Content
Planting walnut trees in the fall is of interest to gardeners in the south and middle zone. Even Siberian gardeners have learned to grow the heat-loving crop. Climate zones 5 and 6 are considered optimal for growing walnuts. In zone 4, which includes most of the gardens near Moscow, trees need to be created with suitable conditions for growth.
When to plant walnuts: spring or autumn
Gardeners have different opinions regarding the timing of planting walnut seeds. Some people like to plant in the fall, others do it in the spring. Supporters of autumn planting argue their choice by the fact that the germination of walnut seeds lasts for 1 year.
Because of this, when planting in spring, the germination rate is lower. Seeds planted in October undergo natural stratification over the winter. When planting walnut seeds in spring, it must be done artificially.
From practice it follows that in regions with short winters it is preferable to plant walnut seeds before winter. This is practiced by gardeners in Ukraine, Moldova, the Caucasus, and southern Russia. Where the winters are long and the snow takes a long time to melt in the spring, walnut seeds should be planted in the spring.The likelihood of them rotting during spring planting is much lower.
How to plant walnuts in autumn
Before purchasing walnut seedlings, you need to assess the size of your garden or dacha. A fruit-bearing tree requires a large feeding area. In adulthood, its crown reaches impressive sizes. Its projection onto the ground reaches 25 m².
A walnut tree can grow in a garden for hundreds of years. It is undemanding to the structure and composition of the soil and can grow on sandy and loamy soils. Walnut seedlings planted well in neutral soil with a pH value of 5.5-5.8 take root well.
When planning to plant a nut seedling, it is necessary to take into account factors that directly affect the yield:
- it is affected by the level of light, so it is recommended to plant seedlings in the sunniest place;
- Winter winds have a negative impact, so in a garden (dacha) it is recommended to plant walnuts on the south side of the house, fence, and other garden trees;
- Cross-pollination of walnuts increases productivity, so it is good to have several fruit trees in the garden.
How to plant a walnut seedling in the fall
Holes for planting walnuts are dug in the summer months. About 1 month should pass before the seedling is planted in the fall. It is recommended to dig a hole with a shovel rather than a drill; its optimal depth is 70 cm. It is more convenient to plant seedlings in a square hole with sides of 60 cm.
In addition to fertile soil, to fill the hole you need to prepare:
- fertilizer "Ammofoska" (for 1 planting hole - 1 kg);
- fresh manure, consisting of 50% straw;
- humus 5-6 years old (1.5 buckets per 1 planting hole).
Fertilizer should be poured into a compact mound onto the bottom in the center of the hole. Sprinkle it with fertile soil mixed with humus in a 20 cm layer. “Ammophoska” will feed the young tree with phosphorus for 7-8 years.
Infertile soil removed when digging a hole should be left on the surface. It is necessary to form a high roller around the planting hole. The seedling must be placed in the center of the hole. Cover the roots with fertile garden soil. Make sure that the root collar is at ground level after filling with soil.
It is necessary to drive a high stake (3 m) on the northern (northwestern) side of the seedling. Tie the trunk to it in two places, use only soft bindings. Attach the barrel to the stake with a figure eight knot. Make a roller 25-30 cm high from infertile soil around the hole. Cover the entire area around the trunk with manure. The optimal layer thickness is 25 cm. Leave a small gap between the manure and the trunk.
Pour at least 6 buckets of water under the walnut seedling. Mulching the tree trunk with manure has many positive aspects:
- in winter it serves as protection against freezing;
- in hot weather protects against overheating;
- during the warm season it reduces moisture evaporation.
Planting walnut seeds in autumn
If you managed to get fresh walnut seeds in September, you can plant them in the ground in the fall. The largest specimens are selected, on which no damage is visible and the green peel is easily separated.
When planting nuts in the fall, the process of preparing planting material is simple. The fruits are peeled and dried for 2 days in the sun. At the end of October they begin planting.Seeds are planted in rows on a ridge prepared in advance or in holes of 3-4 pieces. The soil is prepared: dug up, humus, ash, and superphosphate are added.
When planting fruits in an ordinary way, they adhere to a 25 x 90 cm pattern. 4 pieces are planted in holes with a diameter of 30 cm. The fruits are placed sideways, on the edge. In the spring, a stem pecks on one side and begins to grow upward, and roots appear on the other side.
Medium-sized seeds are buried in the ground by 9 cm, larger ones by 10 cm. The approximate thickness of the soil layer should be equal to the diameter of the fruit multiplied by 3. The bed is not watered during autumn planting. The entire surface is covered with mulch. Usually fallen leaves are used. They are poured in a layer of 20-25 cm. Shoots will appear in May.
Advantages of autumn planting:
- seeds do not need stratification;
- Shoots appear earlier in spring;
- after winter there is a lot of moisture in the soil, this speeds up the rooting process;
- seedlings planted in the fall are stronger and develop faster than those planted in the spring.
Transplanting a walnut in the fall to a new place
In the fall, they transplant annual walnut seedlings into a greenhouse (school). There they are grown for 2-3 years, then planted in the garden. If the size of the school is small, seedlings can be planted frequently, maintaining an interval of 15 cm between them.
When planted densely, walnut seedlings take 1 year to grow. Transplanted to a permanent place at 2 years of age. When planted closely, grown seedlings will shade each other. The wood will ripen more slowly, which will lead to a decrease in the frost resistance of walnut seedlings.
Seedlings are transplanted with a clod of earth, trying not to damage the tap root.Its length at the time of transplantation should be 35-40 cm. The varietal properties of walnut seedlings are rarely preserved, so they are most often used as a rootstock.
They are grafted with cuttings taken from a young fruit-bearing tree, or with eyes (budding). Grafted seedlings begin to bear fruit after 4-8 years. The better the care, the earlier the walnut bears fruit.
Care after landing
Caring for plants in a school is simple. It comes down to watering, loosening row spacing, removing weed. Grown seedlings (1-2 years old) are transplanted into the garden. The strongest ones are chosen. Mature trees require minimal care. Walnut seedlings require special attention after they are transplanted to a permanent place (1-2 years).
Formative and sanitary pruning of the crown is carried out in early spring, when the temperature reaches above zero (4-5 °C). It needs to be done before the sap begins to flow. If there is a lack of moisture (there was little snow, there was no rain in the spring), moisture-charging irrigation is carried out in April. At the same time, an audit of the trunk and skeletal branches is carried out:
- examine;
- remove pieces of dead bark;
- wounds are washed with copper sulfate (3%);
- whiten the trunk and large branches.
In April, the crown is treated against pests and diseases. Until the buds open, young trees are treated with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture. They spray the soil in the tree trunk circle with it or copper sulfate. In May, root feeding is carried out with ammonium nitrate. It is needed for trees older than 3 years.
During the summer, the following is applied under the fruiting walnut:
- ammonium sulfate - 10 kg;
- ammonium nitrate - 6 kg;
- superphosphate - 10 kg;
- potassium salt – 3 kg.
Basic summer care comes down to watering. Walnuts require a lot of moisture in summer. Trees are watered every 2 weeks. The top layer of soil in the tree trunk circle is not loosened after watering. Water the trees for 3 months, starting in May.
Water consumption – 40 l/m². Watering stops in August. In late autumn, the last watering is carried out - moisture-charging. It increases the frost resistance of the tree. To prevent fungal diseases of walnuts and protect against pests, the soil around the tree is kept clean. Weeds are removed all summer.
Walnut fruits ripen from late summer to October. After leaf fall, the crown is treated against diseases with copper sulfate (1%). Before frost, young seedlings begin to prepare for winter:
- wrap the trunk and branches with covering material or burlap;
- the ground around the trunk is covered with mulch, manure or straw is used.
Advice from experienced gardeners
According to experienced gardeners, the first formative pruning should be carried out after the walnut seedlings grow to 1.5 m:
- the height of their trunk will be about 0.9 m;
- crown height is approximately 0.6 m.
No more than 10 strong shoots are left on a walnut seedling, and the weak ones are cut out. All remaining branches are shortened by 20 cm. The crown of old trees is thinned out in the spring. This stimulates lateral branching.
Conclusion
Planting walnut trees in the fall is one of the most common options for propagating the crop. It takes at least 2 years to obtain seedlings. In central and central Russia it is worth growing varieties with good frost resistance, early ripening, such as:
- Dawn of the East;
- Ideal;
- Breeder;
- Giant.
