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Posted on 5:32 AM by Wanto and filed under
By Ian Nathaniel
In the olden days it was thought that walnuts could only be grown as tall standard trees, but latterly there has been a move to produce them as bush trees and I had seen a number growing satisfactorily in gardens. Because the flowers of walnuts are so easily ruined by frost, it is vital to plant where they will have the maximum of protection in the spring. It only takes 2 degrees of frost to ruin the female flowers. Plant, preferably, in a nice well-drained soil with a fair lime content. Be sure to mulch the trees with compost after planting in a ring 3 feet wide. Buy grafted trees and plant one tree and no more (in a garden) early in the winter. Each March apply meat and bonemeal all over the soil where the walnuts are growing, at the rate of 2 oz. to the sq. yard.
In the case of bush trees the leaders should be cut back by about a quarter or a little more, with the idea of keeping the tops of the branches level. This is usually done in the early summer when the growing shoots are succulent and when not more than five or six leaves have been formed. The tip is pinched out with the finger and thumb, and the result is the buds which lie below become fruit buds. Any weak shoots found at the time should not be pinched back as these will bear the male catkins. This pinching back of the shoots can be done any time during the growing season.
Plant the trees in November, if possible, spreading the roots out well in quite a shallow hole. Cover the roots with soil and tread down firmly. Two-year-old bushes should be bought but those who prefer to put in standards or half-standards may buy three- or fouryear-old trees.
Walnuts are quite happy to grow in a lawn and it is only necessary to cultivate for 3 or 4 feet around the trees for the first two or three years. After that the grass may be allowed to grow right up to the trunks, but it should of course be cut regularly.
Because the cherry-like fruits are available in July they are welcomed by the housewife.
The seeds of the Cherry Plums germinate easily, so there are a very large number of so-called varieties which have not, as far as I know, been named in Great Britain, though there are twenty-five or more varieties in the United States and Canada.
In the case of bush trees the leaders should be cut back by about a quarter or a little more, with the idea of keeping the tops of the branches level. This is usually done in the early summer when the growing shoots are succulent and when not more than five or six leaves have been formed. The tip is pinched out with the finger and thumb, and the result is the buds which lie below become fruit buds. Any weak shoots found at the time should not be pinched back as these will bear the male catkins. This pinching back of the shoots can be done any time during the growing season.
Plant the trees in November, if possible, spreading the roots out well in quite a shallow hole. Cover the roots with soil and tread down firmly. Two-year-old bushes should be bought but those who prefer to put in standards or half-standards may buy three- or fouryear-old trees.
Walnuts are quite happy to grow in a lawn and it is only necessary to cultivate for 3 or 4 feet around the trees for the first two or three years. After that the grass may be allowed to grow right up to the trunks, but it should of course be cut regularly.
Because the cherry-like fruits are available in July they are welcomed by the housewife.
The seeds of the Cherry Plums germinate easily, so there are a very large number of so-called varieties which have not, as far as I know, been named in Great Britain, though there are twenty-five or more varieties in the United States and Canada.
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In garden planning, a large terrace area is essential for the diverse activities which may take place in the garden.
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