Walnuts contain valuable nutrients for humans. But how long does it take for the walnut tree in your garden to bear fruit for the first time? And what earnings can be expected from the premiere? We will answer these questions for you below.
When is the first harvest of a walnut tree possible?
Answer: The first harvest of a walnut tree seedling is only possible from the age of 10 at the earliest, while refined cultivars can bear their first fruit after just 4-6 years. The yield increases as the tree ages and varies depending on the variety, location and weather.
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 cultivated variety.
Seedling
A seedling grown from a walnut usually produces its first harvest no earlier than the age of ten. Often you have to wait 15 to 20 years until the first fruits appear on the tree.
Culture variety
The process is faster with a cultivated variety. You may receive your first decent income after just four to six years. The walnut needs this time to grow properly.
Note: For a quicker first harvest, we recommend buying a he althy, strong young tree with a trunk circumference of 18 to 20 centimeters from a specialist retailer. It is quite possible that the first nuts will form just one year after planting the tree.
What about the yield from the first harvest?
Initially, no big yield is expected. Often it is only a few hundred grams.
It usually takes three decades until the first very good harvest. From around the age of 40 you can expect particularly generous returns. As you get older, the harvest gradually reduces again.
Note: Of course, how high the yield is depends not only on the age, but also on the variety and the location. Furthermore, a walnut tree does not fruit equally well every year. The weather plays a big role here.
They say that good wine years are also good nut years.
In principle, the following cycle is assumed:
- a fruitful year
- two mediocre harvests
- a bad harvest
Then the cycle should start again. Of course, this is not a hard and fast rule, just the knowledge of many experiences.
Average yields in good conditions:
- up to the 15th year: 0 kg
- 16. up to 20 years: 10 kg
- 21. up to 25 years: 15 kg
- 26. up to 35 years: 25 kg
- 36. up to 60 years of age: 45 kg
- 61. up to 80 years of age: 55 kg
If it is possible to harvest beforehand, then usually only slightly.
For refined 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 just guidelines. In individual cases there may be significant deviations!
