About our nut trees

Those who intend to grow nut trees, must first know what conditions must be met for growing and yielding harvests. If the plan is to grow them on a horizontal site, the soil must be water permeable. During the spring thaw the root neck must not be submerged by water. If the soil is not water permeable (clay, loam) nuts will grow, when the slope is greater than 5%, They will always grow better in direct sunlight than in the shade.  

Only nut trees grafted into a wingnut (gen. pterocarya) root stock can grow in wet soil and are not afraid of being flooded in the spring. 

It is best to plant all kinds of grafted walnuts in the spring, because in the first year after grafting the graft must become fully wooden and the buds must fully mature. For this purpose, the grafted nut trees are stored at 5 ° C for the first winter. Only such a plant becomes resistant to frost. 

When planting a walnut tree, about 50g of superphosphate, about 50g of wood ash mixed with compost soil should be added to a pit 60 cm in diameter and the same depth. Fertilize with nitrogen fertilizers only in 4-5 years. 

It is very important to protect the trunks of trees up to 5 years old from roe and deer by mechanical means (fences, individual protection). Individual protection prevents the animals from peeling their bark. To prevent animals from chewing the branches and buds, repellent should be applied in the fall and early spring. 

If the plant bears fruit in the second year, it is recommended to pick all and leave only 20% in the third year. This will allow the tree to develop normally, rather than devoting all of its energy to ripening the fruit. 

Our nut trees collection

Heartnuts (lot. JUGLANS AILANTIFOLIA var. CORDIFORMIS)

We grow and propagate about 30 varieties of heartnut trees that are resistant not only to the cold of Lithuania, but also Finland, when grafted into the mandshurian rootstock. Most of them are canadian and american selections, but there are very good Lithuanian thin-shelled varieties. The biggest advantage of heartnuts is that their nuts break down easily into 2 parts, the kernel can be taken out whole and has no bitterness.

They are described in more detail journal „Sodo spalvos“. 2020m. Nr.6 and article: 

They can be divided into few groups: 

• Thin-shell RHODES LATE, R-40%, I-1, I-2, I-4 (seedlings of IMSHU).
• Large-fruiting FIOKA, STEALTH, CAMPBELL CW1, CAMPBELL CW3, LOCKET, SIMCOE 8-2, IMSHU, SHUBERT, BATES, JEWEL BOX, KALMAR, ENGLAND BEST
• The hybrid of heartnut and butternut MITCHELL is one of the best.

Black walnut (lot. JUGLANS NIGRA)

We grow and propagate about 10 varieties of black walnut trees. Most of them are the result of the work of U.S. and Canadian breeders. Native to North America, black walnuts are highly resistant to frost, growing up to climate zone 3. It is a nut with a specific aroma, the taste is very different from other known nuts, which is why it is widely used in confectionery. The use of black walnut for medicinal purposes is also widely known. Black walnut trees growing in Lithuanian parks and dendrological collections ripen nuts with a kernel yield of 15%. Their shell is thick and requires a special device to overcome it. The yield of cultured black walnut kernels is to 40%, the shell is much thinner, it is easier to overcome and the kernel can be removed in two pieces. 

For more information about black walnut trees journal „Sodo spalvos“. 2020m. Nr.10 and article: 

They can be divided into: 

• Growing in climate zones 4-5: THOMAS, ELMER-MEYERS, EMMA-K, GRIMO 108H, SPARKS 147, STABLER 1, VANDERSLOT, HANS, MEYERS
• Growing in climate zone 3: PRAIRIE, MINNESOTA

Butternuts (lot. JUGLANS CINEREA)

Butternut trees originate in North America, so all cultivars are developed there. We grow 4 varieties of butternut trees that are very resistant to frost, growing in climatic zones 3-4. Like heartnuts, the nuts split in two pieces, but the kernel is fattier. 

We can offer the following varieties: BECKWITH, PRAIRIE, BEAR CREAK, KENWORTHY.