Common hazel is a shrub known as hazel, or hazelnut. This fruiting plant is popular with gardeners. And this is not surprising, because the culture is unpretentious. In addition, every year it gives a rich harvest of tasty and he althy nuts. You will learn how to care for the plant from this material.
Description
Common hazel is a bright representative of the Birch family. In its natural environment, the plant is found in the forests of southern Europe, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Belarus, central Russia and Cyprus. The plant is a long-liver, and can grow in one place for 70 years.
Shrub reaches 7 meters in height and 4 meters in diameter. The crown of the culture is spherical or ovoid with a cone-shaped top. The leaves are wide, round with small notches along the edges.
Flowers are monoecious and same-sex. Male inflorescences develop in autumn and by spring turn into long earrings in the shape of a cylinder. Female buds appear in late March - early April. After flowering, a fruit is formed - a nut up to 2 cm in diameter. It ripens in late summer - early autumn.
Breeders have bred many varieties of hazel. Popular varieties are:
- Firstborn.
- Sugar.
- Academician Yablokov.
- Tambov early.
Each of these varieties will be the pride of the gardener. In addition, their cultivation does not need to spend a lot of time and effort. The main thing is to provide the hazel with comfortable conditions, and he will definitely please with a harvest.
Choosing a seat
For culture, choose a lighted area. But at the same time, make sure that the hazelnuts are protected from drafts and gusts of wind.
The best place for a nut will be an area near the western or southern wall of the building. At the same time, keep a distance of 4-5 meters between the buildings and the hazel. Maintain the same distance from trees.
Common hazel, the photo of which is presented above, does not tolerate stagnant moisture at the roots. Therefore, in no case should it be planted in a lowland or in wetlands. It is desirable that groundwater runs at a depth of 1.5 meters from the surface.
As for the soil, light, breathable and fertile soils with a slightly acidic or neutral reaction are preferred for cultivation.
How to choose a seedling
For planting, choose strong shrubs with 3-4 shoots. The diameter of the branches should reach 1–1.5 cm. Pay attention to the roots of the culture. Themlength should be about 50 cm.
Keep in mind that for normal pollination, at least three shrubs should be planted in one area, and preferably different varieties.
Planting common hazel
Shrubs should be planted in late autumn 2-3 weeks before the cold weather. But a month before planting, be sure to prepare the site. To do this, dig the soil and make holes for the plants. Then the earth will have time to settle and compact.
If the soil is fertile, holes with a diameter and depth of 50 cm are enough. In depleted soil, make holes with dimensions of 80 x 80 cm. Keep a distance of 4–5 meters between shrubs. Distance between rows - 6 meters.
For planting, mix the excavated soil with 15 kg of rotted manure. Add 2 cups of wood ash or 200 g of superphosphate to the soil.
So, how to plant common hazel:
- Cut the roots of the seedlings to a length of 25 cm, then immerse them in a clay-dung mash.
- Form a mound of earth in the center of the depression and place a bush on it.
- Fill the seedling with soil mixture, while making sure that the root neck is located 5 cm above ground level.
- Lightly tamp the soil, drive in a peg and tie the plant to it.
- Water the planting with 3-5 buckets of water.
- After the moisture is absorbed, mulch the near-trunk circle of the shrub with a 3-5 cm layer of decaying sawdust, peat or humus.
If you didn’t have time to plant a hazel tree in the fall, then postpone the event to early spring. But still prepare the culture pits beforethe beginning of the cold. During the winter, the soil is saturated with moisture and compacted well. Spring planting is no different from autumn. Although at first it is desirable to shade the seedlings from the bright sun.
Irrigation
Regular moistening of seedlings is the main rule of care. It is advisable to water the common hazel after planting in the second week. Indeed, due to lack of moisture, flower buds are poorly formed, which will further lead to a decrease in crop yield.
In spring-summer it is enough to water the plant once a month. But in dry and hot weather, moisture should be increased. Use 6-8 buckets of water for each adult bush per watering. At the same time, moisten the plant in portions so that moisture is absorbed and not accumulated on the surface.
In autumn, common hazel has enough precipitation. But if the season turned out to be dry, then watering the shrub 1-2 times will be useful.
The next day after moistening or rain, be sure to loosen the soil in the trunk circle. Otherwise, a dense crust will form, which will block the access of air to the roots of the crop.
Mulching soil
This event will save you most of your problems. After all, the mulch will not allow weeds to grow near the shrub, and you will not need to constantly weed the seedling. It will also help retain moisture in the soil. For mulch, use peat or rotted straw.
Sow mustard, oats or lupins near the shrub. Mow the grass when it grows. But do not remove the straw, but leave it under the crop. Then you kill "two birds with one stone" -dried grass will share useful substances, in addition, it will become a good mulch for the plant.
Feeding
In spring, common hazel (hazelnut) needs nitrogen fertilizers. Therefore, as soon as the buds swell, add 20–30 g of ammonium nitrate or urea to the near-stem circle of the bush.
Once every 2-3 years, it is advisable to feed an adult hazel with phosphorus and potassium. To do this, enter under each bush:
- manure - 3-4 kg;
- superphosphate - 50 g;
- potassium s alt - 20-30 g.
Feed young seedlings with organic matter in a year. To do this, add 10 kg of rotted manure or compost under each bush.
Cutting
It is desirable to start this event in winter. But some gardeners prefer to cut the hazel in the spring, at a late stage of flowering. It is believed that this improves the pollination of the crop and further increases the yield.
During pruning, remove broken, dried or damaged shoots. For a normal yield, a shrub needs 10 strong branches growing in different directions. Therefore, cut out excess and intertwined shoots so that the middle of the bush does not thicken.
For adult crops aged 18–20 years, it is desirable to carry out anti-aging pruning. Cut out 2-3 old trunks annually, but leave the same number of root suckers growing closer to the center of the plant. Also, shorten new skeletal branches. This stimulates the growth of side shoots.
Collectionharvest
To collect common hazel nuts should be in late August - early September. Determine the ripeness of hazelnuts by the condition of the wrapper. It should turn yellow or brown, and the fruit itself is easily removed from the leaves.
After harvest, spread the nuts in a thin layer in a well-ventilated area to dry. After 4-5 days, peel the fruits from the remnants of the wrapper and store in a cool, dry place.
Preparing for winter
Adult shrubs are frost-resistant and calmly endure the cold period. But young animals under the age of 4–6 years need to make shelter for the winter. To do this, cover the bushes with lutrasil. In addition, you can bend the plants to the ground and throw them with spruce branches, and then with a layer of snow. Then the shoots will not freeze.
Reproduction
You can propagate common hazel in several ways. The most popular hazelnut breeding methods among gardeners are:
- Horizontal layers. Start this event in early spring or late autumn. Choose annual shoots, lay them in furrows 10-15 cm deep. Secure the branches, but do not cover them with earth. Don't forget to shorten the top. The buds of the layering will give vertical shoots that need to be spud up to the middle of the height. After 1-2 years, roots form on the branches, and they can be transplanted to a separate area.
- Green cuttings. For propagation, use young shoots of 1–2 years of age. Proceed to cuttings in early to mid-summer. Cut strong shoots with 2-3 buds and root them in a mixture of peat andsand. Planting, provide abundant watering, while moistening not only the soil, but also the leaves of the shoots.
- Root shoots. This method is suitable for shrubs over the age of three. For propagation, separate a part of the rhizome from the mother plant and place it in a greenhouse. Ensure frequent watering and ventilation of the seedling. When the plant gets stronger, remove the shelter. Transplant hazel to a permanent place after 1-2 years.
- Dividing the bush. Dig up an adult hazel and cut it into pieces. At the same time, make sure that each seedling has a root 15-20 cm long. Treat the cuts with crushed charcoal and plant the plants in pre-prepared pits.
Diseases and pests
Hazel is endowed with strong immunity, but in some cases, gardeners have to deal with such diseases:
- Powdery mildew. A symptom of the disease is the appearance of a light coating on the leaves and shoots of the shrub. In the future, it thickens and turns brown. The affected areas weaken and eventually die off.
- Rust. Dark red tubercles form on the upper part of the foliage. And on the underside, they take the form of oval or round pustules. As the disease progresses, the affected areas turn into stripes. The foliage of the culture turns yellow and falls off.
At the first sign of illness, treat the bush with fungicides. Bordeaux liquid and blue vitriol do an excellent job with these diseases. But it is much easier to prevent the occurrence of diseases than to fight them. So provide hazelnutsgood care and perform all agrotechnical measures, and then you will not have problems with the culture.
More often hazel is affected by pests. Often gardeners have to deal with such parasites:
- bud mite;
- aphid;
- nut weevil;
- hazelnut barbel;
- nut leaf beetle.
If you find these pests on a hazel tree, then spread a film under the bush and try to shake off the insects. Then do not forget to burn the parasites away from the culture. If the invasion of pests could not be stopped, then treat the shrub with insecticides. Good help against insects drugs "Aktellik", "Chlorophos" and "Karbofos".
A novice gardener can also grow a hazel on a personal plot, because a non-capricious character and love of life are qualities for which common hazel is valued. Planting and caring for a plant will not take you much time and effort. And if you provide the bush with a minimum of attention, then it will surely thank you with a harvest of delicious nuts.
