What Does a Walnut Tree Look Like? A Detailed Guide to Planting Time and Years to Fruiting
The walnut tree, also known as the Persian walnut tree, produces walnuts that, together with almonds, cashews and hazelnuts, are known on the international market as the “four great nuts.” Varieties are divided into wild hickory and artificially grafted improved walnut varieties. Wild ones have thick shells, large size and high oil content, and taste quite fragrant, commonly known as iron walnuts. People generally choose to plant artificially improved varieties, because improved varieties have higher yields and thinner shells than wild ones, commonly known as paper-shell walnuts. Walnut trees can serve as protective windbreaks for road greening, and because their wood is tough and elastic, it is also a premium material used in industry. So what does a walnut tree look like? Depending on the variety, the trunk of a mature tree is generally 2~10 m tall, with taller ones reaching over a dozen meters, and the crown is broad; the bark is grayish-green when young and grayish-white with longitudinal shallow cracks when old; the twigs are hairless, glossy, covered with shield-shaped stalked glands, grayish-green, later turning brown.
1. When are walnut trees planted?
In mid-March, soak the seeds in cold water for 2~3 days, then remove them and mix with wet sand, piling them in a sunny spot. Make the pile 30~35 cm high, cover it with a 10 cm thick layer of wet sand, sprinkle water once a day to keep it moist, and cover with a straw mat or plastic film at night to retain moisture and warmth. After 10~15 days, when the shells crack and the white sprouts appear, they are ready to sow. Select seeds once a day and sow in batches, and sow with sufficient soil moisture.
The planting time is around late March, before and after bud break. Planting 1~2 year old seedlings gives a high survival rate. After planting, water thoroughly, strengthen water and fertilizer management, loosen the soil and weed frequently, pay attention to drainage during the rainy season, and control pests and diseases in June-July. Prune during the growing season, keeping the trunk height above 3 m. Do not prune after leaf fall, otherwise it easily causes bleeding, affecting tree vigor. For deciduous fruit trees, planting is generally best in winter, and for evergreen fruit trees, in spring. When planting, keep to standard specifications so that rows are straight both lengthwise and crosswise. When planting, the graft union should be exposed above the ground, the roots should be spread out, then cover with soil, firm it down and irrigate; after the water seeps in, close up the planting hole to help retain water.
2. How many years until a walnut tree bears fruit?
How early a walnut bears fruit also depends on the variety and cultivation techniques. Early-fruiting walnuts and grafted walnuts can bear fruit in 2-3 years, while late-fruiting walnuts and seedling-grown walnuts take 8-10 years to fruit.
3. The benefits and effects of walnuts
Walnut kernels are rich in nutrients. Every 100 g contains 15~20 g of protein, 60~70 g of fat and 10 g of carbohydrates; they also contain various trace elements and minerals essential to the human body, such as calcium, phosphorus and iron, as well as various vitamins such as carotene and riboflavin. The main component of the fat in walnuts is linoleic acid glyceride, which not only does not raise cholesterol after eating, but can also reduce the intestinal absorption of cholesterol. Therefore, it can serve as a tonic for patients with high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis. In addition, these oils can also supply the needs of the brain matrix. The trace elements zinc and manganese contained in walnuts are important components of the pituitary gland. Regular consumption helps supplement the brain's nutrition and has a brain-boosting, intelligence-enhancing effect.
Walnuts are not only the best brain-boosting food, but also a remedy for neurasthenia. For elderly people with symptoms such as dizziness, insomnia, palpitations, forgetfulness, poor appetite, soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, and general weakness, eating 1~2 walnut kernels every morning and evening can provide a nourishing and therapeutic effect.
Walnut kernels also have relatively high medical value for other conditions, such as boosting qi and nourishing blood, moistening dryness and resolving phlegm, warming the lungs and moistening the intestines, and reducing swelling and disinfecting. In recent years, scientific research has also shown that walnut branches can improve the symptoms of tumors. Boiling fresh walnut branches and eggs together in water, then eating the eggs, can be used to prevent cervical cancer and various other cancers.