In recent years, some previously considered purely southern cultures have moved far to the north. These include persimmon, apricot, cherry, etc. Attempts to expand the habitat of the latter were made in different time both scientists and gardening enthusiasts.

Professor A.K. Skvortsov devoted almost 30 years to experiments with walnuts. In 1977, he planted the first experimental plantation, the basis of which was seedlings grown from the fruits of trees growing on the territory of the Moscow enterprise “NIUF Experimental Plant”. Later, seedlings from other places were added to them.

For many years, the plantings were closely monitored, but the final conclusion, which A.K. Skvortsov announced in 2005, was disappointing.

In one of his articles, he wrote: “In relation to the Moscow climate, no significant features were found that would distinguish plants grown from different batches of seeds...

In terms of stability, they apparently depend more on the situation and on the confluence of circumstances during the life of each tree than on its genotype. This was to be expected, since the genetic potential of the species’ adaptation to more severe climatic conditions has long been practically exhausted.

This is especially evident in our reproduction plants: they did not show themselves to be more resistant than their parents.”

A significant number of trees can be found in the capital region walnut. One of them grows very close to Moscow, in Shcherbinka. It was grown about 22 years ago from a nut brought from the Donetsk region. A tree, sheltered from the winds by the wall of the house and receiving additional heat from it, does not freeze and produces, although small, tasty and thin-barked fruits (photo 1).

Another walnut tree, brought as a seedling from Rostov-on-Don, grows in a holiday village near Khimki. From the north it is reliably protected by a house and a large oak tree. Every year the owner collects a bucket of nuts from the tree.

And for the Moscow region gardener A. Bukin, growing walnuts has long turned into the most ordinary activity. He repeatedly demonstrated his seedlings from the Leninsky district at various specialized exhibitions.

There are individual fruit-bearing specimens of walnuts in Kratovo, Kolomna, Ruza and other settlements in the Moscow region.

In addition, I know of two trees obtained from Baltic nuts and growing in the Aptekarsky garden (Botanical Garden of Moscow State University, Moscow), as well as one specimen in the Novogireevo area (in the east of Moscow).

Probably the northernmost walnut plantation was established in the stronghold of the Leningrad Botanical Garden, located 100 km north of the city, on the Karelian Isthmus, in the village. Otradnoye. There, the botanist I.N. Konovalov was involved in the introduction of this plant from the early 50s.

Big science is silent about the results of those experiments, but in the Botanical Garden of St. Petersburg, trees grown from walnut fruits selected by Konovalov are growing and thriving. True, in unfavorable years, due to lack of heat, the fruits do not ripen.

There are at least two more walnut trees in the city on the Neva. One of them is on the street. Yesenin, grows in a very dense environment and looks depressed, although it bears scanty fruit.

But the second one - on the Morskaya Embankment - is doing quite well (photo 2). It was planted by amateur gardener Valery Yevtushenko more than 20 years ago with a seedling brought from Rostov.

For the second ten years now the tree has been producing bountiful harvests. As the owner himself notes, there are sometimes more than two hundred nuts per season.

So far we have been talking about ordinary nuts, which begin to bear fruit ten years after planting. But our colleague Valery Goryachev from the town of Krasnoarmeyets, Moscow Region, managed to grow a fast-bearing dwarf hybrid nut selected by I. Levin. This nut gave its first harvest after 4 years (photo 3)

At the same time, the gardener does not cover his seedling in any way.

As you can see, walnuts are not so rare in the middle zone, although they are not very stable - they often freeze and remain without a harvest.

Nevertheless, most gardeners can grow it. The main thing is to create a nut favorable conditions– provide a sunny location, protected from strong cold winds.

Most of the plants I have seen are in just such conditions, under the cover of trees, fences or buildings.

And although Professor A.K. Skvortsov claimed that walnut plants from different regions differ little from each other in terms of stability, it seems to me that what is important is where the planting material is taken from.

For example, my seedling grown from the Crimean nut, even under the snow, freezes almost to the ground every year, and the seedlings obtained from plants near Moscow and Kharkov, for the most part, did not seem to notice the past winter at all.

So, in my opinion, walnuts, albeit with some reservations, can be grown in regions with a completely non-southern climate.

The experience will be crowned with a large nut!

Just yesterday, no one could even think about growing heat-loving walnuts in central Russia. Today, thanks to domestic breeders, this is becoming possible. But still, adapting culture to local conditions is not an easy task.

What are the best walnut seedlings?

The boundaries of the natural distribution of walnuts are the Krasnodar Territory and the North Caucasus. In Central Russian latitudes, southern seedlings freeze heavily in winter, and in the spring their shoots die from night cold snaps. As a result, the crop turns into a stunted, stunted tree that does not produce a harvest. Therefore, experiments with walnut seedlings brought from areas with a warm climate do not give positive results. How to be?

Breeders have found the most frost-resistant forms among all walnut varieties. They took seedlings from the highlands of the Caucasus and Central Asia, where winter temperatures sometimes drop to 40°.

There, in the walnut forests, plants are presented in a wild state. Cultivated winter-hardy varieties were found among gardeners in the Belgorod, Voronezh, Bryansk, Kursk regions of Russia, as well as in the Baltic states, Belarus and Ukraine in the Kharkov region. When growing seedlings in these latitudes, the Kamensky, Voronezhsky, Krepysh and Shevgenya varieties performed best.

Another way is selection. Gardeners took nut fruits collected in the mountainous regions of Dagestan and Ukraine. They were planted in the gardens of the Moscow region. And then, from the seedlings obtained that had already slightly adapted to local conditions, the most frost-resistant ones were selected. These seedlings were able to develop into trees of normal size and bear fruit. Breeders sowed nuts grown in harsh climates and obtained even more winter-hardy plants. From their fruits, seedlings of the third generation emerged even more adapted to the conditions of Central Russia.

Is it worth the risk?

Gardeners used the method of plant crossing different types- the so-called interspecific hybridization. They took seedlings of the Manchurian walnut (a frost-resistant relative of the walnut, but with a lower quality fruit - a thick shell and a small kernel) and pollinated its flowers with walnut pollen. From the fruits that grew after this, the breeders selected those that most closely resembled walnuts in appearance and taste. They planted seeds, and when the seedlings grew up, they selected trees that looked like walnuts and produced corresponding fruits. True, from these fruits, identical in appearance to walnuts, Manchurian walnut seedlings still grow.

Certain difficulties arose with the fact that walnut trees, accustomed to long growing season in the south, we suffer greatly from spring and autumn frosts. Gardeners manage to force them to bloom later in the spring by collecting snowdrifts around the trunks and covering the snow with boards to prevent rapid melting. Then, on cold nights, non-woven material is thrown over the trees. And in the fall (at the end of August - early September), they pinch off the ends of non-lignified branches of the seedlings and apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizers under them. For trees, this is a signal for the end of shoot growth and preparation for winter.

So far, work on adapting walnuts for the central regions of Russia has not yet been completed. But there are already some experimental plantings in the Moscow region, Leningrad region, where trees grow well and bear fruit. The first varieties were obtained with all necessary qualities: high winter hardiness, early ripening, late flowering, with large and delicious fruits, thin shell. This is Osipov, Ideal, Old Man Makhno, V Elite.

You can already find and purchase seedlings of these varieties for yourself in many nurseries, so don’t be afraid to experiment, your experience will probably result in a large nut!

Natalya Starovoitova, Moscow region.

Walnut: food for thought

In the middle zone, it is best to plant walnut seedlings in the spring, after the ground has thawed and the danger of return frosts has passed. In the spring, grafted seedlings are planted and transplanted to permanent place seedlings.

Grafted plants are planted only in the spring to protect them from winter damage. Best time in our latitudes - from mid to late April. Saplings grown from seeds, as they are more winter-hardy, can be planted in a permanent place in the fall.

Where to plant walnuts

Walnut prefers flat terrain. It also feels good on the middle and upper parts of small slopes, southern and western. Planting walnuts in lowlands is unacceptable: in the off-season, in spring and autumn, rain and melt water accumulates there, and cold air stagnates. The best option when growing walnuts in our latitudes, plant them on the south and southwest sides of buildings, near the walls. This will increase the amount of active summer temperatures by several degrees, and the buildings will also protect the plants from the wind. But plants planted too close to the house, growing, with their powerful roots can damage the foundation of buildings.

Neighbors are unwanted

Hardly anything will grow under the branches of a walnut tree. Firstly, broad and deep root system plants take all the nutrients from the ground, leaving nothing for neighboring plants. In addition, walnut leaves contain juglone, an element toxic to other plants.

Some vigorous varieties walnut at the age of 25-30 years, the crown diameter is 8-12 meters. Only near walnuts they feel good berry bushes. They manage to produce a good harvest in five or ten years, and when the tree grows, they can be uprooted.

Digging a hole for a walnut in the fall

It is recommended to prepare a planting hole for walnuts in the fall. Most of the walnut root system is located in the projection area of ​​the tree crown. In a one-year-old seedling, the roots penetrate into the soil to a depth of two meters, and in an adult plant - tens of meters deep. That's why mature tree can adapt to different soils, extracting missing elements from different layers. But while the plant is young, for its proper development it is very important that the soil around it (about a meter in diameter) is suitable for it.

If the planting hole is properly prepared, it will be able to provide young plant with the nutrients it needs for the first five years, until the root system gets stronger and the plant adapts to the growth conditions. Size landing pit varies from size 60 cm in diameter and 60 cm in depth to a meter in diameter and a meter in depth. If the humus layer (on fertile soils)

The skeletal roots of the walnut should be located at a depth of about 60 cm. This allows the plant to suffer less from cold in winter and drought in summer. If the hole is not deep enough, the root system of the nut will be too close to the soil surface and be injured, the plant will experience a lack of nutrients is 25-30 cm, the hole can be smaller, if the soil is not so fertile, a larger planting hole is needed.

As usual when planting fruit trees, when digging holes, the upper fertile layer and the lower, infertile layer are separated. The hole must be filled with a substrate consisting of the top fertile layer of soil, peat and humus, taken in equal parts.

When planting walnut seedlings, you must not introduce fresh organic matter into the planting hole. If not decomposed, it will damage the roots of the seedling, and this will prevent the plant’s root system from penetrating into the deeper layers of the soil.

When preparing planting holes, it is necessary to add mineral fertilizers. For one plant - about 3 kg of superphosphate, up to 800 g of potassium chloride, from 500 g to 1 kg of dolomite flour, 1.5-2 kg of ash, which will become a source of microelements valuable for the plant. You can replace these mineral fertilizers with 200-250 g of nitroammophoska for each planting hole.

Fertilizers must be mixed evenly with the substrate, and then the hole must be filled with the mixture to two-thirds of its volume. Having filled the hole, it is watered (about 20 liters of water per hole), after which a support stake about one and a half to two meters high is installed in its center. When the water is absorbed, a planting hill is poured in the center of the hole, 3-5 cm above ground level. When planting walnuts, the root collar of the seedling should be at ground level. After planting, the soil will settle and the root collar may go underground. To avoid this, it is necessary to ensure that the planting mound is above the soil level.

In the walnut, the root collar is clearly visible: the central root is very thick and the place where it transitions into the trunk is clearly visible.

Preparing seedlings for planting

Before planting, seedlings must be inspected. Broken branches are removed, damaged roots are carefully trimmed. After this, the roots are dipped in a clay mash, its composition is decomposed manure (one part) and clay (three parts). You can add growth stimulants to the mash - Epin or Humate.

Planting is done in the same way as any other garden trees. The plant is placed in a hole on compacted soil (the root collar is 3-4 cm above ground level). The roots must be carefully spread over the entire diameter of the planting mound, the roots must be covered with a mixture of fertile soil and fertilizers, the soil must be compacted and trampled down, watered for a better fit of the soil to the roots (from 3 to 6 buckets of water per plant) . After the water is absorbed, trunk circle it is necessary to mulch with a thin layer of humus, chopped straw, peat, etc. From infertile soil, which was taken from the bottom of the planting hole, you can make a hole around the tree. The seedling must be tied to a peg: the walnut crown has a large windage due to large leaves (up to 40-50 cm or more in length), and the wind can damage a fragile tree.

The question of when to harvest walnuts worries many novice summer residents, because its kernels are very useful for containing vitamins, protein and essential fats. They are consumed in their pure form, and are also often used in cooking to prepare desserts, salads and main courses. Walnuts have a pleasant specific taste and high nutritional value, therefore they are especially valued in dietary nutrition.

Walnut: when to harvest and how

When buying in-shell nuts in stores, you may end up with a spoiled product, which will only be discovered after chopping. And refined grains are often stored in retail outlets for a long time and without compliance necessary conditions, so they may contain dust, mold, and they may also absorb foreign odors. Therefore, nuts best quality can be obtained by independently collecting and processing the crop.

Walnut harvest time

In Russia, walnuts grow in the southern part of the country. Trees don't require special care, and the harvest ripens by the end of September. Collecting nuts begins from the lower branches. The time for collection can be determined by the fall of the first fruits and, if they are collected from the ground immediately, they are suitable for further use.

Maturity is determined by the hardness of the shell by removing the green shell. Freshly harvested crops have a high degree of moisture, so speed of processing is very important to prevent spoilage.

On the plain there is a wonderful device for collecting fallen nuts from the lawn:

Cleaning and drying

The nuts are completely freed from the green shell and then dried either in the shell or without it. To dry in shell, you can place the nuts in the oven and dry them at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees for 3 hours, and then, after heating them to 70 degrees, dry them for another 2 hours. Readiness can be determined by the light brown color of the shell, ease of splitting, and taste.

By the way, dried fruits prick more easily, but peeled grains can be dried faster. To do this, they must be laid out on a baking sheet in one layer and dried at a temperature of 180 degrees for no more than 10 minutes.

Storage

The most important condition To preserve walnuts in any form - minimum humidity. It is better to store fruits in the shell in hanging nets to ensure ventilation and protection from the ingress and accumulation of moisture.

To store cleaned grains, we do not recommend using plastic bags, in which they can become rancid. Containers made of glass, wood or cardboard, well cleaned of pathogenic bacteria and thoroughly dried in advance, are perfect.

Shelf life depends on temperature environment. At room temperature it is equal to a year, and in the refrigerator - up to 4 years. So grow the healthiest walnuts on your plot (more details), and you already know when to harvest and how to store it.

Walnut is the strongest tree of the Walnut family. He has a long life life cycle. The plant’s homeland is warm countries, but today it can be grown in the middle zone.

Walnut is an unpretentious, cold-resistant plant, so it is very often planted as a valuable fruit and ornamental crop.

The walnut has two sexes and is pollinated by wind. Male buds are located on the side branches and are collected in inflorescences. Their pollen spreads over a distance of 100 m or more. Buds with female flowers are based on the tips of one-year-old young shoots. Sleepers are on the central branch. If damaged aboveground part, they restore the plant.

Flowers of different sexes do not bloom at the same time on the same tree; to do this, you need to plant varieties of different flowering types in one area to get a harvest. This is how cross-pollination occurs. If this is not possible, it is necessary to graft a cutting from a different variety to the crown of the tree.

Character traits

Walnut loves warmth. There are many varieties of plants that can tolerate short-term drops in temperature, reaching -25 °C. If the temperature drops to –30 °C, one-year shoots freeze and become damaged.

The most dangerous are spring frosts. Even at the slightest drop in temperature, young shoots die. The walnut tree in the middle zone is being restored with the help of dormant buds.

Considering the plant's shortcomings, scientists have developed different varieties that can withstand winter and frost. They are:

• low-growing - 8 meters;
• dwarf - 5 meters.

The varieties “Ideal” and “Osipov” are persistent and fruitful. The first has a number of advantages:

• super early pregnancy;
• winter hardiness;
• The kernel tastes pleasant and sweetish, the shell is thin.

This variety is popular not only in Russia. New varieties of hybrids have emerged that contain the properties of “Ideal”.

Growing walnuts in central Russia requires additional manipulations. So, in winter they are covered with snow.

Seating methods

Walnuts are transplanted in several ways:

• seeds;
• grafting;
• using cuttings;
• layering.

A common way to grow nuts is by seeds. With this method, the plant receives 80% varietal characteristics. In this regard, the tree needs to be grafted. To grow the plant in central Russia, frost-resistant, high-yielding, large-fruited seeds are selected. They last no more than a year. When planting in autumn, walnut seeds do not need to be dried; there is much more concern during spring sowing.

Growing vegetatively ensures a good nut. When grafting a tree, they use young branches that have large vegetative buds.

You can grow nuts in central Russia by bending the cuttings and covering them with additional snow. You can see how the process is carried out in the photo.

Planting seeds

Walnut planting in the middle zone is carried out in autumn and spring. Before spring planting it is necessary to inspect the material, selecting unsuitable specimens. The roots of the remaining seedlings are processed. How the process occurs is shown in the video.

The planting hole is prepared in the fall. It needs to be fertilized:

• humus;
• peat;
• superphosphate;
• potassium chloride;
• dolomite flour;
• wood ash.

Planting a plant with such fertilizer will provide it with the necessary nutrition for 5 years. Autumn is more suitable for planting in the southern parts of the country.

Requirements for planting land

To achieve success in obtaining fruits, you need to know how to choose the right soil. Any soil is suitable for growing a tree. She must be:

• fertile;
• loose;
• drained.

Walnuts are planted on clay soil, where there is little acidity and groundwater is low. Areas of land that are heavily compacted and swampy are not suitable for growing the plant.

We must not forget about the useful elements that the earth should receive. With this care, the tree develops fully. Essential microelements are found in special fertilizers and green manures.

Judging by the reviews, in the middle zone it is impossible to do without fertilizing the soil.

Care

Walnuts growing in Russia need proper care. It includes the following points:

1. Trimming. The procedure is performed in two stages. The first one is in the spring. The end of March is more suitable for the northern strip of Russia. The second stage is in the fall.
2. Watering. He is needed young tree, whose roots have not yet reached groundwater.
3. Whitewash. “Wounds” on the trunk are treated copper sulfate. Whitewashing is done with garden lime in the spring.

Based on reviews, meticulous care increases fruiting efficiency.

The main danger for growing walnuts is spring frosts. Therefore, you need to choose early ripening varieties.

Walnut is a real treasure, a favorite delicacy and a leader among all nuts on the planet in terms of its demand and beneficial qualities.

Walnut - a healthy gift of nature

When to collect walnuts - fruits used in many cuisines around the world and rich in healthy vitamins, plenty of proteins and minerals?

Walnuts give strength to a vegetarian diet, are powerful antioxidants and increase potency; The green peel is rich in iodine and has an anti-inflammatory and healing effect. Ten pieces of walnut fruit per day is the recommended amount for an adult; a child can eat from 5 to 7 pieces.

Autumn is the time to harvest walnuts

When to collect walnuts? The ripening period for such valuable fruits is in autumn. It is this time that is rich in the harvest of various crops. By the way, the average lifespan of a walnut is 400 years. Depending on the variety, the fruits have different shapes: round, oval, ovoid, and are enclosed in a green pericarp, which gradually turns black and cracks as it ripens. The surface of the shell is often smooth, coarsely and finely wrinkled, sometimes bumpy and has numerous cells. Walnut is a heat-loving crop, requiring a lot of sun and high average annual temperatures.

Signs of fruit ripeness

When can you collect walnuts? Often, the tree itself lets you know that the fruits are ripe and ready to eat. The plant generously shares its harvest, simply dumping it on the ground. By doing this, nature eliminates the need to collect nuts at a height which, by the way, can reach 35 meters. Therefore, everything is simple: you just have to bend down and collect nuts from the ground.

Many may wonder how and when is the best time to collect walnuts. The ripeness of fruits can be judged not only by the fact that they fall to the ground; split green shells are another sign of the ripeness of the fruit, which is best collected with gloves, because the secreted nut juice leaves persistent marks on the skin. dark spots. If the green peel is not completely opened, you can use a small knife to help. There is another clever way to release the nuts; To do this, it is recommended to immerse them in water: the fruits will remain at the bottom, and the green peel will float up.

Features of walnut harvesting

It seems clear how to determine the ripeness of fruits; all that remains is to find out when to collect walnuts. The period for their mass collection occurs in September-October; one tree can produce from 100 to 300 kilograms. Walnuts bloom in April-May and begin to bear fruit at 7-10 years of age; some varieties produce a harvest in the 3-4th year of planting. After harvesting, the nuts need to be spread in a thin layer and dried, turning occasionally. The yield of dry raw materials, which can be collected in a bag and stored for storage, will be approximately 25%. An attic is quite suitable as a room; In any case, the storage area must be dry and cool.

If there is an intention to preserve nuts for 2-3 years, then several manipulations should be carried out. The fruits need to be immersed in salted boiling water for 7-8 hours, dried and put in a bag. Severely dried out nuts can be “revived” by soaking them in salted water for 5-6 days. For getting good harvest Be sure to feed with organic fertilizers.

When to Harvest Walnuts in Their Milk Stage

They are known for their It is during this period that an unripe fruit with a not yet hardened kernel, which is in a gelatinous state, and a shell that is not formed into a strong shell, soft, juicy and easily cut with a knife, is most recommended for harvesting. When to Harvest Green Walnuts for Best Use beneficial properties? The day before (July 7) - the most optimal time procurement of healthy raw materials.

The green nut should be easily pierced with a large needle, with abundant juice flowing out of the hole. The green fruits of the nut contain 50 times more vitamin C than oranges and times more than black currants. When you can pick green walnuts is clear: it’s the beginning of July.

The collected raw materials must be washed, dried, cut into slices and placed in dry jars, sprinkled with sugar in a ratio of 1 to 2. Next, the glass containers must be covered with clean lids and placed in the refrigerator. As liquid appears, the latter must be drained and used throughout the year, adding to drinks, but no more than a tablespoon. This extract is effective remedy for the treatment of intestinal infections accompanied by diarrhea. Dosage for adults - 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day, children - a teaspoon.

Green nut alcohol tincture recipe

Cut 30 unripe fruits into a bottle, add alcohol and leave in the sun for 14 days. After this time, strain, add sugar to taste to the remaining squeezed fruits, add alcohol (or vodka), leave for about another month and strain. You can add cinnamon or cloves for taste. Take 30 grams after meals.

Medicinal properties of walnut leaves

When to harvest walnuts? It is autumn that is the time of year that generously rewards with such useful and beloved fruits. It is worth knowing that the leaves of the walnut tree are also useful, decoctions of which are good for skin, gastrointestinal and female diseases. Bright green young leaves are selected as medicinal raw materials by pinching them off from the central petiole. It is recommended to collect in dry weather; the month of harvesting is June.

Drying must be done in the shade, under a canopy or in a ventilated area. Dried raw materials should be stored in a cool, dry place in paper bags. The smell of nut leaves drives away flies. It was precisely because of this feature that nuts were planted in places where important people were supposed to gather, discuss plans, and wait for a long time. In small doses, the smell is pleasant for humans, and to a large extent causes headaches and sleep disturbances.

Walnut leaf decoction

To prepare a healthy decoction, pour 250 grams of dried leaves into a liter hot water and boil in a water bath for 20 minutes, then cool, strain and add to the bath or use for skin diseases in the form of lotions. Infusion of walnut leaves - effective remedy general strengthening effect, recommended for loss of strength, irregular menstruation, gastroenteritis, atherosclerosis. Often used in combination with other medicinal plants.

Benefits of walnut pericarp

The pericarp is collected after the fruit is harvested. They need to be cut in half and then dried in a warm room or in a dryer at a temperature of 30-40 degrees. The yield of dry raw materials is 20%. Dried leaves and pericarps, a decoction of which is characterized by anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effects, are successfully exported. They treat ulcers, boils, stomatitis, sore throat, frostbite. Pour a tablespoon of raw material into a glass of water, boil for a minute, leave for half an hour, strain and take a quarter glass before meals 3 times a day. It is recommended to use pericarp for menstrual irregularities, leucorrhoea and bleeding, especially uterine bleeding. To prepare, you need to pour half a liter of water into 5 tablespoons of raw materials, boil for a quarter of an hour, leave for about 30 minutes, strain and use as a wound healing agent.

Autumn is the time when collecting walnuts is a very useful and exciting activity. In combination with physical activity, it is the key to maintaining health, because walnuts are a storehouse useful microelements. The main thing is to timely examine it under your feet among the thick walnut foliage.

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 - deciduous tree with a huge life expectancy (several hundred years). Its height is 25–35 m. The large, wide crown is covered compound leaves. The trunk is thick, with gray bark covered with cracks. The plant is monoecious, dioecious, containing male and female 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. Is different 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, resistance to frost makes the crop accessible to middle zone 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. He is “satisfied” different types soils and varied terrain. But it should not be planted in wet, sandy or poorly aerated areas. Close proximity to groundwater is undesirable.

Planting technology next:

1. We plant in the spring, because... autumn planting can lead to the death of poorly matured 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 earth 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 low 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 added with great caution, 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, use the current year's shoots. 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. Disembarkation at open ground produced 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.
• Apple or walnut moth 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. Use and mechanical method: manual collection of caterpillars and affected fruits.
• Aphid 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 wellness 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 walnut varieties, every gardener can grow this very useful and delicious nut. Use the information from our article and everything will work out for you!