The walnut tree is a very elegant plant; its flowering will adorn the garden in early spring. Healthy walnut trees will bear fruit for many decades.
Walnut Description
Walnuts are fast-growing trees that can reach a height of 30 m. The plant boasts a wide crown, reaching 18 m in width. This is a photophilous species, requiring full sun for good growth.
Some varieties of walnuts may not tolerate temperatures below -20 ° C, but there are varieties that can withstand temperatures up to -40 ° C.
How to bloom
The buds awaken from winter dormancy in mid-April-late May (depending on variety), and the leaves fall off in early November. Large compound leaves exude a lemon / lime aroma. On the plant you can find both male and female flowers.
Male flowers are thin earrings, and female flowers are smaller, often found on the tips of branches. Pollen is discarded from male flowers and settles at the sensitive point of female, where fertilization occurs.
Later, a female flower grows into nuts. Pollen is physically very small and light, so it can, thanks to the wind, travel quite far. Thanks to the lovely flowers that often appear before the leaves bloom, you can fully enjoy the decorativeness of the plant.
Did you know? Studies have shown that in some gardens, pollen blown by the wind flew from trees that were more than 1,500 km away.
Where is growing
Wild walnut species are growing in many parts of the world. Some experts believe that the homeland of the walnut is the Gilan region in Iran, while others say that it is China. Now the area of walnut growth extends over a large territory: from the Carpathian mountains to Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, southern Russia, India, Manchuria and Korea.
Walnuts like the cool climate. The plant responds well to regular rainfall of at least 500 mm per year. There should be enough water in the soil so that the nuts can grow normally.
Precipitation during flowering and extreme winds can cause a negative reaction of the plant to these events, in particular, pollination and fertilizer. The best location for walnut trees is sunny places protected from frost and drafts.
Since walnut has a strong root system and can reach 2–4 m in depth, growing a plant can be difficult in areas where the soil depth is not deep enough.
Walnuts grow well in deep silt loamy or clay soils. They need soil rich in humus and supplemented with lime, zinc and boron. An optimum soil pH of 6.0 to 7.0 would result in a good crop.
Beneficial features
Walnuts contain healthy fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals (iron, selenium, calcium, zinc, vitamin E and some B vitamins). They are rich in antioxidants and are a source of plant-based omega-3 fat and many phytochemicals.
These substances have antioxidant effects, are compounds: melatonin, ellagic acid, vitamin E, carotenoids and polyphenols.
The best varieties
There are varieties of walnuts, which are most loved by the inhabitants of Russia.
These include:
- "Aurora" - not afraid of frost, the variety is resistant to many diseases. Has a mass of core - 12 g.;
- "Ideal" - frost-resistant early variety, withstands temperature drops to -35 ° C. Repeated flowering with the appearance of a large number of ovary nuts is possible;
- Astakhovsky - frost-resistant (tolerates a decrease in temperature to -37 ° C), has good resistance to pest damage. Entered in the State Register of Russia in 2015. Suitable for cultivation in the Voronezh, Kursk region, in the central regions of the Russian Federation. Also planted in the Samara, Penza, Ulyanovsk and Orenburg regions. The kernel has a dessert flavor rated by professionals at 5 points;
- "Memory of Minov" - a fast-growing variety with a powerful crown, has a large fruit (fruit mass 15–18 g) walnut of medium ripening. Withstands temperature drops to -37 ° C;
- "Elegant" - medium early variety, drought tolerant. It can not tolerate severe frosts. Fruits in 5 years.
- Levine - a short, early-growing variety, characterized by increased frost resistance. When the temperature drops to -35 ° C, it may slightly freeze. Resistant to pests and diseases.
The Greeks called walnuts karyon, which means "head". This is because the walnut shell resembles a human head, and the walnut kernel looks like a brain.
Walnut cultivation
Gardeners describe the cultivation of walnuts as a time-consuming process that requires great care and patience. Ultimately, no matter how much effort is expended, labor will be justified.
Dates and scheme of planting in open ground
It all starts with planting a seedling. Suitable time for planting a walnut tree - autumn (September)because there should be enough time for root development before the onset of winter cold. A seedling bought in a container can be planted in spring or summer, only periods of hot heat are avoided.
A wide open space is suitable for landing, as The walnut tree is tall and has a wide crown. Before planting (in an hour or two) the root system of the seedling should be lowered into the clay mash.
Its composition: water, 3 parts of clay and 1 part of rotted manure. You need to add so much water to get the consistency of thick sour cream.
For spring planting, a landing pit is prepared in the fall. Autumn planting is favorable for areas with mild and not frosty winters and differs only in that the landing pit is prepared in 2-3 weeks. before landing.
Landing pattern
- Dig a hole 60x60 or 100x100 if the soil is infertile. Tilt the top layer of soil to the side, it will still be needed, and the bottom will not be needed.
- The topsoil is mixed with 1 part humus (well rotted), 1 part peat. Add 0.8 kg of potassium chloride, 2.5 kg of superphosphate, 1 kg of dolomite flour and 1.5 kg of wood ash to this mixture. This nutrient mixture will be sufficient for the first 3-4 years.
- Cover the entire landing pit with the resulting soil mixture.
- Pour all the soil with 2 buckets of water.
- Over the winter, the soil will shrink. In the spring, you will need to dig out the entire soil mixture from the planting pit again, drive in a support stake (3 m).
- Make a small mound of soil.
- Set the seedling so that the root neck is 3-5 cm above the ground surface.
- Cover the rest of the soil with good compaction.
- Pour a seedling of 20-30 liters of water. After water absorption and shrinkage of the soil, tie the seedling to the support peg.
- Mulch the surface of the trunk circle with a 2-centimeter layer of wood sawdust, peat, straw.
- At a distance of 30-50 cm from the trunk of the seedling, make a soil "roller-fence" with a height of 15 cm. This is necessary so that water collects inside it during rains.
The subtleties of care
After a walnut tree sapling has been planted, it may take five to seven years for it to become an adult and begin to bear fruit. During this time, the tree must be properly looked after. Walnut does not like to be pruned too much.
Important! After pruning, the wound is protected with pine resin or garden decoction.
Each remote shoot opens the door to infection and many diseases, such as fungus and rot, so pruning should be minimized. An overgrown tree is pruned in September.
What shoots to remove, always interested in novice gardeners:
- Remove dead wood.
- Cut the branches growing inward.
- Delete one of two branches touching or intersecting.
The first winter after planting, it is better to cover the tree with straw. At the same time, the fallen leaves can not be removed; it will serve the tree as a warm “blanket”. When freezing the apical kidneys in the winter, it will be necessary to make a healthy pruning in the spring.
Harvesting and storage
Harvesting from an adult tree usually starts in late August and lasts until the end of November (depending on the time of planting). Both manual and mechanical harvesting are suitable for harvesting. The trees are shaken until the walnuts fall.
The outer green husk is removed, the nuts are dried in the air. Walnuts have a long shelf life of 1 to 2 years. Nuts are well stored in a dry, cool and well-ventilated area.
Important! The first sign that the time has come to harvest when the outer green shells of walnuts dry out and begin to crack.
Walnut in landscaping
In general, a walnut tree is a plant whose flowering will adorn the garden in spring, and later curly leaves will look very attractive and will attract the attention of passers-by. Landscaping walnuts are used in group planting.
The tree looks good next to birches and firs. Under the magnificent crown of a walnut, you can plant currant shrubs, as well as raspberries and gooseberries. Tulips, peonies or delicate daffodils planted on a flower bed perfectly combine with a walnut tree.
Indeed, a walnut tree can decorate any area. In addition, anxious owners will have a great opportunity to eat freshly picked walnuts grown by themselves.