Lancaster nut: description and characteristics of the variety, planting and care with a photo

You can replenish and diversify the collection of trees on your site with an amazing hybrid plant - Lancaster nut. The original, improved hybrid combines plants from two continents: North America and Japan. Bred artificially, with the help of cross-pollination of heart-shaped walnut and gray walnut. Lancaster winter-hardy walnut is ideal for the climate of central Russia, it is characterized by abundant fruiting.

Description and characteristics of the Lancaster nut

The Lancaster giant got its name from the Botanic Gardens in Lancaster, where it was born.

Man is partially involved in the creation of this hybrid. Breeders inadvertently planted two types of heat-loving nuts next to each other in the nursery. Further, nature took the initiative to create a new plant. As a result of cross-pollination, a new hybrid arose - the Lancaster nut. Having absorbed all the positive characteristics of the parents, the new type of walnut trees improved them and turned into an independent species.

A hybrid is able to independently produce offspring with exactly the same set of properties and characteristics.

Description of the Lancaster walnut:

• A tree with a strong trunk, a wide spreading crown, can reach a height of 10 m.
• Resistant to frost, able to adapt to harsh climates.
• High yield - up to 8 buckets of fruit per tree.
• Excellent taste characteristics of ripe fruits: they taste like walnuts, but there is no bitterness in the fruits due to the low content of tannins.
• Elongated fruits, slightly flattened with an elongated spout, fall to the ground on their own.
• Leaves are used in folk medicine.
• Fruits from the age of six, increasing the number of fruits every year.
• Undemanding to soils and agricultural technology.

The plant impresses with its characteristics and properties: a medicinal tree with strong immunity is not afraid of frost, gives up to 8 buckets of fruits a year.

Main positives and negatives

Lancaster hybrid is difficult to meet in the wild, but in recent years this plant has fallen in love with a large number of gardeners. The main advantages of the species:

• winter hardiness and frost resistance;
• high yield;
• disease resistance;
• stable fruiting;
• excellent taste of ripe fruits;
• medicinal use of plant leaves;
• suitable for long-term storage.

The main disadvantage of the species for planting in household plots is the height of the plant. In adulthood, it can reach 10 m in height. We must carefully consider the choice of location for this tree.

How to grow a variety

Lancaster walnut - a godsend for the Russian gardener. Having perfectly taken root in the middle zone of our country, the hybrid does not require complex care, is loyal to various types of soil, and is capable of breeding.

Date of planting

Planting of young plants is carried out in early spring or late autumn. Here, the walnut is no different from other trees. The main requirements are to choose the right place, planting material and follow the planting technology.

Selecting and preparing a site

Choosing a place for planting a nut on a personal plot is a responsible event. The tree grows very tall and can provide shade for other plants. The nut itself is photophilous: the more sunlight it receives, the faster it will transfer the transplant and delight gardeners with the first fruits.

The hybrid does not impose special requirements on soils, it can be planted both in loamy soil and in soil saturated with sand.

Note: Air pollution also does not scare the giant, these trees are often used for the urban landscape.

Planting material

The seedling must be he althy, with no signs of infectious diseases. Particular attention should be paid to the root system: the roots must be whole, powerful, without signs of decay.

The optimal age of seedlings is 1-2 years. Older plants will take longer to establish. Already in 4-year-old trees, the root system is powerful and sprawling, which does not tolerate transplantation well.

The plant can be grown and propagated by seeds. The nuts that have fallen to the ground in autumn easily endure the winter; to get seedlings next year, it is enough to make small depressions under the fruit and sprinkle with earth. In the spring, not every seed will germinate. Germination will be only 30%. Young plants must be protected from pests, and at the age of 2-3 true leaves, transfer to a permanent place along with a clod of earth so as not to damage the roots of plants.

Fitting technology

Even a novice gardener can handle the rules for planting an exotic nut, the main thing is to follow the sequence of actions:

1. Dig a shallow planting hole: the plant is self-deepening into the soil with the help of a long main root. At the bottom of the pit, you need to put drainage and various fertilizers: rotted manure, peat, humus, sand, wood ash, you can add a little urea.The components are mixed together with the main soil and a little water is added.
2. The seedling is released into the recess neatly, in the center, spreading the roots. Then sprinkled with earth.
3. It is recommended to compact the earth for contact of the root system with the nutrient layer. Then the seedling is watered abundantly.

When planting several trees on the site at the same time, it is necessary to observe the interval between seedlings. Lancaster nut is a giant tree, neighbors should be located at a distance of 5-6 meters from it.

Subtleties of walnut care

The nut hybrid is easy to care for, but it is useful to know some of the nuances when growing it. This knowledge will allow you to quickly get a high-quality and abundant harvest.

Irrigation

The plant does not require frequent watering and tolerates drought with dignity. Regular watering is carried out only in the first three years after planting seedlings in open ground.

In the future, the tree is watered during a long absence of rain and abnormal heat.

Cutting

Lancaster nut is recommended to be trimmed, although this event is not mandatory. The formation of the crown is carried out for the purposes of landscape design: the tree takes shape, becomes neat and well-groomed.

The lower branches are removed to save space on the plot: the tree and its crown go up, the area of the shaded area decreases below, where other plants can be planted. The hybrid survives pruning easily, does not get sick and quickly restores strength.

Fertilizer

The plant does not require additional nutrients. A powerful root system provides the tree with nutrition and mineral components. Light and water are the sources of life for the giant tree.

Diseases and pests of the tree

Strong immunity went to the hybrid from his parents. But still, the plant has enemies - tinder fungi. Parasitizing on the trunk and branches of the victim, they are able to destroy the tree in a few years. Do not plant Lancaster nuts next to old trees affected by these fungi.

If the nut is infected with parasites, it is necessary to remove all dried and affected branches. It is recommended to burn them. Cover saw cuts from cut branches with garden pitch or a mixture of clay and sand. In case of heavy infection, pesticides are used.

Note: To prevent pests, it is recommended to coat tree trunks with lime mortar at a level of 1.5 meters from the ground.

Harvest and storage of crops

The gardener receives the first fruits of his labor in the sixth year of the plant's life. With each subsequent year, the volume of the crop is growing rapidly. Ripe nuts fall to the ground on their own and do not need to be harvested from the tree.

The fruits of the Lancaster hybrid are able to lie all winter. After harvesting, it is necessary to sort, selecting contaminated and rotten fruits. It is recommended to store the crop in canvas bags in a dry, dark place. During the winter, nuts do not lose their beneficial properties, their taste does not deteriorate. In the spring, small roots may appear on the nuts. Such fruits can be planted in the ground and it is very likely that a new tree will grow from them.

The Lancaster nut is an exotic guest that has adapted to the natural and climatic conditions of central Russia. The giant tree will decorate the backyard and give the gardener a bountiful harvest of he althy nuts.

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