What are the growth characteristics and main producing areas of walnuts, one of the four great nuts?

As is well known, walnuts have extremely high nutritional value; they can not only strengthen our constitution but also have brain-boosting benefits. It is currently the walnut harvest season. So, what growth characteristics do walnuts have? Where are walnuts produced? Let's find out together.

1. What growth characteristics do walnuts have?

Walnuts like light, are cold-resistant, and have strong drought and disease resistance. They adapt to a variety of soils and prefer fertile, moist sandy loam. They like water and fertilizer and like sun, yet are not strict about water and fertilizer requirements. Pruning is not advisable after leaf fall and before sprouting, as it easily causes bleeding. They are suitable for growing in most soils. They prefer fertile, moist sandy loam and are commonly found in mountain valleys on both sides where the soil layer is deep.

2. Where are walnuts produced?

Walnuts are produced in North China, Northwest China, Southwest China, Central China, South China and East China, and southern Xinjiang. They are distributed in Central Asia, West Asia, South Asia and Europe. They grow on slopes and hilly areas at an altitude of 400-1800 m, and are commonly cultivated in plains and hilly areas of China.

Walnuts are widely distributed in our country, from Heilongjiang in the north to Yunnan and Guizhou in the south, from Xinjiang in the west to Shandong and Liaoning in the east. Walnuts are distributed in the vast majority of regions across the country. As for the distribution of walnuts that meet the standards for collectible walnuts, they are mainly produced in North China, Northwest China, Northeast China and Southwest China. Among them, the collectible walnuts from Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, Shanxi and other places have the most outstanding quality and are also the producing areas of traditional fine varieties. The climate and environment are also conducive to the planting and growth of collectible walnuts.

The Northwest region includes Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Xinjiang and other places. The Qinling area of Shaanxi mainly produces autumn walnuts such as the Lantern variety, which are large in size, full in shape and have many burrs. The yield is also high. Other areas of Shaanxi also produce varieties such as the Official Hat, which are relatively large in size, and their shape and skin texture differ considerably from the Official Hat from Beijing and other places. Some mountainous areas of Xinjiang also have wild mountain walnuts, which belong to autumn walnut varieties and are of average quality. The situation in Gansu and Ningxia is much the same.

The Northeast region, including Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, mainly produces autumn walnuts.

Hotan in Xinjiang is the main walnut producing area.

For the paper-shell walnuts from the Kuqa area of Xinjiang, the Uyghur people call them “Kekeyi”, meaning thin shell, with an oil content of 75%. This variety bears fruit quickly; people describe it as “planted in one year, grows in the second year, and in the third year the walnut baskets are full”.

Walnuts from Fenyang, Xiaoyi and other places in Shanxi are known for their thin shells, full kernels and delicate texture.

The walnuts from the Qinling area of Shaanxi have shells as thin as eggshells and are commonly known as “egg-shell walnuts”. The best variety, the “Mian Walnut”, has a thin shell and thick kernel; hold two walnuts in your hand and give them a slight squeeze, and the shells break.

The Qingxiang walnut from the Dingzhou area of Baoding, Hebei, has a shell about 1mm thick. The dried fruit is attractive and well shaped, with a smooth surface and full kernel, light in color and mild in astringency, crisp and fragrant in taste, resistant to storage and not prone to developing off-flavors, not easily damaged, and suitable for mechanical harvesting and peeling.

In addition, the small hickory nuts produced in Hangzhou, made into salt-and-pepper five-spice walnuts, are also very popular with people in the south.