If you would like to plant a new walnut tree in your garden, you have several options: Either you plant an already grown tree from a specialist store in the ground or you germinate a fresh walnut and grow your walnut tree this way. In the following sections you will learn how to germinate a walnut and what you should pay attention to.
How do I germinate a walnut?
To germinate a walnut, plant ripe, uncracked walnuts five centimeters deep in potting soil, pointed side down. Store the container in cool temperatures for four to six weeks and keep the soil moist. Germination takes place in spring.
Grouping walnuts step by step
- Fill a sufficiently large planter (€10.00 on Amazon) with high-quality potting soil. Choose a container that is at least 40 centimeters deep - after all, the walnut is a taproot.
- Pick up four or five uncracked walnuts. We recommend that you only use fresh, ripe fruits, i.e. start immediately after harvest.
- Place the walnuts about five centimeters deep in the soil. The tip of the fruit should point downwards.
- Place the container with the walnuts in a cool cellar or on the balcony. The walnut is a cold or frost germinator. You actually need cooler temperatures in the first four to six weeks so that germination can even occur.
- Pour the walnuts vigorously. As a result, it is important to keep the soil constantly moist (but not too wet!).
- You have to wait a few months for the walnuts to germinate. It won't be until spring. Then you will witness a walnut tree sprouting.
Note: Walnuts germinate underground. This means that the cotyledons and nuts remain in the ground. So don't be irritated if it takes a while before you notice a change. In technical jargon we speak of hypogeic germination.
What happens after the walnuts germinate
Although walnuts are frost germinators, they are generally sensitive to frost. You first have to build up a certain level of robustness in order to survive the winter months in the garden. For this reason, you should never place your freshly sprouted walnut in your green oasis too early. Otherwise the sensitive young tree risks freezing to death. So be sure to wait two years before completely transplanting the tree outdoors. But: It can spend the summer months (in its container) in a sunny location in the garden. It only wants to return to its frost-free camp in winter.