In addition to stopping watering, you need to take care of preparing the root system for winter. That's why, trunk circles must be mulched with any organic matter or compost:

• in summer - to preserve moisture;
• in autumn - to protect the top layer of soil from freezing.

In particularly cold areas, the soil is mulched with a layer of at least 10 cm, especially in areas with little snow.

It is useful to cover the trunk up to a height of about 1 m with spruce branches or wrap it in newspapers in several layers (after the first frost). This will help you survive -40 degrees and below.

Such shelter is necessary only in the first years- the wood must be hardened naturally.

Walnut may need watering only in spring and early summer, when intensive growth of green mass occurs

How to properly care during the growing process: before and after ripening

Like all fruit crops, walnuts need periodic feeding.

In the spring, nitrogen fertilizers are applied, in the second half of summer - only potassium and phosphorus fertilizers, which are responsible for preparing the tree for winter and laying fruit buds for the next harvest.

On cultivated soil, you can not fertilize with nitrogen at all, but apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers (in terms of the active substance) at 10 g/sq.m.

Practice shows that the rule applies to all cases when the nut does not grow on obvious stones and clay.

What makes me especially happy is - in the middle zone the walnut has no natural enemies. It has already been said that flies and mosquitoes fly around it.

Moreover, a very effective remedy against aphids and various caterpillars can be prepared from walnut leaves, which is successfully used in Ukraine.

Absolutely harmless home remedy for humans allows you to process trees and bushes with fruit and berry ovaries.

Graft

Unfortunately, walnut cuttings do not take root - propagation occurs only by seeds.

Vaccination is carried out in cases where:

• there is a seedling of probably winter-hardy Manchurian walnut, for which -40 in winter is not a problem;
• The planted variety did not live up to expectations - the opportunity arose to regraft it.

One-year-old seedlings are grafted into clefts and grown under control in a greenhouse to a marketable state.

Young trees that have already produced their first few nuts can be re-grafted using the “eye budding” type- only the bark is removed with a bud in the form of a half-tube (that’s what the method is called) and combined with the same cut on the rootstock.

Until complete healing, the grafting site is tied with film.

The result of grafting an adult walnut tree:

Reproduction in the country

The main method of obtaining seedlings is growing from seeds. To simplify the process, nuts are planted without additional processing in the fall to a depth of about 10 centimeters. It is believed that it is better to lay them sideways on the seam.

If you haven't had time to bury it for the winter, put it in damp sand in the basement - the nut must undergo stratification, otherwise it won't hatch.

The walnut tree is replenished with stump growth in just a year or two. These trees are capable of producing fruit literally in the second year, and in 10 years they already produce a significant harvest.

The main method of obtaining seedlings is growing from seeds

It turns out that walnuts can be successfully planted and grown at a dacha in the middle zone, in the Moscow region. You just need to follow simple rules:

• correct choice of location;
• seedling - only zoned;
• mandatory mulching of the tree trunk circle;
• sheltering the trunk from frost in the first years of life.

Most gardeners can do all this.. Choose a sunny place, protected from cold winds - the nut will thank you.

Walnut tree (Juglans regia) - this species belongs to the walnut genus of the walnut family. Walnuts are also called royal, Volosh or Greek. Under natural conditions, this plant is found in northern China, northern India, Asia Minor, Western Transcaucasia, the Tien Shan and Greece. In Norway you can also find several individual specimens. However, the largest specimens growing in natural conditions can be found in the southern part of Kyrgyzstan. It is believed that this plant comes from Iran, but there is an opinion that the birthplace of the walnut may be India, China or Japan. This tree was first mentioned in the 7th–5th centuries BC. Thus, Pliny writes that this plant was brought by the Greeks from the gardens of Cyrus, king of Persia. When the crop brought from Greece ended up in Rome, it was already called “walnut”. Later, this tree spread throughout Swiss, Bulgarian, French and German territory. This culture came to America only in the first half of the 19th century. This tree was brought to the territory of Ukraine from Romania and Moldova under the name “Voloshsky nut”.

Features of walnut

Such a tree is relatively large, its height can reach 25 meters, and the girth of its trunk can vary from 3 to 7 meters. The bark of the tree is gray in color, while the foliage and branches form a fairly large crown. The leaf blades of the plant are imparipinnate, complex, and consist of elongated leaflets, the length of which can be 4–7 centimeters. The buds open along with small light green flowers in May. Flowers are pollinated by the wind. The same plant has both male and female flowers. The fruits of such a tree have the appearance of a single-seeded drupe with leathery, rather thick pericarps and a spherical stone with incomplete partitions, the number of which varies from 3 to 5 pieces. The core of such a fruit can be eaten, and it is located inside the shell. The weight of the fruit varies from 5 to 17 grams.

This plant is not very frost-resistant. So, it can die at a temperature of minus 25–28 degrees. Such a tree can live from 300 to 400 years. Walnut wood is directly related to valuable species, and it is often used by specialists to create expensive designer furniture. The foliage of this tree is used to produce dye for textiles. The main countries producing walnuts currently include the USA, Iran, China, Turkey and Ukraine.

Below you will find information on how to properly plant and care for walnuts, the rules for forming its crown and fertilizers. Information will also be provided on ways to combat various diseases and harmful insects, as well as which varieties are best to choose for growing in the garden.

Planting a walnut

Most often, it is recommended to plant walnuts in open ground in the spring, but in the southern regions this procedure can be carried out in the fall. If there is a good layer intended for drainage, then the composition of the soil can be absolutely anything. If the soil is clayey, it is recommended to add compost or peat to improve it. When choosing a suitable place for planting, you should take into account that it should be well lit, since this tree loves light very much, and planting in a shaded place can lead to the death of the seedling. The richest harvest is produced by those walnuts that stand alone in the sunniest place. It should also be taken into account that groundwater at the planting site should not be located too close to the surface of the earth. The optimal soil acidity for this plant is pH 5.5–5.8.

It should be remembered that male and female flowers bloom at the same time. In this regard, it is very good if a walnut of a different variety grows somewhere nearby (at a distance of 200–300 meters). The wind will help the pollen to overcome such a considerable distance.

Before planting seedlings, they must be thoroughly inspected. Roots and shoots that have rot, as well as dry and diseased ones, must be cut off. Then the root system must be immersed in a clay mash, the thickness of which should be like that of sour cream purchased in a store. In order to prepare mash, you need to mix water with 3 parts clay and 1 part rotted manure. If desired, you can add a product that stimulates plant growth (Epin or Humate) into it.

Spring planting

The planting hole should be prepared in the autumn. It should be taken into account that while the tree is young, it does not have a well-developed powerful root system; therefore, it will take nutrients from the soil within a diameter of 1 m from the trunk. In this regard, special attention should be paid to creating suitable conditions for the growth and development of walnuts.

The composition of the soil influences the size of the planting hole. On soils saturated with nutrients, the depth and diameter of the hole should be 0.6 meters. If the soil is not distinguished by its high fertility, then the required depth and diameter of the planting hole is 1 meter. When digging a hole, the top layer of soil, saturated with nutrients, must be removed to the side so that it does not mix with the bottom layer (it can be thrown away). Humus (compost) and peat must be added to the soil of the top layer in a ratio of 1:1:1 and everything must be mixed thoroughly. But remember that fresh organic matter cannot be used. Then, 0.8 kilograms of potassium chloride, 2.5 kilograms of superphosphate, 0.75 kilograms of dolomite flour and 1.5 kilograms of wood ash must be added to the same soil. Mix everything well. This amount of nutrients added to the soil during planting will nourish the walnut for the first 3-5 years. During this time, the tree’s root system will develop and grow so much that it can independently obtain the nutrients necessary for growth and development.

The prepared planting hole must be filled to the top with such an earth mixture, and then 15–20 liters of water must be poured into it.

During the winter period, the soil in the hole will settle and become denser. In the spring, when you are planning to plant walnuts, you will need to remove all the soil mixture from the planting hole. Then a support stake is driven into its bottom, the length of which should be 300 centimeters. After this, the earth mixture is poured into it in a mound so that when you place the seedling on it, its root collar rises 3–5 centimeters above the soil surface. Then pour the remaining soil mixture into the hole, compact it well and water the plant with 2-3 buckets of water. After the liquid is absorbed, the soil settles and the root collar is flush with the ground surface, you need to tie the tree to the support, and then sprinkle the surface of the trunk circle with a layer of mulch (sawdust, peat or straw), and its thickness should be from 2 up to 3 centimeters. Having retreated from the trunk of the tree from 30 to 50 centimeters, you need to make a roller from the earth mixed with humus (3:1), so that water will collect inside it during rain. The height of the roller should be about 15 centimeters.

Autumn planting

Planting walnuts in autumn and spring is practically no different. But in the fall, the hole should be prepared 14–20 days before planting. We must remember that such a tree can be planted in the fall only if the area has mild and not frosty winters.

Walnut care

Spring care

Already in early spring, you should start caring for plants in the garden. If in the third ten days of March the air temperature outside is above minus 4–5 degrees, it is recommended to perform sanitary pruning of this plant, as well as to shape its crown. In the event that it is impossible to trim the walnut at a given time due to unfavorable weather conditions, it can be postponed. But it should be remembered that pruning can be done only before sap flow begins.

This plant is quite moisture-loving. If the winter had little snow, and there was very little rain in the spring, then the walnut will need moisture-recharging watering. Clean the trunk and skeletal branches from dead bark, then rinse them thoroughly using a solution of copper sulfate (3%). Then whiten the stem with lime. At the same time, it is necessary to treat the plant for preventive purposes against diseases and harmful insects. Seedlings are also being planted at this time.

In May you should feed the tree. If the plant is mature, then it needs approximately 6 kilograms of ammonium nitrate per year. As a rule, this fertilizer is recommended to be applied to the soil in spring, as well as at the beginning of summer. Feeding trees should begin after they are 3 years old. The fact is that if the required amount of fertilizer was applied during planting, then it should be enough for the tree for about 3 years.

Summer care

If the summer period is hot and dry, then the walnut needs to be watered more often and more abundantly. From May until the end of July, such a tree should be watered once every 2 weeks. At the same time, there is no need to loosen the soil after watering, because such a plant reacts negatively to this procedure. In this case, weeds must be removed. In the summer, pests or fungi can settle on the tree. In this regard, it is necessary to carry out a systematic inspection of the plant, and if harmful insects or any diseases are found, then it will be necessary to treat the tree with appropriate insecticidal or fungicidal preparations.

In the last days of July, you need to pinch the top of the shoots, but only those whose growth you want to accelerate. It should be remembered that young shoots must be ripe at the time frosts begin, otherwise they will simply freeze in winter. It is necessary to feed the walnut using a foliar method, for this you need to use potassium and phosphate fertilizers, and microelements should be added to them. There are varieties of walnuts whose fruits ripen in the last days of August, which means that you need to be ready to harvest.

Autumn care

For most varieties of this plant, the fruits are harvested in the autumn. The time of fruit ripening directly depends on the plant variety, and ripe fruits can be collected from the end of August until the last days of October. After the nuts are collected, the plant should be prepared for wintering. To do this, when all the leaves have fallen, you need to perform sanitary pruning, collect all fallen leaf plates and cut shoots, and treat the plant to destroy existing pests and pathogenic bacteria. Then you need to whiten the trunk and the base of the skeletal cells using lime. Young trees and seedlings need to be prepared for the onset of winter frosts.

Walnut processing

It is necessary to treat walnuts for preventive purposes 2 times a year in order to prevent plant diseases or pest infestations. In spring, the tree is treated very early, while the buds have not yet swelled. It, like the surface of the tree trunk circle, is treated with a solution of copper sulfate (1%) or Bordeaux mixture (1%). In autumn, the plant is treated with the same means, but only after all the leaves have fallen off and the tree itself is at rest. You can replace these products with a urea solution (7%), which is considered an insecticidal, fungicidal agent, and also contains a large amount of nitrogen. This product is recommended to be used only during spring treatment, because it is at this time that the tree needs nitrogen.

How to water

Walnut needs systematic watering, as it loves moisture very much. However, if it sometimes rains in spring and summer, then the tree does not need to be watered. If there is heat and drought in summer and winter, then from May to the last days of July the nut needs to be watered once every 2 weeks, 30–40 liters of water are taken per 1 square meter of tree trunk circle. From the first days of August, all watering must be stopped. If the autumn is dry, then the walnut will simply need moisture-recharging winter watering, this will help it better survive the winter.

Fertilizer

Walnut roots react negatively to loosening the soil; therefore, you must be very careful when applying complex mineral fertilizer. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers should be used in spring and early summer. If you apply this fertilizer later, it can provoke the development of a fungal disease. Potassium fertilizers and phosphates should be used for feeding in the autumn. A fruit-bearing tree requires 3 kilograms of potassium salt per season, 10 kilograms of superphosphate and ammonium sulfate, and 6 kilograms of ammonium nitrate. You can also fertilize plants using green manure (peas, lupine, oats or china). To do this, in August they are sown between the walnut rows, and in the autumn they are plowed into the ground.

Walnut wintering

Walnuts love warmth very much; therefore, they can only be grown in areas with mild, non-frosty winters. But there are varieties that can withstand short-term drops in air temperature to minus 30 degrees. Adult specimens do not need to be covered for the winter. However, this is simply necessary for seedlings and one-year-old trees, and they are covered with burlap. Their tree trunk circle is sprinkled with a layer of mulch (manure), and do not forget to retreat 10 centimeters from the trunk.

Walnut trimming

When is pruning done?

Formative and sanitary pruning of the tree should be done in the spring (March or April), while the outside temperature should be above zero, but it must be done before the sap begins to flow. There are gardeners who recommend pruning walnuts in the middle of summer; the fact is that at the beginning of spring, weak and frost-damaged shoots are difficult to distinguish. In autumn, sanitary pruning is necessary; dried, injured and diseased branches and shoots are removed.

Pruning rules

If formative pruning is not carried out at all, the tree may develop a lot of defects, for example, breaking forks with rather sharp corners, excessively long branches with a small number of side branches, and fruiting shoots may also begin to die off as a result of the crown being thickened, and a large number of other problems may appear. The formation of the crown has a beneficial effect on the development of the walnut, thus increasing the yield and quality of the fruits themselves, and also regulating the growth of the plant.

In order to carry out any pruning, you will need a very sharp knife or pruning shears, which must first be sterilized. The selected tool should make even cuts, and there should be no burrs left. The first pruning is done after the height of the tree is 150 centimeters. The height of the plant trunk should be from 80 to 90 centimeters, and the crown - from 50 to 60 centimeters. When forming the crown, you should select 10 skeletal branches, while the remaining shoots are cut off by 20 centimeters. The trunk must be systematically cleared of overgrowth. It takes 3 or 4 years to form the crown skeleton. After this is done, you just need to periodically cut off competing and fattening shoots, as well as those that thicken the crown.

Spring pruning

In the spring, after suitable weather has established, it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning, removing those branches and shoots that have dried out or been damaged by disease or frost, as well as those growing incorrectly. If the cut exceeds 0.7 millimeters, then it should be coated with garden varnish. At the same time, both sanitary and formative pruning are performed.

If pruning has not been done for a long time, then fruiting may well shift to the periphery. So, the fruits will be located only at the top of the crown. To correct this problem, rejuvenating tree pruning is performed. At the beginning of the spring period, it is necessary to remove excessively high skeletal branches using a saw. Then you need to thin out the crown quite significantly in order to improve ventilation and increase the amount of incoming sunlight. Branches should be trimmed at lateral branch points, as a result of which young branches will grow sideways rather than upwards. After some time, due to the influx of tree sap, the buds will awaken, and young shoots will grow from them. So, over time, a new crown will form.

Autumn pruning

During the harvesting process, in some cases a branch or shoot may be injured or broken off. Some of the shoots may be damaged by disease or harmful insects. In this regard, after all the leaves have fallen, it will be necessary to cut off injured, diseased, drying branches and shoots, as well as those that are growing incorrectly. The fact is that in winter the tree will spend on them the nutrients that it needs so much. After removing thick branches and shoots, the cut areas should be smeared with garden varnish.

Walnut propagation

Reproduction methods

This plant can be propagated by seeds and also by grafting. However, to graft a varietal cutting, it is necessary to grow the rootstock from the seed. In this regard, it is necessary to know both methods of reproduction.

Propagation of walnuts by seeds

You should know that it takes a lot of time to grow a walnut from a seed. It is recommended to take seeds from a plant that is healthy, produces a rich harvest and grows in the same area where you live. You should choose a fruit large enough from which the kernel can be removed without difficulty. The maturity of the kernel can be judged by the state of the pericarp (pericarp). If cracks appear on the pericarp or if it is very easy to pull it out by making an incision, this indicates that the kernel is ripe. You need to remove the nut from the pericarp and place it outside in a sunny place, where it should dry for 7 days. After this, they bring it into a room where the temperature should be between 18 and 20 degrees and wait until it is completely dry. Planting the seed can be done this fall, or this procedure can be postponed until the onset of spring, but in this case the nut will need stratification. To stratify a thick-skinned nut, it must be placed in a place with a temperature of 0–7 degrees for 90–100 days. If the shell is of average thickness or it is a thin-skinned variety, then the nut must be stratified at a temperature of 15 to 18 degrees for 4–6 weeks. For faster germination of stratified nuts, they are buried in moistened sand and kept at a temperature of 15 to 18 degrees until they sprout. Only after this can the seed be planted in the soil. Seeds that have sprouted are sown more rarely, and those that have not sprouted are sown more densely. Sowing seeds in open ground is carried out only after the ground has warmed up to plus 10 degrees. Between nuts in a row should be left from 10 to 15 centimeters, and row spacing should be about half a meter. Medium-sized seeds need to be embedded in the soil to a depth of 8 to 9 centimeters, larger ones - from 10 to 11 centimeters. In the last days of April, the first seedlings appear. The germination rate of stratified seeds is 70 percent. After the plant grows 2 true leaf blades, it is transplanted into a plant, and it is necessary to pinch the tip of the central root. The seedlings will stay in such a bed for a very long time. So, only after 2–3 years will a high-quality rootstock grow from the plant, and after 5–7 years it will turn into a seedling suitable for transplanting to a garden plot. In order to increase the growth rate of the seedling, it is grown in a greenhouse. Under such conditions, the rootstock will grow in just 12 months, and the seedling in 24 months.

Walnut propagation by grafting

To graft this plant, the budding method is used. It should be noted that the buds of such a plant are quite large. In this regard, the shield, which is cut from the scion cuttings and inserted under the bark of the rootstock, must also be large in size, since its task is also to feed the eye with water and nutrients. But there is one problem: even in areas with mild winters, the buds that have taken root before the onset of the autumn period freeze out during wintering, since the crop is not winter-hardy enough. In this regard, budding seedlings need to be dug up with the onset of autumn, but only after all the leaves have fallen. They should be placed in the basement, where the temperature should be approximately 0 degrees. The seedlings will remain there until the onset of spring. After the soil warms up to 10 degrees in spring, it will be necessary to plant walnuts in the nursery. By the end of the growing season, their height can be from 1 to 1.5 meters, in which case it will be possible to transplant them to a permanent place.

Walnut diseases

Such a plant is highly resistant to both harmful insects and diseases, however, if the walnut is not properly cared for, it may well become ill.

Walnut diseases:

Bacteriosis

Black spots appear on the leaf plates, as a result of which they begin to deform and die. Infected fruits become of poor quality and most often fall unripe. Thick-skinned varieties are less susceptible to this disease. Bacteriosis can begin to develop due to nitrogen-containing fertilizers and prolonged rains. To destroy the disease, it is necessary to treat the plant with Bordeaux mixture, copper sulfate solution and other fungicidal agent. The wood should be processed in 2 stages. In autumn, it is imperative to collect and destroy the leaves that have fallen from the tree.

Brown spot (marsoniosis)

Brown spots appear on the surface of the leaf blades. They grow and gradually occupy the entire surface of the leaf. The leaves of an infected tree begin to dry out and die. Infected fruits also fall off before they even ripen. This disease prefers damp weather. Infected foliage and stems must be cut off, as the disease can spread to the entire plant. The cause of the development of marsoniosis can be improper, or rather, excessively frequent watering. You can cure walnuts with Strobi (4 grams of substance per bucket of water) or Vectra (2 to 3 grams of substance per bucket of water). The plant is treated the first time when buds begin to open, and the second time in the summer.

Root cancer

The plant's root system suffers from this disease. Penetration of the pathogen occurs through cracks in the bark, as well as wounds, and convex-shaped growths are formed. With severe development of root cancer, the walnut stops growing and bearing fruit, and in the most severe cases it dries out and dies. Any growths on the tree must be opened and thoroughly cleaned. After this, they are treated with a caustic soda solution (1%). Then you need to rinse the wound with running water directly from the hose.

Bacterial burn

This disease affects the leaf blades, buds, shoots, flowers and earrings of this plant. Initially, brownish-red spots form on young leaf blades, while depressed black spots appear on the surface of the shoots. Infected leaves and shoots die after some time. The foliage and buds of male inflorescences become dark and fall off. Black spots also appear on the surface of the pericarp. This disease actively develops in rainy weather. Those parts of the tree that are infected should be cut out and destroyed as soon as possible. The cut areas must be treated with a solution of copper sulfate (1%). Walnuts must be treated with products containing copper.

Walnut pests

American white butterfly

This pest is particularly dangerous, and it can settle on almost any fruit crop. During the period of intensive plant growth, the butterfly manages to develop in 2–3 generations. The first generation spoils the plants in July and August, the second - in August, and also in September, the third - in September, and also in October. The caterpillars of such an insect settle on the shoots and destroy all leaf blades, using them as food. To destroy a butterfly, you need to burn those places in which there are many pupae and caterpillars. Then the plant is treated with a microbiological agent, for example: Lepidocide (25 grams per bucket of water), Dendrobacillin (30 grams per bucket of water) or Bitoxibacillin (50 grams per bucket of water). From 2 to 4 liters of solution is used per adult tree. However, it is worth remembering that you should not spray the nut during the flowering period.

Walnut warty mite

Destroys young leaves without damaging the fruits. The appearance can be triggered by increased air humidity. When the insect settles on a tree, dark brown tubercles will appear on its leaf blades. To exterminate it, acaricidal agents should be used, for example: Akarin, Aktara or Kleschevit.

Nut (apple) moth

She feeds on the fruits of the plant. The insect crawls inside the fruit and eats its kernel, causing the nut to fall prematurely. During the season, the codling moth can produce 2 generations, with the first causing harm to the plant in May–June, and the second in August–September. To prevent insect reproduction on the plant, it is recommended to hang pheromone traps that attract males. You should also destroy those fruits that have fallen and the pest nests on the plant.

Nut moth

Produces a “min” plant in the foliage. The caterpillars eat the leaves from the inside, while their skin remains intact. On an infected nut, there are dark-colored tubercles on the surface of the leaf blades. The infected tree is treated with Lepidocide; if there are a lot of pests, then pyrethroids are used, for example: Decamethrin or Decis.

Aphid

Can settle on any crop. It not only damages foliage, but is also a carrier of incurable viral diseases. If a tree is infected, you should immediately resort to using the most powerful drugs, for example: Antitlina, Actellica or Biotlina.

Walnut varieties

Today there are a large number of varieties of this plant, which are characterized by relatively high resistance to harmful insects, diseases, and are also drought or frost resistant. Most of these varieties produce a rich harvest of high-quality fruits. According to the time of ripening, such plants are divided into early ripening - ripening occurs in the last days of August and in the first of September, mid-ripening - from the second half to the last days of September, late ripening - in the last days of September and early October. Specialists from different countries are working on developing new varieties; for example, there are varieties of Ukrainian, Russian, Moldavian, American and Belarusian selection. Below are the most popular varieties.

Moldovan varieties

1. Skinossky- an early variety, distinguished by winter hardiness and productivity. If air humidity is elevated for a long time, the tree becomes infected with brown spot. The ovoid fruits are quite large (about 12 grams). The thickness of the shell is average, and the large kernel is quite easy to remove from the shell.
2. Codrene- a late variety, characterized by frost resistance and productivity, is resistant to marsonia and harmful insects. Large fruits have a thin, almost perfectly smooth shell. It is quite simple to crack the shell, and the kernel comes out whole or divided into 2 parts.
3. Lunguetse- is resistant to brown spot and frost. The oblong-oval fruits are quite large and have a smooth, thin shell that splits quite easily, and the entire kernel is removed.

In addition to these varieties of Moldavian selection, Kalarashsky, Korzheutsky, Kostyuzhinsky, Kishinevsky, Peschansky, Rechensky, Kogylnichanu, Kazacu, Brichansky, Falesti, Yargarinsky and others are popular.

Ukrainian varieties

1. Bukovinsky 1 and Bukovinsky 2 - a mid- and late-ripening variety, characterized by high yield and resistance to marsoniosis. The shell is thin and durable, it cracks quite easily, and the kernel is separated entirely.
2. Prykarpatsky- a late-ripening variety characterized by stable yield and resistance to brown spot. The shell is thin and strong, and the kernel separates very easily.
3. Transnistrian- a mid-season variety, characterized by a consistently high yield, as well as frost resistance and high resistance to marsonia. The nut has an average size and weight of 11–13 grams. The shell is thin and strong, the kernel is easily removed, since the internal partitions are quite thin.

Also, high-quality fruits and resistance to adverse weather conditions are found in such Ukrainian varieties as: Klyshkivsky, Bukovinsky Bomba, Toporivsky, Chernovitsky 1, Yarivsky and others.

The most popular Californian varieties, which are separated into a separate group:

1. Black California Walnut- the shell of large fruits is almost black in color; there are many convolutions on its surface.
2. Santa Rosa Soft Shell- an early variety with high yield. There are 2 varieties: the first blooms at the same time as the other varieties, and the second - half a month later than all others, after the threat of frost has passed. The medium-sized nuts have a thin white shell and a kernel of the same color, which is distinguished by high taste.
3. Royal- this hybrid variety has high yield. It was created by crossing Eastern black walnut and Californian black walnut. The large fruits have a thick and strong shell, and the kernel is very tasty.
4. Paradox- a high-yielding variety. Large nuts have a strong, thick shell, and their kernels have an excellent taste.

Even today, breeders are developing new hybrids, trying to get one with an even thinner shell.

Popular Russian and Soviet varieties

1. Dessert- an early ripening variety characterized by productivity and resistance to drought. Can only be cultivated in the southern regions. The kernels are slightly sweet and tasty.
2. Elegant- resistant to drought, harmful insects and diseases. Has average frost resistance. The average fruit weighs about 12 grams and has slightly sweet kernels.
3. Aurora- early and mid-ripening variety. Winter-hardy, disease resistant. The yield is increasing every year. The average weight of a nut is 12 grams.

Also popular are varieties such as Harvest and Izobilny.

Early ripening varieties are included in a special group. Such trees are not tall and their fruits ripen very early from mid-August to the first days of September. The tree has moderate frost resistance and begins to bear fruit from the age of three. The most popular of them:

1. Dawn of the East- a low tree with high yield, which can be grown in the middle zone.
2. Breeder- such a high-yielding variety has low resistance to frost and high resistance to harmful insects and diseases. Medium-sized nuts weigh approximately 7 grams.

Also popular are varieties such as: Pyatiletka, Petrosyan's Favorite, Baikonur, Pinsky, Pelan, Sovkhozny and Pamyat Minova.

The best and most common varieties include:

1. Ideal- high resistance to frost. Its yield is the highest, because the tree bears fruit twice a season. The weight of the nuts is 10–15 grams. The kernels are very tasty, slightly sweet. Propagation can only be done generatively, but the fruits can retain all the varietal characteristics of the parent plant.
2. Giant- a high-yielding variety characterized by systematic fruiting. Fruit weight is about 12 grams. This variety can be cultivated in almost any area in Russia.

What are the benefits and harms of walnuts?

Benefits of walnuts

Any part of the walnut contains biologically active substances. For example, the bark contains triterpenoids, alkaloids, steroids, tannins, quinones and vitamin C. The foliage contains aldehydes, alkaloids, carotene, tannins, coumarins, flavonoids, anthocyanins, quinones, high aromatic hydrocarbons, phenolcarboxylic acids, vitamins C, PP and essential oil. And in the tissues of the pericarp there is vitamin C, carotene, tannins, coumarins, quinones, phenolcarboxylic and organic acids.

Green nuts contain vitamins C, B1, B2, PP, carotene and quinones. Ripe fruits contain the same vitamins, as well as sitosterols, quinones, tannins and fatty oils, including linoleic, linolenic, oleic, palmitic acids, fiber, cobalt and iron salts.

The nut shell contains phenol carbonic acids, coumarins, and tannins. And in the thin brown skin, which is located on the surface of the fruit (pellicle), there are steroids, coumarins, tannins and phenolcarboxylic acids.

Ripe nuts are high in calories and are considered a highly active remedy. They contain 2 times more calories than premium bread made from wheat flour. They can be used for preventive purposes against atherosclerosis, and also if there is a lack of cobalt salts, iron, and vitamins in the body. The fiber and oil present in nuts can relieve problems with constipation.

A decoction of the leaves can heal wounds. It is used to treat rickets and scrofula. An infusion of leaves is used to rinse the mouth for inflammatory diseases of the mouth and bleeding gums.

Products made from walnuts have an astringent, tonic, laxative, and epithelializing effect. They also have anthelmintic, anti-sclerotic, anti-inflammatory effects, lower sugar, fight inflammation and stop bleeding.

Walnut oil is especially valued. It is highly nutritious and has high taste. It is recommended to take it during the recovery period for those who have suffered a very serious illness or surgery. It contains unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, macro- and microelements, and biologically active substances. It contains a very large amount of vitamin E, it has a beneficial effect on the body of an elderly person, especially if he suffers from hypertension, coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, chronic hepatitis, increased acidity of gastric juice, hyperfunction of the thyroid gland. This oil also provides protection to the human body from carcinogenic substances, improves resistance to radiation, and also promotes the removal of radionuclides.

This oil has long been used to cure diseases such as tuberculosis, inflammatory diseases of the skin and mucous membranes, cracks, long-term non-healing ulcers, eczema, psoriasis, varicose veins and furunculosis.

At the University of California, scientists were able to prove through experiments that after a sick person consumed such oil for four weeks, the amount of cholesterol in his blood stopped increasing and remained at the same level for many weeks. This oil is recommended for chronic arthritis, burns, ulcers, chronic colitis with constipation, diseases of the stomach and intestines. It is also recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women to take it.

Contraindications

Those who have an individual intolerance to such nuts should not eat walnuts or products containing them. For people suffering from neurodermatitis, psoriasis and eczema, this nut and preparations containing it can cause an exacerbation of the disease, so their use should be under the supervision of a specialist. Those who have increased blood clotting, intestinal and pancreatic diseases should not eat such nuts. Eating too many walnuts can lead to severe pain in the head, swelling of the throat and inflammation of the tonsils. A healthy person is recommended to eat 100 grams of these nuts per day.

We all love healthy and tasty walnut kernels. But I would like the fruits to be brought to us not from afar, but to have the opportunity to grow it in central Russia. And now varieties have appeared specifically for growing walnuts in cold climates.

general characteristics

Walnut is a deciduous tree with a huge life expectancy (several hundred years). Its height is 25–35 m. The large, wide crown is covered with complex leaves. The trunk is thick, with gray bark covered with cracks. The plant is monoecious, dioecious, bearing male and female flowers. Wind-pollinated. A fruit covered with a thick, fleshy skin, a false drupe. Underneath it is a useful kernel (80% of the weight of the nut), which is used for food.

This is interesting! As a rule, there is little vegetation near the tree. This is due to the fact that the roots secrete a special substance, due to which the growth of other plants is inhibited.

Popular frost-resistant varieties

There are 4 forms of walnut: English or Persian, White, Black, Japanese. All of them are representatives of this family. Nut.

As for varieties, the walnut crop is southern, brought from Central Asia. And for a long time it was believed that its habitat was the warm regions of our country. Today on the market there are already winter-hardy, productive varieties that are practically not affected by pests and diseases, which can be grown in central Russia and the Moscow region.

• Dessert. It is distinguished by early ripening and nuts with a sweetish taste. Tree height is average. The crown is wide. The culture is drought-resistant. Winter hardiness is average: in cold weather the buds may freeze. Fruiting begins in the 4th season.
• Elegant. A low-growing tree (4–5 m) with an oval crown. Characterized by average resistance to frost. Nuts ripen in the 5th year. They are collected in early autumn.
• Aurora. Early, tall walnut. The fruits appear in the 4th year, and with the new season the yield increases. Resistant to frost, not susceptible to disease.
• Ideal. Early fruiting variety. Well known to Russian gardeners. It is loved for its high yield and winter hardiness (can withstand temperatures down to -35⁰C). The flowers form inflorescences and real grape clusters of nuts grow (up to 15 pieces).

It is important that the walnut has stepped beyond its habitat. Low growth, good yield, and resistance to frost make the crop accessible to central Russia.

Landing

The best method of propagation is to obtain a crop from seeds. In this case, you can be sure what fruits you will get in the end. Select a tree and collect several fruits from it. The seedling grown from such fruits will be well acclimatized to local conditions.

Attention! To grow a crop, it is worth planting more than one tree. The distance between seedlings is 5 m. Keep in mind that over time the crown will grow. On slopes, denser planting is permissible - every 3.5 m.

Walnuts should be planted in sunny, illuminated places. In relation to soils, the plant is unpretentious. It is “satisfied” with different types of soil and varied terrain. But it should not be planted in wet, sandy or poorly aerated areas. Close proximity to groundwater is undesirable.

Landing technology next:

1. We plant in the spring, because autumn planting can lead to the death of poorly strengthened seedlings from frost.
2. Planting time is April (more specifically, the time is determined based on the region).
3. The planting hole (50x50 cm) is prepared in advance; a rich earthen mixture is poured into it. Mixture composition: compost + ash + superphosphate. You can add humus.
4. We straighten the roots, gradually sprinkling them with earthen mixture. We water it. We compact the soil around the seedling.
5. The root collar is covered with soil by 5 cm.

The first fruits should appear in 4 years.

Care

Walnut - planting and care

The plant does not require care. While it is small, you can grow vegetables between the trees.

	Conditions for culture
	It is necessary to water twice a month as soon as the plant begins to grow. During periods of drought, when the soil dries out, watering is also important. For wood – 30 l. water per m².
Feeding	We fertilize the crop 2 times a year: nitrogen - in the spring, potassium and phosphorus - in the autumn.
Temperature	Walnut loves warm climates with a gradual transition to winter dormancy. Modern varieties can withstand more continental climates and lower temperatures. But spring frosts can damage young shoots and fruit buds.
	It is better to plant walnuts on a flat surface. Slopes are suitable, but the slope is no more than 10⁰. Prefers southern and southwestern slopes.
	Wind is necessary for pollination, but plantings must be protected from strong winds.
Pruning and crown formation	It is important to lay the first branches of the skeletal layer. When pruning, leave 4 branches in different directions at an angle of 45⁰. Young, standard shoots are removed. Subsequently, the tree forms independently. Only sanitary pruning will be necessary.

Attention! Nitrogen fertilizers must be applied with great care, as they can cause the development of bacterial diseases. At the beginning of seedling growth, you should not add them at all.

Why doesn't the tree bear fruit?

There are times when a walnut does not bear fruit, and there is a reason for this causes:

1. It is typical for young trees in case of strong thickening of branches. It is necessary to remove excess branches and thin out the crown.
2. Good growth, but no flowering. In this case, they say that “the tree has become fat.” It is necessary to stop watering and fertilizing. If this does not help, then you need to trim the roots.
3. The walnut blooms, but does not form ovaries. Take a branch with ripe pollen and shake it over a tree where the ovary is not forming. That is, pollinate the nut artificially.

Reproduction

You can get a new plant seeds, vegetatively, grafting.

Propagation by seeds

Before planting, the seeds are soaked in water and then in the growth preparation “Zircon” for 3 days. Planted in April, when the soil warms up to 10⁰C in previously prepared fertile soil. Planting depth – 10 cm.

When planting, we do not throw the nut, but place it sideways on the edge. Under the “open sky” growth is slow; seedlings grow much faster in film greenhouses. The interesting thing is that in terms of their qualities they can surpass the mother plant.

Vegetative propagation

Walnuts can be propagated by ground shoots that grow in the root collar area. Development is much faster than that of seedlings. Fruiting occurs already in 3–4 years. If propagated by cuttings, then shoots of the current year are used. Planting: end of April or November.

Reproduction by grafting

2-year-old seedlings are used as a rootstock. Vaccination is carried out in March. In the northern regions, seedlings are grown in containers and left in a warm room in December. And they vaccinate in February. Planting in open ground occurs in May. With this method of propagation, the qualities of the “mother” plant are completely preserved.

It is important! Seeds must go through a period of stratification (preparation for sowing). This will take from 2 to 3 months (depending on the thickness of the shell), all this time the nuts will spend in damp sand in a cool place. A month before planting, the nuts are transferred to a warm place, where they are kept in water and growth stimulants.

Pests and diseases: control measures

Compared to other trees, walnut is less often affected by pests and diseases. But nevertheless, some “friends of the garden” visit it:

• American white butterfly. It produces three generations over the summer, and the third is the most harmful. The butterfly caterpillars, having settled on the leaves, gradually move throughout the tree. To combat them, microbiological preparations or insecticides can be used.
• Walnut or brings 2 generations. The caterpillars crawl inside the nut, eating away its contents. Infected nuts fall off. The method of control is pheromone traps that attract males. Reproduction is reduced, and there are fewer caterpillars. They are treated with viral drugs that cause caterpillar disease and death. A mechanical method is also used: collecting caterpillars and affected fruits by hand.
• settles on young shoots and buds, forms colonies on the inner leaf surface. Chemicals are used for destruction.
• Sapwood- a beetle that lives under the bark, so it is difficult to detect. Gnawing out the bark of a tree, it leaves behind curved channels. Beetles settle on weak plants and cause abundant sap flow. Over the summer, 2 generations are formed. Control measures: spraying with insecticides. Prevention - sanitary cutting of damaged branches.

A tree can also get sick for physiological reasons: poor soil, lack of light, excess moisture, spring frosts, poor care.

Most often, walnuts are affected by bacterial burn, bacteriosis, root cancer.

How to cover a walnut for the winter?

We have obtained winter-hardy varieties, but winters can be light and cold, and the tree needs shelter.

Even before frost, you need to wrap the root collar, trunk and skeletal branches with covering material. You can insulate with agrofibre, burlap, roofing felt, linoleum. The base can be covered with spruce branches and pine branches. This will protect the tree from severe frosts and winds. In spring the tree will be healthy and ready to bear fruit.

It is important! When the snow falls, they need to throw the walnut up to the skeletal branches, covering the entire trunk. Throw spruce branches on top. This way the tree will survive the winter better. In addition, the root system will not be damaged.

Beneficial features

The beneficial properties are obvious, since the fruit contains:

• Vitamin E“solves problems” of the cardiovascular system, lowers blood pressure;
• Antioxidants rejuvenate, reduce the risk of cancer;
• Potassium important in metabolic processes;
• Cellulose plays a role in intestinal motility, weight loss, and obesity prevention.
• Cobalt, iron, zinc increase hemoglobin levels, preventing anemia.

In addition, walnuts increase potency in men, have a general strengthening effect, and have a positive effect on brain function due to their high protein content. Calorie content of the fruit – 653 kcal/100 g.

Attention! The product is high in calories, consume it in moderation. To maintain health and well-being, it is enough to eat 7 nut kernels a day.

Harvesting

Green (unripe) nuts have a soft kernel and skin. These fruits are collected in May. They are pierced with a needle and if juice flows out of the hole, collection can begin. The fact is that unripe fruits are very useful, they are rich in many substances and are widely used in folk medicine. In cooking, they are used to prepare compotes, marinades, and jams.

Video about planting walnuts and caring for them

Now, with the advent of frost-resistant varieties of walnuts, every gardener can grow this very healthy and tasty nut on their plot. Use the information from our article and everything will work out for you!

From ancient times to the present day, the walnut has been called the “tree of life.” Thanks to its unique composition, rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements and other beneficial substances, nut fruits are used in the treatment of many diseases, restore loss of strength, and satisfy hunger. To saturate the body with useful elements, a few nuts a day are enough.

Rules for purchasing walnut seedlings

Growing walnuts begins with the correct choice of planting material. The walnut has one interesting feature: the plant first devotes all its energy to the development of the root system, then to the growth and development of the trunk and green mass. Therefore, seedlings that can take root and produce offspring in the future are not developed shoots with leaves, but a powerful root system. A seedling with leaves, on the contrary, may not take root; moreover, when planting, the seedlings are pruned so that nutrition is used exclusively for rooting.

A healthy seedling should be strong, with developed roots (the root system of a nut is taprooted). The bark of the plant should be carefully examined; there should be no mechanical or other damage to it.

Important! If a walnut seedling has too dry bark, rotten and soft roots, you should refuse to buy it - the plant is sick.

The best option for choosing a seedling is to contact a nursery, where you can choose high-quality, healthy planting material. And then, the nursery will tell you whether the plant is of seed origin or is it grafted. From a grafted seedling, if it is also early-bearing, a harvest can be obtained in the third year, and from a seedling in the tenth, not earlier.

Choosing a place to plant walnuts

Walnut loves bright sunlight; with enough light, the crown becomes spreading and dense. Walnut is a powerful plant, the tree height is up to 25 meters, and the trunk diameter often reaches seven meters. The tree can grow on a slight slope, at 18 degrees of slope.

It is undesirable to plant nuts on dense, poorly aerated and swampy soils. Soil for walnuts is recommended with a uniform content of sand and clay; groundwater close to the surface is contraindicated.

As already said, the nut grows as a tall and spreading tree; when planting, you should take into account that it will block the light of the plants growing nearby. If this happens, these plants should be transplanted to another place.
Where to plant a walnut on a plot - the best place for a walnut will be on the south or south-west side of the plot, protected from the wind. When choosing a site for a nut, do not plant it next to a house or outbuildings; the roots of the plant, as they grow, can damage the foundation of the building. Do not plant close to the fence.

Did you know? Pliny's references to nuts have been preserved. In them he writes that the plant came to Greece from the gardens of the Persian king Cyrus, then by trade expeditions from Greece to Rome, and from there to the territory of modern France, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Germany. The nut came to America only in the 19th century.

Preparatory work before planting

Walnuts will not require much attention when growing and caring for them if you carefully prepare the seedlings and the planting site. The planting area must be cleaned of plant debris, loosened and leveled. If the soil does not meet the requirements, part of it can be replaced with a more fertile one.

The planting hole is dug immediately before planting so that it retains the amount of moisture the plant needs, since it is not advisable to pour water into the hole. Its depth depends on the length of the roots; you should dig deeper so that the roots are conveniently located and do not break.

The seedlings will need high-quality feeding. Fertilizer for walnuts is prepared from the following components: a bucket of manure, 400 grams of wood ash, 200 grams of superphosphate. This nutrient mixture is placed at the bottom of the hole, and when planting it is sprinkled with soil; it is undesirable for the roots to come into contact with the fertilizer.

The process of planting seedlings and the distance between them

The most favorable time to plant a walnut seedling is spring. The plant will have time to take root and strengthen before winter frosts, which can destroy the young trees.

Before planting, seedlings need to be inspected; if there are damaged, rotten or dried roots, they are cut off. To facilitate and speed up the rooting process, the roots of the seedlings are dipped into a clay mash with the addition of a growth stimulator. The mash is prepared from clay, rotted manure and water (3:1:1), the thickness is like store-bought sour cream.

Planting a walnut is done slowly, the roots are carefully straightened, it is advisable to give them a horizontal position. Then, starting from the lowest roots, they are gradually covered with soil. As a result, the top of the roots should be six to seven centimeters below the soil surface. The soil of the tree trunk circle is gently compacted, and a shallow groove is made around the circle for irrigation. Planted nuts are watered abundantly, about 15 liters of water per tree. Since the crown grows greatly in diameter, the tree does not need neighbors at a distance closer than five meters.

Walnuts, if you follow the planting rules and timely careful care, will produce a good harvest. Caring for the plant is not difficult, the main thing is to carry out the procedures on time and know some of the features. For example, soil care, weeding, and loosening are carried out no deeper than five centimeters, since the upper roots of the plant are located close to the surface.

Did you know? The priests of Ancient Babylon knew about the benefits of walnuts for brain activity. The dignitaries forbade the common people to eat nuts for fear that they would become too smart. Walnut, according to many ancient scientists, is one of the ten first plants cultivated by people.

Preventive treatment of trees against diseases and pests

In early spring, the plant requires some preventive measures: the bark that has died over the winter and the whitewash that has come off must be removed from the trunk and skeletal branches of the nut; cleaned surfaces must be washed with a solution of copper sulfate (3%); refresh the whitewash.

In the spring, while the buds are still dormant, the tree and the soil around the tree trunk are sprayed with one percent Bordeaux mixture to prevent diseases and pests.

In the summer, to prevent the appearance of pests and diseases, the soil around the nut is cleaned; the tree itself should be carefully inspected from time to time for insects and any suspicious spots on the bark and foliage. If detected, immediately treat with fungicides (in case of signs of disease) or insecticides (in case of insects).

After harvesting and falling leaves, the trees are again treated for prevention; the same products can be used. Experienced plant growers recommend using a seven percent urea solution instead of Bordeaux mixture and copper sulfate. This solution is multifunctional, it is also a salvation from insects, has a fungicidal effect and is a nitrogen fertilizer.

Important! Since the nut needs nitrogen during the growth period, it is better to treat it with urea in the spring.

Watering rules

After a winter with little precipitation, or even no snow at all, moisture is vital for the nut. Water the tree thoroughly, up to about twenty liters of water. With normal precipitation, watering the nut is carried out once every two months in the spring. In summer, with heat and lack of rain, the need for watering increases. From approximately May to July, walnut trees are watered twice a month with three to four buckets of water per tree; lack of moisture can affect walnut yields.

Loosening the soil does not need to be done after each watering; the walnut does not like this. If it rains frequently in spring and summer, you should not water it; the nut loves moisture, but due to the structure of the root system, its excess will be destructive. Watering is also reduced for trees taller than four meters; their root system draws moisture from the deep layers of the soil.

At the end of summer, watering is reduced.
If autumn is not rainy, water abundantly, this is necessary for wintering. To avoid cracking and the formation of a rough earth crust, mulching is necessary. This way the soil will also avoid drying out on particularly hot days. Mulch is made from straw or sawdust, peat in a five-centimeter layer.

Tree feeding

In May, it’s time to apply fertilizer and the question arises: how to feed walnuts? Mature trees older than three years need up to six kilograms of ammonium nitrate; the nut is fed in early spring or in the first days of summer.

At the end of June, for better growth of shoots, their tops are pinched and the tree is fed with phosphates and potassium, adding microelements. There are fertilizers for fruit trees with a complex composition on sale. A tree that bears fruit needs 10 kg of superphosphate, 10 kg of ammonium sulfate, 3 kg of potassium salt and 6 kg of ammonium nitrate for the entire season.

Important! You can use biological fertilizers: between the walnut trees, plant green manure plants (lupine, oats) in the fall, which are plowed into the ground in late autumn.

When and how to prune

In the first three years of a nut's life, its trunk and crown need to be formed. Every year the side branches of the tree are cut off. Sanitary or formative pruning of walnuts is carried out with a sharp instrument so as not to harm the plant or leave burrs.

The best period for the formation of the crown is when the tree has reached one and a half meters in height, while the trunk is up to 90 cm, and the crown height is up to 60 cm.

When forming the crown, the branches are shortened by 20 cm, leaving about ten skeletal shoots, and the germinating shoots and trunks are cleared. It will be possible to give the crown its final shape in four to five years, but after that you will only need to cut off the branches that interfere with the growth of the main shoots, grow inward and thicken the crown too much.

The basic rules for pruning a walnut tree include:

• The procedure is carried out either in the spring before the active movement of juices begins, or in the fall;
• In autumn, pruning of dry and damaged branches is done so that the tree does not give up valuable food in winter to obviously doomed shoots;
• After the procedure, all sections should be treated with garden varnish to avoid infections.

Walnut wintering

After harvesting and autumn pruning, the area needs to be cleaned and all plant debris removed, because it is in them that harmful insects overwinter. Inspect the trees, branches and bark; pests often overwinter in it; whitewash the tree trunk with lime. It is advisable to carefully prepare young trees and seedlings of the current year for winter: the trunk circle of plants must be covered with mulch. You can also cover it with manure, but so that it does not come into contact with the bark, wrap the nut trunks with burlap, then you can lay spruce branches on the tree trunk circle.

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