Black walnut: everything you need to know about growing a tree

The tree is one of the largest in the genus Juglans. Mature black walnut in North America it reaches a height of 50 m and a diameter of 2 m. In our country, the tree is cultivated from the second floor. XVIII century. The nuts of central Russia in their fifth decade reach a maximum height of 15-18 m, and a trunk diameter of 30-50 cm. A hundred-year-old walnut tree can grow to 25 m in height and have a trunk diameter of 60 cm.

The tree is quite resistant to dry conditions due to the sprawling low-low crown. This kind of nut trees is a powerful air purifier from dust and harmful impurities. Crohn allocates a huge amount of useful volatile and tannins. The fruit of the nut is considered a very valuable raw material for many applications, especially for pharmacology.

Where is the best place to plant a nut?

A tree can live up to seven decades, so you need to find the optimal place for planting. For those who want to grow on your site one of the most popular types of nut culture, you need to know some specifics.

Relation to light

The crown of the tree passes a large amount of light to the soil, creating a mottled shadow. This contributes to leaf fall - the concentration of organic matter in the soil increases. Thanks to this feature, the cultivation of black walnut is used for land improvement.

Attitude to heat

For normal growth and development, the tree requires an air temperature of +10 ° C. Fruiting nuts of the present species are found up to the breadth of St. Petersburg. In the climate conditions of Tula, the fruiting nut turned out to be more winter-hardy, maintaining the air temperature of -38 ° C. The scientific description of the black walnut states: in comparison with the walnut, it is more cold-resistant. But this variety is inferior to the Manchu and gray varieties.

In the first three years, the young tree is very sensitive to spring frosts, even in its homeland, in North America. After the formation of the crown, the drops in cold temperatures are not terrible to the nut.

Relationship to moisture

This type of walnut tree is in the middle of drought tolerance between the varieties of walnut and manchurian nuts. Botanists recommend planting a black nut in the floodplain of the river. The tree well perceives short-term floods. In North America, it can withstand a month of flooding the trunk without damage to the roots, trunk and crown.

Relationship to the soil

A tree plant does not perceive sour soil. In order to grow a nut from the stone or in other ways, it is desirable to choose a neutral or slightly alkaline soil. In such an environment, trees stop their growth in time, preparing for a frosty winter.

If your site for potential disembarkation is in non-black-earth conditions, be sure to deposit wood ash and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in the landing pit. Further around the trunk, fertilizers of lime content are applied to maintain the acid-base balance (pH - 5.5-8.2). Avoid excess nitrogen in the soil of the plant - the tree will stop growing and the wood will lose its frost-resistant properties. Take care of an acceptable microrelief of a black walnut breeding ground. Plants do not tolerate the northern and northeastern flows of cold wind.

Growing black walnut

Growing this tree has its own characteristics that must be considered.

How and when to plant a nut

The landing pit is digging with the expectation of obtaining free space for the growth of roots in all directions. It is advisable to fertilize its bottom with humus, wood ash and potassium phosphate fertilizers. To better preserve the moisture, the roots of the seedling are covered with 80% of the soil and watered abundantly. Water is absorbed in a few minutes. Next, you need to fill the rest of the soil and mulch pristvolnogo circle.To increase the survival rate of the plant, consider the light-loving nut. More "tanned" part of the trunk and shoots should go to the south side.

Nut reproduction

Walnut multiplies in three ways:

• seeds;
• cuttings;
• prischepami

How to care for black nuts

For good walnut growth, black need to loosen the soil well for planting. Before disembarking the skins of the tree, grind the soil. In July-August, stop loosening in order to avoid the growth of nut pagons.

How to water black walnut

Provide a sufficient amount of moisture in the period of growth and flowering of a young tree. This is important for the care of a nut in the middle lane. Reduce watering in the second half of July for the timely completion of the process of tree development, the ripening of trunk wood to prepare for the winter cooling. In the high season and summer drought, timely watering is necessary. For a fruiting nut, it is necessary to maintain sufficient moisture during the fruit loading period (July - mid-August).

Trimming and shaping

The tree itself forms its crown - the form is laid by its genetics. For better development, you can cut out dried and heavily thickening crown branches. The best period for pruning is spring, the period of passing the threat of too low temperatures (below -10 degrees).

Experts recommend pruning after bud break. You should not shorten the crown to the middle or end of the summer season - as you provoke a re-awakening of the buds and the growth of shoots for the winter, which can die in winter.

Fertilizer and Nut Nutrition

For planting in the spring, it is necessary to prepare the soil in advance in autumn. For planting nut seeds in the fall - in the spring months. For six months, the earth will accumulate the necessary moisture for the nut-bearing plants.

1. For one square meter you need to make 3-4 kg of manure humus or compost.
2. Two weeks before planting the nut, the prepared pit (diameter and depth - 0.5 m) fill the upper layer of soil mixed with superphosphate (150 g), 2-3 medium buckets of humus (can be replaced with 5-8 kg of manure) and a small amount potassium salt (50 g).
3. The prepared fertilizer is distributed in the upper and middle parts of the planting pit. In the center of the formed mound, place a wooden stake, next to which a nut seedling will be planted.
4. Before planting, straighten the roots, dip in a special solution for the root system.

Neighboring Plants

The tree is characterized by a deep rod root system with powerful lateral branches and anchor roots.

The roots release toxins (juglone), which can significantly harm some other plants:

• alfalfa;
• tomatoes;
• potatoes;
• apple tree;
• black currant;
• pine;
• birch;
• mountain ash.

The best neighbors for the black nut will be: small-leaved linden, some varieties of maples, hornbeam, common pear, forest apple and cherry plum. Bushes of dogwood, common viburnum, hazel, Tatar honeysuckle, black and red elderberry, Japanese quince are not afraid of the neighborhood with this breed of walnut tree.