The ideal nut variety to buy for breeding. Description of walnut variety ideal. Caring for a young tree with Ideal
How to grow walnuts Ideal
Regular walnut trees bear their first harvest 9-12 years after planting. 70 years ago the Ideal walnut appeared. This variety begins to bear fruit at the age of 2. The tree's homeland is the forests of Uzbekistan. Later, more frost-resistant forms of this variety were developed.
Description
Ideal is a fast-bearing type of walnut that can grow in the form of a tree or bush. The plant rarely reaches a height of 4.5 m.
Source: Depositphotos
Walnut"Ideal" is characterized by high productivity
IN productive years From an adult tree you can collect more than 120 kg of fruit. The nut has a beautiful oval shape and weighs approximately 11 g, with the kernel making up half of this weight. The shell is thin, easily cracked, and the kernel is easily removed.
Trees of this variety can withstand frosts even down to -35 °C without problems. They prefer loams with little moisture and sunny areas, but can grow in harsher conditions. Do not place the nut near the walls of the house. The root system of this tree is very strong and penetrates deep into the soil, so it can even harm outbuildings and the house.
Reproduction care
Walnut Ideal propagates well by seeds. Only they retain all the advantages of the variety: early fruiting, double fruiting and a special arrangement of nuts in the form of a brush. Late autumn 4 seeds are planted in a hole 17-18 cm deep. Shoots will appear in summer. When the seeds germinate, they will gradually grow together. This creates a powerful and strong tree that will produce a bountiful harvest.
The tree does not tolerate transplantation well, so it must be planted immediately. permanent place. Small 15-centimeter sprouts should not be covered for the winter. Next spring they will begin to grow actively and reach a height of approximately 50-60 cm.
Ideal walnut seedlings begin to bloom in the first year.
In the second year you can enjoy the first fruits. A good harvest can be harvested from 5-year-old nuts. When ripe, huge clusters are formed, in which 15-16 nuts can be counted.
Caring for nuts is simple. During periods of drought, the tree needs to be watered approximately once every 7-8 days. After the nut reaches 5 years of age, it must be fed annually with chicken droppings. The droppings are diluted in water and the soil near the trunk is watered with this solution. Then the soil is mulched and watered with plain water.
If you need good variety walnuts, which bear fruit a couple of years after planting, then Ideal is the best choice.
Walnut is very popular in our area. But few people know that this plant has several varieties, and one of them is the Ideal nut.
Ideal - early variety walnut
The difference between it and a regular walnut can be seen simply by reading the description. The ideal has one obvious difference - it is precocity. Its fruits ripen much earlier than those of ordinary walnuts. This variety is excellent for those who grow nuts for sale.
Characteristics of the Ideal
Breeders for a long time they could not breed a walnut that would bear fruit early. When it was possible to develop such a variety, it was called Ideal. It was developed in the 20th century in Uzbekistan. This tree is also called the Saratov ideal walnut, it received it because it grows best in this region.
Description of the nut Ideal: it is small in size, it grows to a maximum of 5 meters in height, the bark has a pleasant light color gray. The first nuts from this unique plant can be obtained already in the second year of his life. The tree produces about 120 kilograms of nuts per year.
The main advantages of Ideal are:
- high yield;
- gives first fruits early;
- has small dimensions;
- easily tolerates harsh winters;
- easy to care for;
- can produce two harvests per season.
The ideal does not take up much space, so you can safely plant several more trees nearby. As a result, you will get a large number of nuts and excellent shade from the plant. The only disadvantage of this variety is that it does not live very long. Walnut can live more than 100 years, but Ideal only 50 years.
After the species bears fruit for the first time, two weeks pass and it begins to bloom again. It is because of this that many gardeners love it very much.
Walnut Ideal is characterized by extremely high yield
Reproduction of the Ideal
Walnut Ideal propagated by seed method or through vaccination. If you decide to grow a tree by seed, then the fruits should be placed tightly in a row. There are four nuts per hole. Over time, they will grow together, and you will get a strong seedling.
Fruits are sown in winter or early spring. If you plant seeds in the spring, it is recommended to carry out stratification first. To do this, they are placed in wet sand a month and a half before planting.
In the first year after planting the fruits, they grow very slowly. By autumn you can get Ideal walnut seedlings 20 centimeters high. But in exactly a year there will be full-fledged seedlings. When the seeds grow to one meter, they can be safely planted in a permanent place.
If you choose the grafting method, it is best to do this using cuttings. You can use the budding method, but grafted buds take root better.
The tree grows well in well-lit areas. It is advisable to shelter the plant from cold winds. This variety spreads its branches very widely, so it is better to plant it at a distance of 5 meters from other plants. The species feels great in almost any soil, except very acidic ones.
Ideally should be planted in well-lit areas
Before planting Ideal, you need to prepare a hole measuring 60x60 centimeters. Next, the soil needs to be mixed with humus and peat. Pour this mixture into the hole. You need to install a support at its bottom and make a small hump. The seedling must be placed on a mound and carefully covered with some of the soil.
You need to pour a bucket of water into the hole. The plant is attached to a support and wait until the water is absorbed. Then you should fill the hole with the rest of the soil and water it again. The last stage is mulching.
Caring for a young tree with Ideal
When two weeks have passed since planting, the plant should be watered. One tree requires 15 liters of water. If it has recently rained, then there is no need to do this. Watering young plant should be done regularly, but do not overdo it.
A newly planted seedling needs to form a crown; it is recommended to do this in the spring, but if desired, you can prune it in the fall. The formation of the crown needs to be repeated every year. The main thing is to remove those branches that interfere with the lighting of the crown.
During routine pruning, you should first remove all old and dry branches. Most fruits are formed on annual growths, so they need to be given more light.
To prepare Ideal for the onset of winter, it stops watering in August. At the end of the first month of autumn, all nuts are removed and pruned. Such manipulations will allow the variety to direct all its forces to the formation and maturation of wood.
Every gardener wants to grow a nut variety on his plot that would be distinguished by early fruiting, attractive shape, size, unsurpassed taste of the fruit and would not require much time for planting and care. These include walnuts of the Ideal variety. It has already received high marks due to its positive characteristics and features.
In 1947, Uzbek scientists conducted selection work, in order to find a variety that would be distinguished by productivity and early ripening. The result was the Ideal walnut.
A low-growing, fast-growing tree, 4-5 meters high, with a powerful massive crown. The bark is gray, the fruiting shoots are brown. Leaves decorate the plant large size, dense structure. Attract the attention of small flowers, dioecious, colored white, with a green tint, collected in a brush of 10-15 pieces. The variety is valued for its oval-shaped fruits, which differ in size and have a thin, light beige shell. The average weight of one nut is 10 grams.
The core has good taste and a range of vitamins and minerals.
Plant characteristics
Walnut variety Ideal bears fruit in the 2nd year of life. Full harvests can be harvested from the 5th year. Walnut flowering begins in May. And at the beginning of summer, several green fruits appear on the tree on one branch. The nut harvest takes place in September.
The peculiarity of fruiting lies in the second wave of flowering, which allows you to collect two harvests per year. Re-formation of flower clusters begins 10 days after the first and continues until autumn. With proper care, the Ideal walnut pleases with a high-quality harvest and beautiful view up to 50 years old.
Pros and cons of the variety
The main advantages due to which the variety is recommended for cultivation are:
- stable yield indicators - up to 120 kilograms per plant;
- early period of fruiting;
- ability for secondary flowering and double fruiting throughout the year;
- compactness of the tree, allowing for the most efficient use of planting space;
- frost resistance - can withstand temperatures down to -35 degrees, which allows the variety to be grown in climate conditions Middle zone Russia;
- undemanding to the composition and parameters of garden soils.
In addition to the advantages, it is important to identify the disadvantages:
- sensitivity to return frosts;
- fragility of the variety.
A minimal list of shortcomings allows gardeners to have no doubt in choosing the Ideal walnut.
Walnut cultivation
It is better to plant nut seedlings in spring period. Planting in the fall must be done long before the first frost.
Choosing a site and preparing for planting
When choosing a place for planting, it is important to take into account the needs of the plant for its normal growth, development and high yields:
- illuminated area sunlight, protected from cold wind and draft;
- absence of those close to the surface of the earth groundwater;
- turf, carbonate, loamy soil.
Before planting the plant, you need to make a hole, maintaining a distance between planting units of 5 meters or 3.5 meters, provided it is placed on a slope. Add peat and compost to the soil dug out from the hole. The resulting mixture is enriched with substances such as dolomite flour and superphosphate, in an amount of 500 grams per pit.
Preparation of planting material
Place a nut seedling purchased in a container into a hole without processing. For planting material with an open root system, make a clay mash from clay and humus (3:1). Mix everything well and add a growth stimulator. Dip the roots of the seedlings into the resulting mash and leave for 30 minutes to dry.
Planting scheme
Every gardener needs an Ideal nut planting scheme, because knowing at what distance to plant trees from one another, you can get a generous harvest.
Bare-rooted seedlings should be planted following the following planting pattern:
- In the center of the hole prepared in advance, form a hill from the resulting soil mixture and install a peg to securely support the plant.
- Place the seedling on top of the hill, carefully distributing the lower roots along the slopes and covering it with fertile soil. And the top ones should be placed in a horizontal position so that their depth is 7-8 centimeters below ground level.
- Cover the roots of the young tree using a soil mixture. In this case, the root collar should be 3-5 centimeters above ground level.
- Tie the seedling to a support, water and mulch the soil around the trunk.
If you purchased material for planting in a container, then it must be removed from the container with nutrient substrate and transfer it into a planting hole measuring 60x60x60 centimeters. Then go to sleep soil mixture and carry out watering.
How to care for a tree?
Carrying out the necessary care measures will allow the young tree to begin bearing fruit in the shortest possible time and produce high-quality harvests for a long time.
Watering
Only young trees need to be watered, in spring and early summer, when they need significant amounts of moisture. Each plant should receive 20 liters of water every 14 days, depending on the climate, soil type. Waterlogging or drying out of the soil should not be allowed. The number of waterings for plants that have grown to 4 meters in height must be reduced.
Top dressing
Walnut Ideal is responsive to fertilizing. The crop needs to be fertilized twice a year - in the spring, adding nitrogen elements, and in the fall, before plowing, with products based on phosphorus and potassium. The dosage of fertilizer application depends on the age of the tree, soil, and climate.
Important: excessive amounts of fertilizer will weaken the plant’s ability to withstand winter cold.
Mulching
After each watering, the soil should be loosened shallowly and mulched with peat. A technique such as mulching the tree trunk circle will help protect the soil from drying out and preserve nutrients in the ground, will stop the spread of weeds, and also protect root system from freezing.
Trimming
Ideal walnut seedlings require the formation of a crown in a cup-shaped manner. When planting in spring, the first pruning should be done immediately. After 3-4 years, the nut crown will be formed. Subsequently, only annual pruning will be required in order to provide all parts of the crown with the necessary lighting. It involves the elimination of all damaged, old, growing reverse side branches.
Reproduction
Walnut variety Ideal can be propagated using the seed method or by grafting. The seed method is considered more labor-intensive and time-consuming. With it, the seed is able to inherit the characteristics of the mother plant by 70%. For sowing, take peeled and dried fruits and stratify at temperature indicators+18 degrees 45 days. In the spring, transfer the prepared material for planting to open soil.
During the first year of life, the Ideal walnut develops slowly, but at the end of winter it begins to grow rapidly and reaches a height of up to 1 meter by autumn. It is recommended to plant seedlings in a permanent place only after 5-7 years. When choosing material for grafting, it is better to use young seedlings at the age of two years. This technique will preserve the varietal qualities of the crop.
Preparing for winter
To prepare the crop for winter, you need to stop watering the tree in August. In the last days of September, remove all the fruits and cut off the green tips of the shoots. This operation forces the plants to direct their forces to ripen the wood.
Mature trees overwinter without shelter. A annual plants and young seedlings need protection; they need to be wrapped using burlap or agrofibre. Also trunk circle should be mulched with humus, while retreating 10 centimeters from the trunk.
Possible diseases and pests
According to the description, the variety demonstrates excellent resistance to diseases characteristic of the crop, but this phenomenon does not exclude the risk of infection of the Ideal walnut.
Common diseases:
- Brown spot. This problem can be diagnosed by dark brown spots on the foliage, ovary, and branches. The fruits begin to rot. Treatment involves the removal and subsequent disposal of all damaged parts of the plant. To combat the fungus, spray the trees with fungicides.
- Bacteriosis. The disease manifests itself as dark spots on the foliage, which provoke deformation of the leaf plate, as well as fruit falling. For treatment and prevention purposes, treat plants using copper sulfate.
- Root cancer. The infection damages the root system, causing the tree to stop growing and not form fruit. Control measures involve removing growths on the roots and bark. After the procedure, grease the sections with caustic soda and wash with water.
When planting in northern regions, it is important to choose a flat, unshaded place, avoiding lowlands. It is better to plant in an open area with protection from the wind.
Harvesting and storage
Harvesting the walnut variety is ideal when the green shell cracks. Send the collected fruits to the basement for 7 days, this will allow you to quickly and easily remove the nuts from the softened, blackened pericarp. Rinse the peeled fruits in water and put them to dry in the sun.
Knowing all the pros and cons of the variety, its description and characteristics, as well as how to properly plant and care, you can grow a healthy Ideal walnut tree that will delight you with fruits even in unfavorable conditions. A harvested will bring memories of warm days in the cold season.
