In Russia, there are four main types of hazel: common, variegated, Manchurian and tree (or bear nut).
Common, variegated and Manchurian hazel are large multi-stemmed shrubs. The height of the Manchurian walnut under favorable growing conditions can reach 12-15 m (and higher) by the age of 25-30. The bear nut is a slender tree up to 25-28 m in height with a trunk diameter of 30-50 cm (up to 90 cm), a narrow almost cylindrical crown and reaches 200 years of age. All these species grow well in the Northwest. Below we will focus on common hazel.
 |
Common hazel
What is hazel valued for? First, for its benefits. Nuts are highly nutritious. Kernels contain up to 77% fat, up to 18% protein, vitamins, and minerals. Walnut oil is obtained from the kernels of nuts, which is used for food. It tastes and smells like almond oil. Walnut oil belongs to fast-drying oils, does not change the color of paints and therefore is used in painting and paint and varnish industry, perfumery. Nut cake is used to make halva. Hazel bark contains 8-10% tannins. In the wrapping of fruits and leaves of hazel, the tannin content is higher - up to 15%. Secondly, hazel is an excellent soil-fixing breed. It is used to anchor the slopes of gullies and ravines, slopes and steep slopes. It gives a large number of root branches and thereby holds the soil layer together, preventing wash-outs and landslides. Hazel is used both in clean plantings and in mixed plantings when laying forest belts, arranging garden plantings, green hedges. Common hazel, like a wild-growing shrub, is widespread throughout Russia (occupies an area of about a million hectares) and grows in a wide variety of soil and climatic conditions, therefore its southern and northern, western and eastern forms are not the same in their winter hardiness. Therefore, whenever possible, you should use local seed material or take it from the nearest areas. In our region, hazel thrives on the edge of a mixed spruce-deciduous forest and a wet mowing meadow; along the border of a spruce-deciduous forest, turning into a swamp; along glades, along the edge of clearings, burnt-out areas and wet forest ditches under the canopy of large spruces. It grows like a wild shrub in the Pskov, Novgorod, Leningrad regions, as well as in the Vologda region. Common hazel (Corylus avellana) belongs to the genus Corylus, the Berezov family. There are large-fruited forms of hazel (Corylus maxima), (synonyms: Filbert, Hazelnut, Lombard nut). Some large-fruited forms of hazel have a maroon leaf color. Sometimes large-fruited forms of common hazel are called hazelnuts. This is not true, since hazelnut is a Turkic word and means a nut. Among tree species, hazel is considered a shrub. It is a monoecious plant with dioecious flowers. Male flowers in hazel are single, collected in long, dense cylindrical drooping earrings and are placed on the inner side of the scales covering the earring. Earrings are laid in summer in July, finally formed by autumn and bloom in spring. During flowering, the covering scales open slightly, and the earrings become "loose", hanging beautifully softly. The female flowers are collected in scaly buds, similar to leaf buds. They are collected in bunches of 2-5 pieces. Female buds are usually located at the ends of the shoots. The fruit is a nut, surrounded by a leaf-like, strongly serrated envelope at the edges. The envelope is formed from the bracts of the female flower. There are forms of hazel, in which the fruits ripen at the beginning of August, in other forms the fruits ripen only by October.The size and shape of the nuts, the size and shape of the wrapper in common hazel are different. Nuts are found round and elongated, with a thin and thick shell, relatively large and small, dark and light colored. With the mass culture of hazel, you can always find forms that are distinguished by the most valuable decorative, economic characteristics, increased productivity, size and shape of the nut. Hazel is a wind-pollinated plant. Hazel blossoms in spring, long before the leaves open. The flowering time is different and depends to a large extent on the location of the plant. The beginning of flowering of male and female flowers depends on the meteorological conditions of winter and spring. In our region, this is the first decade of April (plus or minus a week, depending on the meteorological conditions of the year). Flowering lasts about two weeks. Many hazel varieties require the planting of pollinators to increase yields. Under the condition of cross-pollination (i.e., the presence of two genetically different plants next to each other), in the fall (in our region this is the second half of September), edible spherical nuts ripen. In the first years, hazel grows slowly, blooms from 11 years old, then grows quickly, the age of life (approximately 80-90 years). However, the data presented in the literature are contradictory. I know how hazel seedlings bloomed in the 5-6th year and bore fruit well. With a good choice of planting site, hazel grows quickly. Hazel is a mycorrhizal plant. Mycorrhiza is the cohabitation of plant roots with some fungi, which form plexuses of mushroom filaments at the ends of the feeding roots whitish gray or brown. Mycorrhiza helps plants absorb nutrients and water from the soil. Its absence slows down the growth of the plant. Therefore, when laying hazel in new areas, it is necessary to sprinkle its roots with mycorrhizal soil. The land can be taken in the nearest forest areas where hazel (or spruce or oak) grows, choosing the lower layer of forest litter and humus soil horizon by 10-15 cm. The rate of application of mycorrhizal soil when planting seedlings is 0.5 kg / m2. The root system of hazel is strong and rod-shaped. It spreads in the surface layers of the soil, fixing it well on steep slopes and cliffs. The hazel tree tolerates transplanting well only in youth. Hazel is not demanding on the soil. It grows in a variety of soils, but not with the same success. Hazel works well on both light and cohesive clay soils. It prefers permeable, moist, nutrient-rich soils, thrives on fertile, drained, acid-neutral soils, but grows on slightly acidic soils. Hazel trees also grow on poor moist soils, but in these cases they greatly reduce yields and suffer from frost. The soil on the site allotted for the establishment of hazel may be moderately moist, but with a well-permeable subsoil and groundwater not higher than 1 m from the soil surface. Hazel trees are laid both out of the blue and on the slopes. When laying hazel on the slopes, preference is given to the northern, northeastern, western and northwestern ones, in order to delay the beginning of flowering for a while and protect the flowers from frost. on these slopes, the minimum fluctuations in daily temperatures. This is especially important for hazel in spring, because pollen, which is not damaged down to -30 ° C in winter, freezes in spring at temperatures below -7 ° C. For planting hazel on flat areas and on slopes with a steepness of up to 150, conventional tillage is used. In the case of a high level of groundwater, a drainage network is carried out or planted in a hill. On steep slopes, in beams and on areas inconvenient for processing, trees are planted in pre-prepared pits 35-40 cm deep and a meter wide. Hazel seedlings are planted not on terraces, but on a natural slope without disturbing it.With this method of planting, the roots of hazel seedlings can spread freely in all directions. The cultivation of the land on water and air permeable soils is carried out at 25 cm, and on heavy soils - to a depth of 40-45 cm. In arid and leeward places, the hazel must be provided with irrigation water and protected from the winds (windbreaking plantings). Hazel loves good lighting, so it is better to plant it along the edge of the site, but it also tolerates partial shade. Hazel has many decorative forms: In Russia, hazelnut breeding and breeding are carried out in a nursery near Moscow in the village of Ivanteevka. "Ivanteevka", "Akademik Yablokov" (red-leaved variety), "Moscow early", "Moscow Ruby" (red-leaved variety), "Pervenets", "Sugar", "Tambov early", "Ivanteevsky red", "Kudrive", " Purple "," Michurinsky ". These are the best varieties in our country and in the European zone. However, many forms of hazel that grow wild in nature have good qualities. There are data in the literature on different methods of breeding hazel, but in the North-West the most reliable and simple way is propagation by seedlings. Ripe nuts germinate well and seedlings grow quickly. The easiest way to sprout nuts is. At the end of September, in a protected place, we dig a planting hole with a diameter of about 50 cm and a depth of 20-15 cm. We choose a place so that there is no water in the hole during thaws and in spring when the snow melts (so that the nuts do not wither). The hole can be dug with a slight slope so that in spring melt water flows out of it and so that the bottom is turned towards the falling sun rays. At the bottom we pour a layer of sand, a layer of fertile soil (about 5 cm), then we lay out a layer of fresh, ripe, fallen nuts and fill it with mature compost soil to the top. In addition, on top we pour a layer of "breathable mulch" (under the "compress" of the weeping mulch, the nuts will be shaken off). As mulch, you can use a dry leaf, plant residues (such as perennial stems cut for the winter, etc.). The next year, from late May to mid-June, nuts, as a rule, germinate in unison. By the beginning of August, they have 3-4 adult leaves and from the end of July - mid-August they can be transplanted to a permanent place or for growing. Young nuts grow quickly. It is impractical to grow them for more than three years, taking into account the core root system of hazel. In the literature, it is recommended to plant both in spring and autumn. There is an opinion among foresters that the best time for planting hazel seedlings is autumn. The optimal transplant time in our region is the end of July, August, the first week of September. When planting later, survival is not guaranteed. Plants, planted in warm, moist soil, tolerate transplanting well, root well in three autumn months and hibernate normally. When transferring hazel from the forest to the planting site, the root system (as for all mycorrhizal plants) must be carefully covered, because drying it is extremely harmful to the survival rate and further development of the plant. The best survival rate is when the roots of the seedlings are about 10-15 cm. When transplanting, a water mash from the mycorrhizal soil is added to the bottom of the planting pit, fertile soil is added, well spilled with water or dung mash. When planting, the root collar should be 3-4 cm above the ground. This will allow you to later correct possible planting flaws (soil subsidence, etc.).When the root collar is deepened, the bush will grow poorly and the beginning of fruiting will be delayed by 2-3 years (the same picture is observed in spruce). After planting, watering and breathable mulching of the trunks are highly desirable. 2-3 bushes are planted - for pollination. This increases the yield. For the formation of hazel after planting, it is necessary to trim the seedlings above the fifth or sixth bud, counting from the bottom. Such pruning in the first year causes root growth, which, when formed, gives rise to a mother bush. Hazel practically does not get sick. In some years, there are brown-spotted leaves and powdery mildew. The diseased leaves are collected and burned. No need for chemistry. Sometimes the hazel is affected by the kidney mite and the ear gall midge. They are collected and destroyed. For the first 3-4 years, the trunks are well kept free of weeds. Hazel is a very moisture-loving plant. The hazel is responsive to watering. Adult plants are fed 10 kg of rotted manure for each bush every 2-3 years. The bush is formed from 6-10 stems. From the age of 20, the bush needs to be gradually rejuvenated. In the literature, it is recommended to cut 2-3 trunks annually, but this is a controversial point. The trunk in the bush, like the branch of the currant bush, itself "tells" when it is time to remove it. Old bushes need to be lightened. It is reasonable to combine rejuvenation and lightening. Cut off little by little (measure 7 times, cut 1). Pruning times are different than those of fruit trees. The bush is lightened and old trunks are cut out in the fall at the end of October - November. The trunks are cut close to the ground, the cuts are cleaned with a knife. Tall stumps from growing branches give a strong thickening bush overgrowth, which is difficult to control. In cases where, with a normal number of shoots, the bush is still shaded, it is necessary to cut the side branches, observing the same rules that apply when pruning fruit trees. These works are best done during summer pruning. For our region, these are the second and third weeks of July. Some gardeners shape the shrub into a tree. I take care of my hazel mainly in the fall. At the end of September - October I do pruning and cutting. I pollinate the trunks with ash, I bring in "Kemira Universal" at the rate of two good handfuls on a large bush. If possible, I feed it with rotted manure. Hazel is very responsive to breathable coniferous mulching (fragments of spruce branches, remains of spruce stumps and bark, needles). In the garden, the survival strategy of the plant is important to us. In nature, certain tree and shrub communities have developed - phytocenoses, in which the species growing nearby develop normally. This must be taken into account when creating woody-shrub compositions in the garden. Favorable neighbors for hazel are spruce, pine, oak, viburnum, bird cherry, euonymus, pear, apple. It is especially good for him to live next to the spruce. "Garden affairs" No. 8 - 2012
Botanical description and biological features
Pick-up location
Varieties and forms
Recommended varieties for the Northwest:
Reproduction
Landing in a permanent place
Planting care
