The walnut, with the scientific name Juglans regia , is a large fruit tree known both for its high-quality wood and for its fruit, the walnut, widely consumed in many countries. It is a tree that can grow to a large size and, contrary to what many people think, germinating one from a simple nut is very easy.
If you want to learn how to germinate a walnut step by step , keep reading this article where you will see a guide with steps and tips.
How to germinate a walnut step by step
Before germinating a walnut, keep the following in mind:
- Get the seeds, which are nothing other than common nuts like the ones you can get in any market or establishment.
- For germination at home they serve nuts of any variety, although it is recommended that they be fresh nuts instead of packaged ones. Even if you only want to plant a single walnut tree, we recommend trying the germination process with several at the same time, in case one does not succeed.
- Before planting walnut seeds, it will be necessary to germinate them.
- Open the nut slightly: do not separate the two parts of the shell or you will damage the fruit, thus preventing it from germinating. Using a knife or other similar tool, lightly poke the tip into the pointed end of the nut, and twist it a little to carefully open the shell. Do it around the whole fruit, trying to touch only the peel and not the fruit, until the peel is loose with some mobility, but without separating completely or falling.
- Wrap the nuts in absorbent paper: to give the seeds the moisture and darkness they need, wrap them in absorbent paper and soak them, then leave them at some point that is easy to control.
- Keep the nuts moist: during the following days, try to keep the paper moist but not too wet, without causing the plate or surface on which they are to puddle. Renew the moisture in the paper and replace it if it appears to be spoiled.
- Prepare the container for planting: after a week, your walnut should have developed a visible root of about one or two centimeters, this is a good time to plant it.
How long does a walnut take to germinate?
The first part of the process, which is germination, should not take more than 1 week as long as you have followed the steps that we have described here. If you have opened the peel without damaging the fruit and the seed was in good condition, after that first week soaked in absorbent paper it should show roots. If you haven’t done so in that time, that nut will not germinate.
You can also prepare the walnuts by keeping them in the refrigerator for about 100 days during the winter, moistened with absorbent paper or in sand, to emulate the winter that many plants need to pass their dormant period.
How to plant a sprouted walnut
To plant a sprouted walnut, follow these steps:
- Prepare a pot with a good depth so that the young tree can develop. It is important that the container has drainage so that there are no problems with excess humidity.
- Use a nutrient-rich, well-draining substrate. We recommend a mixture with a part of coconut fiber , another part of peat and a last part of worm castings . It is a universal mixture very rich in nutrients, which at the same time offers a loose, oxygenated texture and with excellent drainage, very useful for most cases.
- With a pencil or something similar, poke a small hole in the substrate in the center of the pot, not much deeper than the root of the walnut, and place it with the root in the hole being careful not to damage it. The aim is to reproduce as well as possible a natural falling position, pressing the nut very lightly into the substrate once the root has been inserted into the hole.
- From here, it will be necessary to place the pot in a bright place but without direct sun and water it every 48-72 hours, sparingly but frequently, so that we maintain an adequate level of humidity.
How long does a walnut tree take to produce nuts?
In Spain there is the saying that the grandfather plants a walnut tree for his grandson to harvest, and that is that these trees can take a good number of years to reach their maximum production: no less than 30. However, you don’t have to wait that long to start harvesting your nuts.
In optimal conditions, a 2-year-old walnut will be a minimum of 50 cm tall. Its production time depends a lot on the variety, the climate and whether it is grafted or not, but in general, walnut trees start to bear nuts from their 5th to 7th year of life . Some, on the other hand, do not do it until after the decade.
