[viettaclark]

Had a mad nut freak-out a couple of years ago and planted hazels which fruited this year (for the squirrels to nick....reminder to self...NET) and a walnut tree which was little more than a stick.
It has grown a titchy bit and the stalk is thicker I think and it had a few leaves this year that have dropped now. There is definitely a main bud but I can't see any more!!
Are walnuts incredibly slow growing?
I'm wondering if I will have shrugged off my mortal coil when it eventually flowers......

[cooperman]

sorry to disappoint you Vietta but seedlings are really a waste of time and will probably be not very good, however it might be ok, and yes you'll more than likely wait a long time.....
IF YOU REALLY WANT A WALNUT TREE then you buy one from a reputable nursery as this will be grafted onto a strong/fast growing rootstock and you'll start to see a real tree growing quite quickly....

[viettaclark]

It was a 3 year old sapling from the nursery but it does seem to grow sooooo slowly I wondered if this is usual.
I think I'll wire it off from the chickens which will let me feed and mulch it better.....

[viettaclark]

Sorry....getting confused with the apples. It was a cell grown plant about 40cm high. So in fact it's grown about 20cms!!!!
I'll get my coat.....

[Trillium]

Some sources say walnuts can produce in 5-7 years, but I suspect those are under ideal conditions and possibly larger saplings. Mature trees can live to 200 years so this would strengthen the info below.


This is from the U of Minnesota Extension service:

NUT PRODUCTION

Walnut trees begin producing nuts when they are about 10 years old, but the best nut production begins when trees are 30 years old. Good nut crops occur in about two out of five years. Open-grown trees with large crowns produce more nuts than woods-grown trees with small crowns, but the number of nuts, frequency of nut crops, and quality of nuts (percentage of kernel to shell, by weight) vary greatly from tree to tree.


Sorry its not one exact answer. When you deal with nature, there are always too many variables 

[Spana]

This might be a help to you
This was mine at planting 7years ago




and this is it this morning

[viettaclark]

I reckon mine is bigger than your first picture by a year or two. So 4/5 years till as big as your second pic.
Have you had any fruit yet?
Think I'll have to accept that it's the kids that will see any nuts if it's 30 years.....if they're still here......

[Spana]

No, haven't had any nuts yet and i dont expect any for at least another 7 years, hope i live that long It was a present from my daughters so i wont ever be able to move house. :happy:

It took a few years to get going and was like you said,  just a thin little stick with a top bud.  Then it must have got its roots down because most of the growth has come in the last few years.
Its very slow to leaf up and every year i wonder if its dead.

[viettaclark]

Thanks for giving me hope, at least Spana!