A Detailed Guide to Nut Planting Methods and Key Techniques

Nuts are a category of indehiscent fruit, with a hard pericarp containing 1 or several seeds, such as the fruits of Chinese chestnut and almond. Nuts are the essence of the plant, generally rich in nutrients and relatively high in protein, oils, minerals and vitamins, and they have excellent benefits for human growth and development, strengthening the body and preventing disease.

Planting requirements

To plant nuts, choose acidic soil on hillsides and hilly land, dig large holes and apply plenty of base fertilizer. The base fertilizer should be mainly organic fertilizer; in each hole apply compound fertilizer plus fermented chicken manure, soybean bran and other organic fertilizers as base fertilizer. Before planting, first backfill 20 cm of soil, then put back the fermented organic fertilizer, then apply compound fertilizer, afterward backfill 5 cm of soil, and only then carry out planting. During planting, try not to do it in high-temperature, droughty weather, and be careful to protect the roots when planting. After planting, water promptly to ensure that after the soil settles it is only slightly higher than the ground surface, so as to ensure smooth water flow and no water accumulation, laying the foundation for good nut growth.

Trunk training of young trees

On young trees, pinch out the growing tip at 50-60 cm to cultivate branches, so as to form an open-center canopy as quickly as possible.

Pruning of fruiting trees

Nuts only bear fruit when light is let into the canopy like opening a skylight, so pruning should be done appropriately, but the main scaffold branches and the small, weak branches on the twigs are all fruiting branches, so pay attention when pruning.

Fertilizer and water management

Nuts are planted with relatively large spacing between plants and rows, so the soil between plants should be cultivated and weeded two or three times each year, and intercropping can be used to strengthen orchard management. Crops such as beans, tubers and vegetables can be intercropped; by fertilizing the intercropped crops, soil fertility can also be improved, which benefits the growth of the seedlings. In fertilization, apply frequently and lightly; each year, together with cultivation and weeding, fertilize three or four times, mainly with water-soluble fertilizer mixed with an appropriate amount of inorganic chemical fertilizer, so as to ensure the fertilizer demand for the rapid growth of young trees; in the dry season, pay attention to watering.

Protecting flowers and fruits

This begins in the 3rd year after planting; each year before the fruit trees bloom (flower bud stage in February) fertilize once and spray borax once. During the small fruit stage (young fruit stage in April, around Qingming) apply a heavy fertilization once, preferably Woye compound fertilizer, and spray boron fertilizer and insecticidal and fungicidal pesticide once. In early June, apply a fruit-strengthening fertilizer once more, mainly compound fertilizer, and spray an insecticidal and bactericidal pesticide once. Three months after completing the above tasks, the fruit can be harvested.