WALNUTS

PLANTING SYSTEMS

The distance depends on the walnut variety, its vigour, type of fruiting (lateral or terminal), as well as on the cultivation technology. Intensive systems require machine pruning every 3 years, while semi-intensive ones are rare and often manually pruned due to the greater distance. Both technologies require regular application of all agro-technical measures: watering, fertilizing, pruning, and chemical protection.
In walnut plantations, seedlings can be arranged in a square, rectangle, triangle, and isohypses.

GROWING SYSTEMS

SQUARE ARRANGEMENT
In this system, the trees are planted in straight rows, with an equal distance between the rows and between the plants at a right angle. This way, the fruit trees are equally exposed to light, have the same nutrient space, and provide the easiest tillage in both directions. The pest control is easy to perform and it is easy to communicate through the orchard. Spacing between the trees for semi-intensive and extensive plantations should be 12-15 m, depending on the vigour of the variety.

RECTANGULAR ARRANGEMENT
The distance between the rows is larger than the distance between the trees in rows. This way the crown of fruit trees often intersects at one moment of its life. This way of arranging the seedlings enables inter-row cultivation in one direction, and the rows are positioned to the feasibility of mechanized tillage and the fight against plant pests and pathogens. If the field conditions allow, the direction of the rows is adjusted according to the best lighting, ie. mostly in the north-south direction. This system is used for intensive, but also for semi-intensive and extensive plantations, experience shows that the distances should be at least 10x12m, and even better 10x14m or 12x15m, depending on the vigour of the variety.

TRIANGULAR ARRANGEMENT
This system is used when a pyramidal crown is formed. It is characteristic for semi-intensive and extensive plantations and the distances should be 12-15 m, depending on the vigour of the variety. The seedlings have an equal distance in all directions and it is possible to cultivate the land in young plantations in three directions. Here walnuts are planted on the tops of an equilateral triangle. The trees of every other row are in the rows of alternating rows. In that way, there are 15% more seedlings on the same surface, but this is understood to be to the detriment of nutritious space and especially sunshine. 

ISOHYPSE ARRANGEMENT
The trees are planted according to the isohypse of the terrain applied on steep slopes, where there is a danger of erosion. With this arrangement, the distance between the rows is uneven, uneven rows often appear, which makes processing and other agro-technical measures difficult. The arrangement of fruit trees in the isohypse arrangement is adjusted to the slope of the terrain, but in such a way as to avoid the positioning of short rows. Therefore, it is much better to break the rows at certain points and adjust to the geometric terraces, instead of inserting short rows.