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Fernor Walnut Tree Options Explained
7 Litre: Around 150-200cm tall in a 7 litre pot, 2-3 years old.
Fernor Walnut Tree
Fernor Walnut Tree is a grafted English walnut variety for buyers who want a modern walnut with late leafing/flowering, useful disease tolerance and large crops. Good for cooler UK gardens or sites where late spring frosts can be a problem, because Fernor starts into growth later than many earlier walnut varieties.
Fernor is usually described as medium vigour with an upright or semi-upright habit. Sizes of around 15m tall x 10m wide can be achieved but use those figures as a guideline rather than a guaranteed final size. This is not a patio walnut tree and should be planted where it has proper garden space.
Fernor is commonly described as lateral-bearing, so it has good cropping potential because nuts can form along more of the branch rather than only at the tips. It can potentially start cropping from around 3 years, with heavier crops as the tree establishes.
The nuts are medium to large, easy to crack and have sweet, good-flavoured, light-coloured kernels that are easy to extract. The kernels are also described as well-filled, with little or no bitterness, making Fernor a good choice for eating fresh, cooking and baking.
Fernor is a late-season walnut, usually ripening late September to October, depending on season and site. It may also be harvested earlier than Chandler, which is useful if you are comparing late-season walnut varieties. The kernels store well, and the well-sealed shells help make Fernor a practical walnut for keeping after harvest. If storing the nuts, they can be dried for 4-5 weeks in a well-ventilated, dry environment and then stored in a cool, dark place. Perfect conditions are 7-10°C.
Young green Fernor walnuts can also be picked early for pickling before the shells fully form. The green husks can stain fingers, so gloves are sensible if you are handling them for pickling. Go glove-free if you truly want green fingers to boast about at the gardening convention or want an aid to your Kermit the Frog impression.
Fernor is often described as partly self-fertile, so it will crop on its own, but walnut yields are usually better with a compatible pollination partner nearby. Fernette is the main variety usually recommended for Fernor, with Franquette, Lara, Broadview and Ronde de Montignac also commonly listed as suitable partners.
Fernor also has fresh green foliage, giving the tree ornamental value as well as a nut crop. The leaves can have a balsamic aromatic scent when bruised, but these have to be physical bruises and not emotional. You won't have a balsamic-smelling garden by yelling abuse at your walnut tree.
Planting a Fernor Walnut Tree
Plant Fernor in full sun or light shade, in a sheltered position away from frost pockets. Its late-leafing and late-flowering habit helps reduce frost risk, but the best results still come from planting it somewhere with enough warmth, light and space to ripen the crop properly.
Fernor is best planted in deep, fertile, well-drained soil.
Dig a generous planting hole, set the tree at the same depth it was growing in the pot, backfill with soil, firm gently and water thoroughly. Keep it watered during dry spells in the first growing season while the roots are establishing.
Useful Information About Fernor Walnut Tree
Fernor is a French Juglans regia variety bred from Franquette x Lara. It was obtained by INRA in Gironde, France, and is now widely planted in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, which helps support its reputation as a useful walnut for cooler European conditions.
Fernor is similar to Fernette, and Fernette is the main pollination partner usually recommended for Fernor.
Few plants may grow well directly beneath walnut trees because of competition from the canopy and root zone, so it is better to give Fernor clear space rather than expecting heavy underplanting below it.
Quick Fruit Tree Links
Take a look at our TOP SELLING FRUIT TREES, Wet ground issues then choose a PEAR TREE first, followed by APPLE TREES.
Fruit Tree Life Expectancy
Most fruit trees will give you AT LEAST 40 years of fruit. Pears can go to 70.
Do I Need To Stake My Bare Root Fruit Tree?
9 out of 10 times the answer will be no, especially if under 200cm tall. However our article on Tree Staking should help guide you.
Planting In The Corner Of A Garden
Air and light is reduced in this location which could promote fungus and bacterial issues. Corners of houses and fences can also suffer leeching issues so we advise against it.
General Walnut Information
Walnuts can be difficult to establish in their first year, and some shoot-tip dieback can happen while young trees settle in. To improve their chances, water well during dry spells and keep grass and weeds cleared from around the base of the tree, ideally to about 1 metre across. Walnut trees tolerate a range of soils, but they establish best in deep, fertile, well-drained soil in a sunny, sheltered position.
Most walnut trees sold for fruit are grafted rather than grown from seed. Grafted walnut trees usually give more predictable variety characteristics, better size and shape consistency, and earlier cropping than seed-grown walnuts. Some grafted walnut varieties can start cropping within a few years of planting, depending on the variety, tree size, growing conditions and establishment.
If you are going to pickle walnuts, pick them in late June or early July, before the shell has properly hardened.
To improve fruiting, some growers use a technique called girdling, ringing or cincturing. This deliberately restricts the flow of sap to reduce vegetative growth and encourage fruiting. It must be treated with caution: if done too tightly, too deeply, for too long, or in the wrong place, it can damage or even kill the tree. RHS notes that ringing is used in fruit production but is not advised for home gardeners because of the risk if done incorrectly. Anyone considering it should research the technique properly first and understand the risk before trying it.
Ideal conditions for walnut trees are deep, fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil, full sun, shelter from strong winds and avoidance of frost pockets. If the soil is poor, improve the wider planting area with well-rotted organic matter rather than creating a rich isolated pocket in the planting hole.
Walnuts are large trees, so check the expected mature size of the variety before planting. Many need a generous open position rather than a small garden corner. A nitrogen-rich feed or a quality mulch in early spring can help keep the tree healthy, especially while it is establishing.
Walnut shells have interesting uses in industry. They are used for cleaning and polishing materials such as soft metals, plastics, wood, stone and fibreglass.
Walnut trees can produce juglone, a natural compound that may suppress the growth of some nearby plants. The issue is generally associated more strongly with black walnut, Juglans nigra, but English/Persian walnut, Juglans regia, can still produce juglone to a lesser degree. Avoid planting very sensitive plants directly beneath or very close to walnut trees, especially under the canopy where roots, fallen leaves and husks are concentrated. Shade, dry soil and root competition can also make planting under an older walnut difficult.
Seed-grown Juglans regia can take many years to crop, which is one reason grafted walnut varieties are usually preferred for fruit production.
Walnuts are one of the oldest tree foods known to have been used by people, with records commonly traced back thousands of years. The common walnut is often associated with Persia and the wider region around modern Iran, and walnut trees were introduced to Britain by the Romans.
Walnut trees can be long-lived, and established trees may remain productive for many decades in good conditions.
Walnuts are energy-dense and contain unsaturated fats, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Per 100g of shelled walnut, they contain approximately:
65g of fat, most of which is unsaturated fat
15g of protein
14g carbohydrates
7g dietary fibre
Calories per 100g: around 650
Per 100g of shelled walnut, they also contain approximately:
441mg potassium
346mg phosphorus
158mg magnesium
98mg calcium
3.4mg manganese
3.1mg zinc
2.9mg iron
1.6mg copper
98µg folate
0.54mg vitamin B6
0.34mg thiamin
General Walnut Tree Pollination
All walnut trees have male catkins and female flowers. In a perfect world, the male pollen release happens at the same time as the female flowers are ready to accept it and maximum pollination occurs giving largest possible walnut fruit harvest. Some walnuts have a time gap between the males releasing pollen to the females being ready to accept it i.e. smaller crop. By having another walnut tree that releases pollen at the same time as your female flowers are ready to accept it, you can increase the size of your walnut crop.
Unfortunately, pollination is not always a two way process like apples and other fruits so some combinations may mean only one tree has increased fruit yield. Our suggestions for partners give you maximum harvest size.
General Walnut Tree Pruning
Walnut trees need less pruning than apples, pears or plums. The aim is to build a strong, open tree, remove badly placed growth and avoid heavy cutting unless there is a clear reason.
The safest time to prune walnut trees is from mid-summer to early autumn, while the tree is still in leaf. If you absolutely must, this can be extended into early winter, but avoid pruning in late winter or spring because walnut trees can bleed sap heavily if cut at the wrong time. Choose a dry pruning day with good weather forecast to help cuts dry out. Do not use tree wound sealant, as this can trap pathogens.
For a young walnut tree, keep pruning light. Remove dead, damaged, diseased, crossing or badly placed shoots. If the tree is forming a poor shape, choose a good main leader and well-spaced side branches, then remove competing leaders or awkward branches before they become large.
Some inward-growing young shoots may be trained into a better position rather than cut out. Do not tie string tightly around a walnut branch, as this can restrict growth. Use a loose loop, rubber tree tie or another non-restricting method.
For an established walnut tree, prune only where there is a clear reason. Remove dead wood, crowded or crossing branches, and any low limbs that are in the way. Avoid heavy cutting and do not try to keep the tree small by hacking it back; walnuts respond better to early training and light correction than hard pruning later.
Walnut Tree Shaping For Light And Higher Yields
A walnut tree with a clear main leader and well-spaced side branches is usually easier to train into a strong, open shape. Good spacing helps light and air reach more of the canopy, which supports healthy growth and cropping.
The basic aim is to avoid the upper branches becoming too dominant and shading the lower branches. On young trees, remove or shorten badly placed competing growth early, before it becomes large. Keep the branches well spaced from each other to promote light and air through the canopy.
A bush-shaped walnut tree, where several main branches start low to the ground, is best pruned lightly to keep the centre open and reduce crossing, crowded or inward-growing branches.
Training young side branches to a wider, more horizontal angle can help create a stronger, better-lit branch structure and may improve cropping potential.
