Presentation
The nursery specialises in the production of grafted walnut seedlings, under INRA-CTIFL control. It also produces Juglans Regia (English Walnut) trees and hybrid walnut trees.
Our Juglans Regia and hybrid rootstocks are rigorously selected for their vigour and rooting quality. The grafts are harvested from our stock plant orchards made up of the best clones of each variety. Grafting is carried out following the Cadillac method ensuring successful graft union.
As a walnut and walnut tree specialist for four generations, we can provide you with the best advice necessary for the success of your plantation:
Plants
Pépinoix walnut plants are marketed bare root and available in several sizes:
- One-year old grafts: 20 to 60 cm
- Two-year old grafts: 150/200 cm and +200 cm
Our walnuts variety
Chandler
Fernor
Ferouette
Corne
Ferjean
Fernette
Fertignac
Franquette
Grandjean
Hartley
Serr
Lara
Marbot
Mayette
Parisienne
I plant a walnut tree
Check out our tips
To plant your walnut tree, choose a place sheltered from strong winds and be aware that the plant is susceptible to spring frosts. If the tree has no specific soil requirements, extreme cases, such as acidic soils, or conversely very alkaline soils and asphyxiants, should be avoided.
You can plant your tree in both autumn (end of November and December) and spring (February to March). Before plantation you can cut the injured roots and the ends of each root to promote recovery.
Once the soil conditions have been met (dried and loosened earth), you can then begin planting:
1
Dig a hole 50cm deep
2
Position the tree taking care to keep the graft union above ground level
3
Spread the roots out
4
Refill the hole with a good amount of stone-free soil
The behaviour of your walnut plants
In the first few years, you must keep the area around your tree clean (weeding, hoeing or mulching) to prevent grass competition. Expect to have 2 applications of complete fertiliser: 1/3 at the start of April and 2/3 at the end of May; the amount depends on the richness of the soil and the size of the tree.
After 5 years you will start on maintenance cutting, involving the removal of dead wood and the low branches to aerate the tree, improve light penetration and increase vigour.
Harvesting Grenoble walnuts
It’s autumn, the leaves fall and the nuts are picked up by shovel.
The time has come to gather the nuts;
The nuts will fall gradually and the harvest will last 2 to 3 weeks.
Regular harvesting prevents the nuts from staying on the ground too long and rotting.
As soon as the nuts are collected, dry them in wooden crates and store in a cool, dry and aerated place.
Insects, diseases: problems and solutions
In young trees:
- If the ends of the leaflets curl up causing shrivelling, then it is ringworm
- Dentate leaves indicate weevil.
In adult trees:
- Yellow insects gathered along the main vein are aphids
- Clusters of “black sawdust” are a worm attack on the walnut
- Oily black spot with a yellow halo: bacteriosis is the most occurring disease on the walnut tree
- Light grey spot surrounded by black indicates anthracnose
The presence of pests on your tree does not warrant systematic intervention. If the aphid colonies develop too much you can control them with an anti-aphid multi-culture sold at all garden centres. If the bacteriosis cause a significant amount of nuts to fall, a treatment of Bordeaux mixture is useful when applied at the “leaflet spreading” stage.