Walnut is a southern culture that belongs to the walnut family. Central Asia is considered his homeland. The plant came to Russia from Greece several hundred years ago. The walnut has long been called the tree of life and the food of heroes, because its fruits are not only tasty, but also useful.
Where does the walnut grow
In the wild, walnuts are widely found in Western and Central Asia, Korea, China and Japan. It is also successfully cultivated in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and the Caucasus. Man has been growing this useful plant since time immemorial. By now, walnuts have spread far north from their natural habitats. Walnut plantings are found, for example, in the Rostov and Voronezh regions of Russia.
Under natural conditions, this plant can reach twenty or more meters in height. It has a lush crown, which is comparable in diameter to the height of the tree. Walnut usually begins to bear fruit in the fifth year, sometimes even later. But some varieties are capable of bearing fruit as early as three years of age. The walnut tree has a significant lifespan, which can reach two to three hundred years. Not only the fruits are valuable, but also the wood itself, which is distinguished by its high consumer qualities.
How walnuts grow
Walnut is a thermophilic plant, but some of its varieties tolerate small and short frosts relatively well. Healthy trees that are not weakened by drought do best in colder temperatures. The most sensitive period in the life of this plant is when the buds open and flowering begins.
The plant is very sensitive to light. Walnuts bear fruit best of all in those parts where there are a significant number of sunny days a year. A strong and dense crown requires ample space around the tree. Where the nut is planted frequently, it ages prematurely and usually does not bear much fruit. The leaves of the trees that are crowded in such plantings are weak and look lifeless.
For the correct growth of trees, a constant level of groundwater is important. Very dense or very swampy soils are not suitable for walnuts. In some cases, targeted reclamation measures help accelerate the growth of trees and the ripening of fruits, during which excess moisture is removed from the root system and at the same time the acidity of the soil decreases.
The walnut tree consumes the largest amount of water in the spring and summer period - from May to August. If in places of artificial plantings it rains rarely enough, farmers use regular, but moderate watering of plantings. When, for some reason, it is impossible to water the nut, you have to take measures to preserve the required amount of moisture in the upper soil layer.
