Walnut in the garden: how to grow a tree correctly

Historical research shows that the walnut miraculously arrived in Asia 40 million years ago during the formation of the Fergana Range. Juglans Regia walnut trees were among the first to appear in the intermountain depression, forming wild forests.

Anastasia Kovrizhnykh , an expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", an agronomist and landscape designer, spoke about planting walnut trees.

The fruits were distributed from the Arslanbob forest massif. The warriors of Alexander the Great fortified themselves with them during his Asian campaigns. They appreciated the nutritious, strength-giving properties of the nuts and brought this product to Greece. And from there, already during the time of Peter the Great, seedlings were brought to the Russian Botanical Garden. That is how it got its name.

To plant a nut, choose the southern side and allocate a lot of space. It is light-loving, unpretentious and grows on mixed soils with good drainage.

To ensure that the young tree takes root quickly, it is soaked in water for two days. During this time, a hole 40 cm in diameter and 80 cm deep is prepared. 15 kg of humus is poured in, 60 g of phosphorus and 30 g of potassium fertilizers are added, mixed and 40 liters of water are poured in.

Place the seedling in the center of the hole so that the neck is level with the ground when planting is complete. Tamp the soil well so that the roots do not rot. Make a depression around it and water it generously. Starting from the third year of life, add fertilizer and complex fertilizers in the fall. Before this, loosen the soil a little to a depth of 10 cm.

When the seedling grows to a young tree, a rounded spreading crown is formed, opening the top. In this case, horizontal skeletal branches are left, and weak and vertical ones are removed. Twice a year, for prevention, the walnut tree should be sprayed with copper sulfate and systemic means against codling moth.

Harvesting

The harvest is collected in the first half of October, when the peel has burst and darkened. To do this, the branches are shaken vigorously, and the nuts fall. They are dried in a ventilated room or laid out in the sun. The walnut tree begins to bear fruit in the 5th–7th year.

If the fruiting period does not occur for a long time, it can be stimulated in several ways.

You can scare the tree with a shaking effect. At knee level, you hit the trunk with your foot or a hammer. This causes stress and the tree's instinct for self-preservation is triggered, which leads to increased yield.

In early spring, a rusty nail disinfected with alcohol is driven into the trunk under the lower branches to a depth of 1 cm. After the summer, it is necessary to take it out and cover the wound with garden pitch. This method stops growth, and the plant blooms.

A tree trunk circle is installed from sheet metal, polished to a mirror finish, divided into sections.

The segments are fixed at different angles, they additionally illuminate the crown. This helps the tree to receive the maximum amount of sunlight during the day and increases fruiting.

All these methods have been tested many times and really lead to an increase in the yield of the grown tree.

Previously we told you how to plant a plum tree and reap a rich harvest .