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A walnut tree is one of the most striking pieces of jewelry in many gardens due to its stately appearance and lush crown. This is precisely why you want to develop it optimally in the early years, so that one or the other transplanting is often unavoidable. You can find out how to properly transplant a walnut tree using our instructions in simple, easily reproducible steps.
Transplant walnut tree
First of all, one should deal with the question of whether every walnut tree can be implemented so easily. Because anyone who knows the striking silhouette of an older and therefore already more lush tree rightly asks whether this tree can be transplanted so easily and from what size or age it is no longer possible to transplant it.
In principle, a tree can be moved to a new location at any age. However, the general dimension and the type of root formation make this measure extremely complex from a practical point of view from a certain size, so that a limit of a growth height of around two meters has turned out to be sensible. The walnut tree is considered a strong taproot with very deep root formation. On the other hand, there are hardly any fine and lateral roots, especially in the upper, easily accessible area. If the size of the tree exceeds two meters, it is hardly possible to completely loosen the roots, so that years of trouble or even a partial loss of the crown can be expected.
When to implement?
Once you have determined that the walnut tree in question can definitely still be transplanted, it is important to determine the right time. the fall, or to be more precise, the time after the leaves have been dropped has turned out to be ideal. Because during this time the following advantageous conditions are given:
- Reduced metabolism after defoliation, thus also less root activity and less weakening due to injuries during transplanting
- Winter dormancy allows getting used to the new location without immediate demands for intensive root activity
- Last but not least: Less weight and better handling of the tree due to less water flow in the transport veins and no leaves
Convert walnut tree: instructions
After the question of "if" and "when" was easy to answer, the question of the correct "how" is much more extensive. Our instructions explain step by step how to safely transplant your walnut tree without causing damage and with as little stress as possible for the tree:
1. Planting pit
Before the walnut can find its way to the new location, the planting pit should first be created. In this way, the walnut tree can remain in the old location for as long as possible and suffers as little as possible from the transplanting.
materials/ tools
- shovel or spade
- pickaxe
- Buckets/trailers etc. for storing and transporting the excavated material
- When storing in soil on a meadow or lawn: tarpaulin to protect the grass
- Wooden post, e.g. fence post, minimum length approx. 1.80 to 2.00 metres
- Hammer/ sledgehammer
Action
- Cut off the sod at the selected tree location, loosen and store on the side for later re-installation
- Dimensions of the planting pit: at least the size of the root ball of the walnut plus 50 centimeters on all sides
- Loosen the bottom of the pit and store on the side on a tarpaulin or trailer
- Place the post slightly off-center in the pit and hammer in lightly
2. Dig up walnut tree
Once the new location has been prepared, the next step is to remove the tree from its original territory. The top priority is to dig out as gently as possible in order to keep damage to the roots and the entire tree to a minimum.
materials/ tools
- spade
- pickaxe
- ax / hatchet
Action
- Loosen the lawn sod in the root area, cut off and store on the side
- Dig roots free on all sides
- Dig depth at least 50 centimeters
- Cut off the taproot with a spade, ax or hand hatchet
- Lift tree out of the ground and prepare for transport as described below
danger: Again and again, hobby gardeners tend to only ram the support post into the ground after inserting the walnut. With this procedure, however, the post can cause additional, sometimes considerable damage to the root. Therefore, he should definitely stand in front of the tree in the hole!
3. Transportation of the walnut
If the new location for the walnut tree is within sight, no special measures are required for transport. It can usually be taken straight out of the ground and carried to the new location in one go. For longer transport routes, however, it is advisable to wrap the root ball in a stable tarpaulin and tie it tight. The tarpaulin offers a certain protection against transport damage and specifically prevents drying out. For longer transport routes, it is also advisable to water the root ball before driving it in.
4. Burial and aftercare
Arrived at the new location, one of the most important steps in transplanting comes with the insertion into the soil. Because the more carefully you work here, the greater the probability of successful growth.
material
- shovel
- rope or string
Action
- Set tree in burrow
- Insertion depth no deeper than at the old location!
- Backfill the planting pit evenly on all sides and in layers, always gently tread down or press down the soil to reduce subsequent settlement
- Lay on the cut sod and step on it
- Thoroughly water the soil in the root area
- Tie the walnut tree to the post to secure it until it grows
Tip: Use the excess excavation material from the new planting pit to backfill the old hole. The remaining sods from the new location can also be used to restore the existing space to nature as quickly as possible!