Watering walnut

• Walnut tree origin
• Walnut tree care and location
• Pruning a walnut tree
• Watering a walnut tree
• Fertilizing walnut trees

Walnut Origin

The walnut (Juglandaceae regia) is a deciduous tree and belongs to the walnut family. Walnut trees can grow up to 30 m tall, reach a trunk circumference of up to 4 m and live up to 160 years in favorable locations.

For the ancient Greeks, the walnut tree was a symbol of fertility and its nuts were considered food for the gods. The Romans brought the walnut to German-speaking countries and around 800 AD it was Charlemagne who recommended and ordered the cultivation of walnut trees.

When grown in the open, it develops a broad crown of up to 40 m in diameter and sprawling branches. When young, the bark is shiny, light gray and smooth. Later, a longitudinally cracked, black-gray bark develops. The walnut does not sprout until May. This makes it one of the last deciduous trees to sprout after the oak. It develops green-yellow male flowers first. These are hanging catkins laden with pollen that grow up to 12 centimeters long. The female flowers follow around four weeks later. They grow in pairs or threes on the new shoots. It takes the walnut around 15 to 20 years before it bears fruit for the first time. The leaves of the walnut are pinnate, with each pinnate measuring up to 40 cm. It is equipped with up to nine oval individual leaves, each of which can grow up to 15 cm long. The single terminal pinnate leaf at the tip is always the longest. The walnuts are ripe from September to October and are enclosed in a green fruit shell. When the nuts are ripe, this fruit shell bursts open.

It has been cultivated for thousands of years, primarily for its nuts. Its walnuts were an important part of people's diet for many centuries. And even today, the nut is important as a healthy and ecological source of proteins and fats. During the two world wars, the wood was used to make rifles, which led to a drastic reduction in stocks. Today, it is highly sought after as a precious wood and is used to make valuable furniture.

Walnut care and location

The walnut prefers sheltered, warm and sunny locations. It tolerates heat and prefers slightly acidic to alkaline soil. The walnut is neither very drought tolerant nor very hardy, especially when it is young. Therefore, there are a few things to watch out for in cold and dry weather. It is also susceptible to late frost. Otherwise, this tree does not require much care. The walnut tree is a deep-rooted tree and thrives best in deep soil that allows the taproot to grow strongly. When it is young, the walnut first develops a very strong taproot. The lateral roots branch off from this main root, which in turn divide. Over time, this then forms a core root system.

Cutting walnuts

Regular pruning is not necessary for walnuts. If the tree needs to be pruned, late summer is the best time. From mid-August to the end of September, the walnut begins to prepare for winter and the sap pressure is low. Cuts on walnuts generally heal very slowly. Steeply rising shoots could compete with the central shoot and leading branches and should be removed at the point where they attach in the year they emerge.

Watering walnut

Climate change has a variety of effects on nature and many trees suffer from the hot and dry periods. Depending on the location and the climatic situation, more frequent watering may be necessary than in previous years. The walnut tree is not drought tolerant and therefore needs additional watering in dry periods. This is particularly important for younger trees. In order to reap a rich harvest, watering is also important for older trees. How much water a walnut needs depends on several factors such as the length of the dry period and the condition of the tree. A general estimate is 75 to 100 liters per watering for young trees and 150 to 200 liters per watering for older trees.
It is optimal to water walnut trees with tree bath watering bagsWhen watering with a garden hose, a lot of moisture evaporates or flows away. For this reason, you can water more efficiently with Baumbad watering bags and even save water. Two small holes release the water evenly and over several hours as drip irrigation onto the soil. The water is thus absorbed better by the surrounding soil and by the roots than with conventional watering.
The watering bag covers the surface of the soil and prevents water from evaporating. Attaching and filling the water bags is simple and straightforward. The bag is placed around the tree trunk like a jacket and closed with a zip. In the next step, fill the bag with enough water so that after further alignment no wrinkles are visible in the lower area and then let it fill up. By filling an irrigation bag, young trees are supplied with enough water. For existing trees with a larger trunk diameter, two to three irrigation bags can be connected with a zip. A thick layer of mulch made from grass clippings also helps to prevent the soil from drying out so quickly.

Fertilizing walnut trees

Walnut trees are relatively undemanding and can be fed with compost and horn meal in spring. fertilized .