Scientific transplanting of walnut saplings requires creating suitable environmental conditions

  Walnuts have a powerful root system. Before establishing a walnut orchard and planting, regardless of whether the site is mountain land, sloping land, sandy land or saline-alkali land, the soil must be prepared in advance to meet the needs of walnut growth and development. Soil preparation mainly includes land leveling, terrace construction and the building of soil and water conservation works, and on this basis, various tasks such as digging planting holes at fixed points, deep plowing to ripen and improve the soil, and increasing organic matter must also be carried out. On the basis of land leveling, terrace construction and completion of soil and water conservation works, according to the predetermined planting design, measure out the planting points for walnut, and dig planting holes at those points.

  Planting holes or planting trenches should be dug in the autumn of the year before planting, so that the subsoil has some time to mature. The depth and diameter of planting holes are 0.8-1 m. In densely planted walnut orchards, planting trenches may be dug, with a depth and width of 0.8-1 m. Whether planting in holes or trenches, the topsoil and subsoil should be piled separately. For planting in sandy land, an appropriate amount of clay should be mixed in to improve soil structure, or decomposed straw should be mixed with the sandy soil. If an orchard is to be established on hilly mountain land or sandy beach land with very thin soil, methods such as replacing the soil and applying more organic fertilizer should be used to improve the soil. Planting holes should be enlarged, and methods such as replacing soil, mixing in sand, applying more organic fertilizer, and filling with turf soil or topsoil should be used to improve soil texture and create good conditions for root growth and development. Practice has proved that for land preparation on gentle slopes, the "runoff operation" method of land preparation should be adopted, requiring the runoff-producing surface to be well prepared and made smooth and firm, and the runoff-collecting pits (planting pits) should be 1 m square, with all the mature soil and weeds from the runoff-producing surface filled into the pits to increase organic matter in the pits. Runoff land preparation is best carried out in the summer and autumn of the first year and the spring of the following year. After a rainy season, when the runoff-collecting pits have fully intercepted and stored rainwater, the planting effect is best.

  After the planting holes are dug, mix topsoil, organic fertilizer and chemical fertilizer and backfill them; backfilling can be combined with fertilization. Practice has proved that large holes are beneficial to the growth and development of the root system and the tree, while small holes inhibit tree growth, so in areas with better conditions, large holes should be dug for planting. However, in areas with strong wind and sand, large holes are not conducive to moisture conservation, so small holes are suitable for planting. When establishing an orchard in places with a high groundwater table or low-lying wet land, the drainage condition of the whole orchard should first be improved and the water table lowered before digging planting trenches or planting holes.

  Fertilizer supply is an indispensable measure in the process of walnut growth and development. Organic fertilizer can increase the humus content of the soil, increase soil porosity, improve soil structure, and enhance the soil's water- and fertilizer-holding capacity. When planting walnuts, applying an appropriate amount of organic fertilizer as base fertilizer can effectively promote walnut growth and development and improve the tree's stress resistance and yield. If an appropriate amount of phosphate fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer is added together with the organic fertilizer, the effect will be even better. They can be piled and composted separately at 50-100 kg per plant or 30-60 tonnes per hectare. At the same time, prepare the required phosphate fertilizer at 0.5-1 kg per plant. If the base fertilizer used is mainly straw, 0.1-0.2 kg of nitrogen fertilizer should also be mixed in to promote straw decomposition. Pollution-free planting should try to avoid the use of inferior phosphate fertilizers with excessive heavy metals.