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Even despite the fact that the walnut belongs to a purely southern plant, its fruits have long been very popular in Russia. Their use is known both in cooking and for medicinal purposes. People's love did not bypass its attention and the shell of a nut. The outer shell was used primarily for the manufacture of various tinctures and decoctions. But the use of walnut shells in the garden deserves no less attention, especially in those regions where you can collect a significant harvest of these fruits.
Useful properties of walnut shells
Many do not at all recognize at least any benefit from the use of the shell of this nut and believe that the easiest way is to just throw it in the trash can. Owners of their own house with stove heating or at least with a bathhouse on the site still recognize the possibility of its use as a good kindling. Indeed, the shell burns well, while generating quite a lot of heat.
More advanced gardeners consider it expedient to use the ash obtained from burning the shell for the garden and other household needs. But this is not the end of the scope of its application. You just need to take a closer look at its composition in order to understand that the peel can be used not only in the garden, but also when growing plants at home.
So, what is included in the walnut shell:
- like many plants, it is more than 60% fiber;
- extractive substances also occupy a solid volume in its composition - more than 35%;
- proteins make up 2.5% of its volume, and fats - 0.8%;
- ash compounds occupy about 2%;
But, besides this, the peel includes:
- amino acids;
- steroids and alkaloids;
- organic, including phenol carboxylic acids;
- coumarins;
- proteins;
- vitamins and minerals;
- tannins.
Many of these substances, to one degree or another, affect the growth processes that occur with plants. Some of them in small quantities serve as growth stimulants, especially the development of the root system. With an increase in the concentration used, they can also serve as growth and development inhibitors.
Tannins and some other substances can serve to restore damaged tissues in plants, and can fight many harmful microorganisms.
Using walnut shells in the garden
In those areas where walnuts are grown on an industrial scale (from several trees on the site), it is most advisable to use its shell in the garden in the form of drainage. In the lowered areas of the site, where water stagnation often occurs, several bags of shells are poured and evenly distributed. You can use walnut shells to create a drainage layer when planting seedlings of ornamental and fruit crops, as well as to create tall beds in the garden.
But the peel of the nut can be useful as drainage and in small quantities when growing seedlings or houseplants. To do this, when transplanting, the bottom of each flower pot or container is covered with a layer of shells from 2 to 5 cm high, depending on the size of the container itself. From above, the container is filled with soil to a depth not less than the height of the drainage layer.
This is done so that excess moisture does not stagnate in the recesses of the shell.
In the presence of large volumes of walnut shells, it is actively used as a mulching material in the garden and in the garden. That is, to maintain optimal soil moisture, so that you do not need to water the plants again. For trees and shrubs, you can use either halves of the shell, or pieces, about 1.5-2 cm in size. For mulching flower beds and beds in the garden, the shell is crushed with a hammer to a finer fraction. The optimal size of the pieces should not exceed 0.5 cm. So that the mulch not only has a moisture-retaining function, but also protects against weeds, it is necessary to make the layer thickness at least 4.5-5 cm.
And the largest pieces of shells can be used to create or decorate paths in the garden or vegetable garden. In this case, the layer thickness should already be much larger - from 10 cm or even more. But even then, pieces of the shell can eventually sink into the ground, especially with good compaction. To prevent this from happening, it is advisable to initially remove the sod in the place of future paths and cover the entire surface with dense black material. A layer of prepared walnut shells is already placed on it. At the very end of the work, the pedestrian zone should be compacted as much as possible.
The most popular way to use walnut shells in the garden is to add it to the soil as a fertilizer or loosening agent. True, in this case, it is necessary to grind the shell to an almost powdery state with pieces of no more than 1-2 mm in size.
But there are several problems here:
- Firstly, crushing the shell to such a fine state is a rather laborious operation, and not all gardeners are ready to go for it.
- Secondly, many gardeners are afraid of the adverse effect of walnut shells on plants in the garden due to the content of the natural antibiotic juglone in the fruits.
But juglone is found primarily in the roots, bark, leaves, and green skin of walnuts. As the fruit ripens, its concentration in the shell decreases sharply. In addition, there is the most optimal way to cope with both problems - to burn the peel of the nut, and use the resulting ash as fertilizer in the garden. As a result, you do not have to perform laborious actions to crush the shell, and all substances unsafe for plants will evaporate.
The very same ash from burning walnut shells contains at least 6-7% calcium, about 20% potassium, 5% phosphorus, and, in addition, a varied amount of trace elements presented in the most assimilable form for plants: magnesium, iron, zinc, sulfur and others.
The use of ash from burning the peel is possible in two ways: simply by mixing it into the soil or using it dissolved in warm water for irrigation or spraying of plants.
The main thing to remember is that the walnut shell is saturated with a large amount of biologically active substances. Therefore, it should be used with caution. You can try to start with small doses, if the effect is only positive, then the scope of its application in the garden should be expanded.
Experienced gardening tips
Experienced gardeners are advised to approach the use of walnut shells in a complex manner. Grind as little of it as possible and add it to the soil for growing tomato and pepper seedlings to improve the texture.
Larger particles are great for planting already adult tomato seedlings and for laying cucumber beds in the garden as drainage.
If there are still concerns about using the shells fresh for the garden, they can be placed in the compost pile and any negative impact on the microbiological composition of the soil can be avoided.
Many lovers of organic farming try to form tall or warm ridges; even unmilled peel is also ideal as a filler for their lower layer.
Some growers use crushed shells to sprinkle potted soil to keep it loose and not crust over from harsh irrigation water.
Ash obtained from burning nut peels is an ideal fertilizer for almost all types of garden crops and flowers. Only use it in moderation. As its composition is more concentrated than that of ordinary wood ash.
Conclusion
The use of walnut shells in the garden is very diverse. If desired, even a small amount can be used to benefit plants or seedlings. And those who are lucky enough to grow walnuts on their plots can afford to dispose of this product for the benefit of both plants and the garden itself.
