Common hazel: planting and care in the suburbs, the best varieties and cultivation

Hazel is a type of hazelnut that gardeners grow in summer cottages. Planting and caring for common hazel in the Moscow region requires a detailed approach in order to get a bountiful harvest. Cultivated varieties of hazel reach a height of 3-4 m and are able to grow for several decades.

Is it possible to grow hazel in the suburbs

Climatic conditions in the suburbs are suitable for the growth of hazel. The region experiences a temperate continental climate with warm, humid summers and relatively mild winters.

The best varieties of hazel for this region

When choosing varieties of hazelnuts for planting in the Moscow region, you should pay attention to the options common among experienced gardeners. These include:

1. Tambov early. The variety of hazel brings a harvest of nuts in the early period, which falls on the beginning to the middle of August. Shrub broad, with large leaves. The fruits have an elongated shape and a yellowish coloration of the shell.
2. Moscow ruby. A variety of shrubs is distinguished by red leaf plates. The plants are vigorous and reach a height of 4 m. Nuts ripen only at the end of September.
3. Firstborn. Nuts of this variety are distinguished by an elongated shape and a sweet aftertaste. The crop ripens in early autumn. During the year, the hazel does not grow much, but actively forms inflorescences.
4. Sugar. Medium-sized fruits containing a large amount of sugar ripen on the shrub. The yield of hazel is high. The leaves and shells of the nuts are cherry-colored.

How to grow a plant

Growing hazelnuts in the suburbs requires compliance with planting technology. In order to get a good harvest in each season, it is also necessary to take into account the optimal time for planting shrubs, choose a place on the site and pre-process the planting material.

When to plant

You can plant hazel in open ground in early spring or autumn. In the case of spring planting, it is important to make sure that there is no risk of returning frosts. When planting in the fall, it may be necessary to use covering material to protect young seedlings.

Place for planting common hazel (hazelnut)

For hazelnuts, well-lit areas that are not exposed to direct sunlight are suitable.Since adult hazel plants will be spreading and form a dense crown, the site should be spacious if several shrubs are planned to be planted. Often, hazel is planted along the fence to provide protection from through blowing.

The type of soil hazelnut is almost unpretentious. Exceptions are acidified or dry land. Loose, fertile soil with a neutral acidity index will be optimal. If the soil is too acidic, it will be necessary to treat with dolomite flour or lime.

Preparation of planting material

Hazel seedlings should be fresh, without damage and rot, with developed roots. Before planting in the ground, the roots are soaked in water mixed with black soil for 3-4 hours. If hazel roots are damaged, they are pruned to a he althy place. Elongated processes shorten.

Boarding process

Dig out planting holes for hazel at the selected site. A distance of at least 4 m is left between plants, and 5 m between rows. A mixture of humus, double superphosphate and potassium sulfate is added to the bottom of the pits a month before planting. In the center of the hole, a hill of earth is poured, on which a seedling is placed. Then the roots are straightened and covered with soil. The root neck should remain 3 cm above the ground.

Plants are watered abundantly and compact the earth. A layer of mulch from sawdust or coniferous branches is laid in the area of the trunk circle.

Subtleties of caring for hazel in the suburbs

When caring for hazelnuts in the Moscow region, you need to take into account a number of nuances. Comprehensive care and proper implementation of agrotechnical methods contribute to the active development of hazel, timely fruiting, obtaining large nuts with high taste characteristics.

Postplant formation

The purpose of post-plant pruning is to restore balance between the ground and roots.In the process of formation, shoots are shortened by cutting off part of the apical buds. If you leave the buds on hazel seedlings, they will bloom and consume a large amount of moisture from the soil.

How to water

Hazel is one of the moisture-loving plants, so abundant moisture is required in spring and summer. Do not allow the soil to dry out, as this will negatively affect the fruiting of the bushes. The frequency of irrigation depends on weather conditions and climate. Drip irrigation is suitable for hazelnuts.

Fertilizer and plant nutrition

Yearly hazelnuts need to be fed with organic fertilizers. For common hazel, a mixture of humus, compost and rotted manure is suitable. As an additional top dressing, it is recommended to use wood ash and nitroammofoska. The use of fertilizers improves the development of plantings and the taste of fruits.

In early June, when nuts are formed on plants, urea is required. When growing hazel in insufficiently fertile soil, the use of nitrogen-containing compounds will be useful.

How to care during flowering

During the flowering period, it is important to carefully care for the shrubs for the further formation of ovaries. When inflorescences appear on the plants, you should increase the abundance of watering and, if necessary, use an additional portion of fertilizer.

Cutting

Pruning shrubs is necessary to eliminate damaged parts of plantings and reduce thickening. When pruning hazel, it is recommended to leave no more than 10 skeletal shoots. It is necessary to complete the formation before fruiting begins. The total height of the hazel after pruning should be 2.5-3 m.

Preparing for wintering

Common hazel has a high winter hardiness. When planting shrubs in the Moscow region, it will be necessary to warm the seedlings for the winter only in the first year after planting. To protect young plants, you can cover them with agrofiber, plastic wrap or other dense material. Low temperatures are especially dangerous for hazel after pollination.

Diseases, pests and prevention

An integrated approach is required in the fight against the attack of harmful insects and the consequences of diseases. Proper agricultural technology, biological and chemical methods help to protect plants. Among the pests for hazel are dangerous:

• nut weevil;
• alder leaf beetle;
• hazelnut barbel.

Pest control consists of hand-picking large insects, destroying plant debris, and spraying plants with insecticides. Treatment can be carried out as a preventive measure 2-3 times during the season.

Diseases affect shrubs less frequently than parasites. A common disease is yellowish-brown spotting, the causative agent of which is a fungus. Due to the influence of the fungus, spots appear on the leaves, which lead to drying out. For control and prevention, fungicidal treatments are carried out.

Shrub propagation

You can increase the number of shrubs on the site through reproduction. The procedure is performed in various ways, depending on the desired result, the characteristics of the variety and environmental conditions.

Layers

The method of propagation by layering allows you to save all the characteristics of the variety in new plants. For propagation on the shoot, an incision is made at a distance of 30 cm from the top. The incision area is treated with a growth stimulator and deepened into the ground with the damaged side. The earth is compacted and watered, and the top of the shoot is fixed to a peg.A year later, the formed seedling is transferred to a permanent place.

Offspring

Hazelnut shoots are formed 2-3 years after planting in a permanent place. Bushes form about 100 root suckers. Powerful offspring can be used for reproduction. To do this, choose 2-3-year-old offspring, cut them off from the bush and place them in a separate container for germination.

Inoculation

To make reproduction by grafting, you need to prepare cuttings for the rootstock. They are separated from the bushes in autumn and stored in snowdrifts. With the onset of spring, a split is made on the mother bush and a cutting is placed in it. The grafting site is treated with garden pitch and wrapped with plastic wrap. Shoots located under the vaccination site are cut.

Dividing the bush

The method of dividing a bush is the simplest and allows you to transfer a complete set of characteristics of a variety to new shrubs. Old hazel trees are dug up, all shoots are removed to a height of 15-20 cm and divided into parts. Each piece should have a stump and a piece of roots.

Collection and storage

Mass harvesting of hazel starts no earlier than August. The main sign of ripening nuts is the darkening of the shell. In addition, some of the nuts begin to crumble. It is necessary to collect the fruits together with the metatarsal wrap, which is removed during the primary processing.

The crop harvested from the bushes is stored in small piles for drying. At the time of storage, the nuts are fully ripened, and the nutrients from the wrapper penetrate into the kernels. Thanks to this process, the taste and nutritional properties of the fruit are significantly increased. Dried fruits are put in cloth or paper bags and placed in a dry, cool place.

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