Walnuts contain valuable nutrients for humans. But how long does it take for the walnut tree in your own garden to bear fruit for the first time? And what yield can be expected at the premiere? We answer these questions for you below.
It can take up to 20 years from sowing to harvest
When does the walnut tree bear fruit for the first time?
When you can harvest walnuts for the first time depends primarily on whether the tree is a seedling or a cultivar.
seedling
A seedling grown from a walnut usually produces the first harvest at the age of ten at the earliest. Often you even have to wait 15 to 20 years before fruit hangs on the tree for the first time.
cultivar
With a cultivar, the process is quicker. You may already get your first regular income after four to six years. The walnut needs this time to grow properly.
Note: For a faster first harvest, it is advisable to buy a healthy, strong young tree with a trunk circumference of 18 to 20 centimeters from a specialist dealer. It is quite possible that the first nuts will form just a year after planting the tree.
What about the yield of the first harvest?
At first, do not expect a large yield. Often it is only a few hundred grams.
It usually takes three decades until the first very good harvest. From the age of about 40 you can count on particularly lavish yields. With advanced age, the harvest gradually decreases again.
Note: Of course, how high the yield is depends not only on age, but also on the variety and location. Furthermore, a walnut tree does not produce fruit equally well every year. The weather plays a big role here.
It is said that good wine years are also good nut years.
In principle, the following cycle is assumed:
- a fruitful year
- two mediocre harvests
- a crop failure
After that, the cycle should start all over again. Of course, this is not a fixed rule, but merely the knowledge of many experiences.
Average yields in good conditions:
- up to the 15th year: 0 kg*
- 16th to 20th year: 10 kg
- 21st to 25th year: 15 kg
- 26th to 35th year: 25 kg
- 36 to 60 years: 45 kg
- 61st to 80th year: 55 kg
* If it can be harvested earlier, then usually only slightly.
For grafted varieties:
- from the 10th year: 30 to 40 kg (with full yields up to 60 kg)
- from the 40th year: 150 to 175 kg
The same applies here: These are only guidelines. In individual cases, there may be significant deviations!