Content
Walnut Ideal fell in love with gardeners from the first time they met it. First of all, the fact that it can be grown in those regions where other varieties are unprofitable. The ideal is early-bearing, frost-resistant, and has a small adult size. Gardeners are happy to plant a new species for the sake of a tasty harvest.
Description of walnut Ideal
The ideal was bred by Uzbek breeders in 1947 with the goal of obtaining an early-ripening, hardy, productive nut variety.
The new species helped to significantly expand the crop growing areas. The description of the nut should start with the appearance of the tree and the main characteristics:
- The mature height of the tree is much smaller than that of other varieties. The ideal size reaches 4-5 m, which is quite small for a nut.
- The bark on the trunk is grayish-brown in color, becoming brown on skeletal branches and fruiting shoots. Young growth is easily distinguished by its green bark with a bluish tinge.
- The leaves are dense, large, dissected into oval-pointed pieces.
- The flowers of the nut are dioecious. They are small, white with a greenish tint, wind-pollinated, with from 8 to 15 flowers in one raceme. The peculiarity of the variety is the second wave of flowering, which begins 1-2 weeks after the first. If the year is successful in terms of climatic conditions, then gardeners harvest a second harvest. The second wave lasts until autumn. In spring, there is a danger of damage to flower buds by return frosts. Therefore, if the first harvest suffers, then the second wave will produce a decent, if not full, harvest. Ripening continues from early September to late October.
- The fruits are oval in shape, the average weight of one nut is 8-11 g. The shell is thin, light beige in color. No effort is required for splitting; the kernels are large and contain a high content of useful substances, mainly fats and proteins.
- The appearance of the first ovaries begins 2-3 years after planting the seedling. Stable yields have been observed since the 6th year. One large Ideal tree produces 100-120 kg of large fruits. The nut belongs to the early fruiting varieties.
- The variety is resistant to chlorosis.
Photo of walnut Ideal:
Pros and cons of the variety
The advantages and disadvantages can be easily grouped, based on the description of the Ideal nut variety and reviews from gardeners. Among the advantages are:
- Precociousness. The variety begins to bear fruit very early.
- Compactness of the tree. Ideal compares favorably in size with other nut varieties. Therefore, other crops can be planted next to it at a closer distance than from a regular nut.
- Frost resistance. The variety can withstand temperature drops to -30-35°C without damage.
- Undemanding to soil composition. When planting an Ideal walnut seedling, you do not need to prepare a special soil mixture. The plant grows normally in soil with high acidity.
- Double fruiting. This characteristic makes it possible to harvest even if the flower buds freeze in the spring.
- High annual yield.
The disadvantages of the Ideal nut are:
- The fragility of the variety. This is due to the precociousness of the Ideal nut. Such species live on average 40-50 years; an ordinary walnut grows for 100 years or more.
- Instability to return frosts.
Optimal growing conditions
Walnut of the Ideal variety prefers well-lit areas with normal humidity. The powerful root system penetrates deep into the ground, so areas with close groundwater should be avoided. It is also not recommended to plant a tree near buildings so that the growing nut does not damage them. The variety is characterized by strong spreading branches. Special care from the gardener is needed in the first year after planting the seedling. At this time, the Ideal grows reluctantly. If the tree successfully overwinters, then next year it develops much more actively, and in the fall reaches a height of up to 1.3 m.
Planting and caring for walnuts Ideal
The planting process does not differ from the traditional stages for walnuts. The gardener needs to be attentive to maintain all the nuances. The culture is characterized by capriciousness in the first years of life, then it gains strength and grows without problems. Care requirements include maintaining a watering schedule and shaping the crown. Pruning is necessary so that the ovaries have enough light. Planting is scheduled for spring or autumn.When seedlings are planted for the winter, over the summer they reach a size of 15 cm. The second stage of development occurs in the second year. The best time for autumn planting is a month before the onset of frost.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
For the walnut tree, select an area that is well lit by the sun and protected from strong winds. Especially in the northern direction. Although the plant is compact, it does not tolerate crowding. Therefore, if you plan to plant several Ideal nut seedlings, then leave 4.5-5 m between them. Although the originators of the variety indicate that the tree grows on acidified soil, it is still recommended to choose an area with soddy-carbonate loam.
Seedling preparation
If there is a choice between a grafted and self-rooted seedling, then gardeners give preference to the first option. This occurs because specimens obtained from seeds do not always retain all parental characteristics. The crop is cross-pollinated, and the seeds do not always convey all the advantages of the Ideal nut.
When choosing a seedling, pay attention to the condition of the bark and roots. You should not purchase copies with warning factors:
- presence of any damage;
- even small areas of rot;
- weak or sluggish root system.
The ideal does not like unnecessary transplants, and if the plant is unhealthy, it may die. It is recommended to buy seedlings with a closed root system. When planting, such a nut will have its suction and root growth zones intact.
Landing rules
The variety must be planted immediately in a permanent place; it does not tolerate transplantation.
If a seedling is grown from a seed, it is first germinated in wet sand.A step-by-step description of planting a nut. The ideal looks like this:
- Prepare a planting hole with dimensions of 60x60 cm. There is no need to work on the hole in advance; you can dig it on the day of planting.
- Mix the soil with peat and humus in a ratio of 1:1:1. Add 0.5 kg of dolomite flour and 0.6 kg of superphosphate. Next 0.5 kg of wood ash. Fill the bottom of the hole with soil mixture.
- If the nut seedling has an open root system, then the roots are dipped in a clay mash. It is prepared from 1 part of manure (rotted) and 3 parts of clay, which are mixed and diluted with water until it becomes sour cream. The root former Kornevin or Heteroauxin is added. The roots are left to dry for 25-30 minutes.
- A support is installed near a mound of earth.
- A nut seedling is located on top of an earthen mound. The lower roots are distributed along the sides of the slope, the upper ones are laid horizontally. The depth of the upper roots is 7-8 cm.Important! The root collar should be located 3-5 cm above the soil surface.
- Fix the seedling to the support.
- Fill the hole and mulch.
When planting a nut from a closed root system, you need to carefully transfer the plant into a hole with a lump of earth. Then cover with soil and water.
Watering and fertilizing
Young nuts need watering most in spring and summer. During this period, Ideal consumes a large amount of moisture. Trees are also watered additionally during dry periods. Each plant requires at least 20-30 liters of water per 1 square meter. m area. The average frequency of watering is 2 times a month. When the height of the nut reaches 4 m, the intensity of watering is reduced.
Ideal is fed twice a year - in spring and autumn. Spring fertilizing should contain nitrogen fertilizers, autumn fertilizing should contain potassium and phosphorus fertilizers.Adult plants aged 20 to 50 years require 7 kg of ammonium nitrate, 10 kg of superphosphate, 3 kg of potassium salt. When applying nitrogen fertilizers, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Be sure to maintain the dosage. Excess leads to the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms that cause nut diseases.
- Do not add nitrogen components at the beginning of fruiting of the variety (2-3 years), so as not to stimulate the growth of green mass, but to allow the ovaries to form.
The nut responds well to root watering with a solution of chicken manure.
Trimming and shaping
There is no need to constantly trim and shape a walnut tree. It is important to remove dry, broken branches and thin out the crown a little. This is necessary for uniform illumination of the branches. If you need to cut out an unnecessary branch, this is done in two stages. The first time the branch is not cut completely. A 7-8 cm twig is left on the tree. It is removed the next year after it dries. The Ideal nut bears fruit on annual shoots, so pruning is done to provide them with good lighting.
Preparing for winter
Preparing nuts for winter begins in the summer. In the second half of August, watering is stopped and nitrogen fertilizers are dosed very carefully. This allows the wood to better mature before the onset of cold weather. In the fall, the circle around the trunk is mulched with manure for a first-year seedling or humus for an older nut. Young trees are covered with spruce branches or wrapped in paper.
Reproduction
There are two types of propagation of the Ideal variety nut:
- Seeds. Intact healthy fruits at the stage of cracking of the green shell are selected. Then they are dried in a dry room. Before planting, the seeds are germinated. It is advisable to carry out stratification.Seeds are planted in early April. Large specimens are buried by 10 cm, small ones by 7 cm. Be sure to lay them on the edge.
- Grafted seedlings. It is preferable to graft with a cutting rather than a bud, which can freeze in the winter.
Gardeners claim that the methods make it possible to obtain an exact reproduction of the properties of the Ideal walnut and its varietal characteristics.
Ideal walnut yield from 1 tree
The yield of the Ideal variety is characterized by annual stability. An adult tree produces 100 kg of quality fruit. With a good agricultural background, the yield increases to 120 kg per nut.
Harvest and storage
Time is determined by the state of the green pericarps. They begin to harvest when the green shell begins to crack.
The collected nuts are kept in the basement for a week. Then the pericarps that have not fallen behind are cleaned. To make it easier to remove the green peel, place the nuts in the sun.
Diseases and pests
Among the diseases to which the Ideal walnut may be exposed are:
- bacteriosis;
- bacterial burn;
- brown spot.
For control and prevention, copper-containing preparations are used, and Bordeaux mixture is sprayed (1%).
Among the pests that can be annoying are the nut moth, nut moth, warty mite, and sapwood. For control, use products approved for use on nut varieties.
Conclusion
Ideal walnut is grown in various regions. This variety produces a good harvest in climates where others cannot survive. The only condition for gardeners is to comply with the requirements of agricultural technology.
Reviews about walnut Ideal
