A mature walnut tree naturally provides shade in the hot, sunny summer months and produces delicious walnuts in the fall - good reasons to propagate the plant in your own garden, provided there is enough space. In this guide you will get to know and implement the two most important methods of propagation: first the (tedious) method with fruit and then the faster variant with seedlings.

A walnut tree can easily be propagated from its walnuts

Propagate walnut tree over the fruit

All you need is a walnut. It is advisable to use fruit that is as fresh as possible, not older ones.

Note: The walnut tree that grows through propagation can differ significantly from the original tree, also or especially with regard to the nuts (can only be matched by grafting). In addition, it takes some time to pull the walnut tree over the fruit.

  1. Fill a flowerpot with a mixture of sand and peat.
  2. Free the fresh walnut from the green husk after harvesting.
  3. Put the nut in the pot.
  4. Place the pot in a light, sheltered and frost-free location.
  5. Leave the pot in place until spring and keep the soil constantly moist.
  6. If it is a sprouting nut, the first shoots will now appear.
  7. Wait until the shoots are about 15 centimeters long.
  8. Divide the individual plants - so put each one in its own pot. Fill all the pots with high-quality, nutrient-rich potting soil to give the young trees a good start to growth.
  9. Place the pots outside in a sunny spot in summer and make sure the soil never dries out.
  10. Place the young trees in a frost-free place for the winter. The plants are not yet hardy at this stage.

Propagating walnut tree by cuttings

This method of growing a walnut tree is easier and faster than propagating from the fruit.

  1. Prepare a large bucket of potting soil.
  2. Cut several fresh shoots from your walnut tree. These should be about 15 centimeters long. However, it does not matter whether the shoots are still green or already show a slight woodiness.
  3. Place the cuttings in the bucket.
  4. Water the soil vigorously.
  5. If new leaves soon form, the respective cutting has started. This then means that the propagation works.
  6. If several cuttings have started, you must now place them in individual pots.

The further steps correspond to those of propagation via fruit (steps 4, 9 and 10).

Hints:

  • Always place several cuttings in a bucket - not every shoot necessarily develops roots.
  • Keep in mind that the cuttings are only hardy after a good two years. So don't put them out in the garden prematurely.

Category:

Vegetable garden