Chestnuts are very useful for humans. Some varieties produce edible nuts, which are used for cooking.. Whether chestnut can be grown at home from a nut and how to plant it will be discussed further.
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Is it possible to grow chestnut at home
To acquire your chestnut alley, it is not necessary to acquire expensive seedlings. It is possible to grow trees from a nutlet.
More than 30 types of chestnut trees are known, but not everything will be grown at home:
- Sowing campaign chestnut - tree long-liver. With proper care, the tree will live more than 500 years. The height of the chestnut tree reaches 35 meters, the leaves are large. The inflorescences of chestnut cream-colored, lush. Nuts are suitable for food, large. The shell is soft.
- Chinese softest - The fruits have high taste qualities, are highly valued among gourmets. The tree is up to 15 meters high, the leaves are small, pubescent. Candles upright, different color.
- Chestnut Japanese - distinguished by its growth rate. Enters fructification in the third year of cultivation. Edible fruits, weighing up to 100 grams.
When planting chestnut in the garden, note that it gives a dense shade, and its roots are located superficially. Under the tree absolutely nothing will grow, but nobody forbids to equip a recreation area under its branches.
In addition, it is necessary to grow edible varieties of chestnuts away from roads, factories and plants. Better solution - a country house. The fact is that the chestnut absorbs heavy metals and all toxic emissions, the fruit from the urban tree is completely unsuitable for food.
During the flowering period, chestnut trees are excellent honey plants.. Honey It has a slight bitterness, but is very useful.
Which nut to choose for planting
In order to prevent mistakes in growing chestnut, we advise you to listen to the opinion of experts and select only fallen nuts. They are used for further germination.
Fruits should be smooth and beautiful in appearance, free from damage and soft spots.. For planting select solid chestnuts.
It is better to start planting in the fall, after picking the fruit. Save the nuts until the spring without loss is not always possible. They dry out and lose their germination. If this is not possible, then you need to store chestnuts until spring in a bag of wet sand.
Conditions for planting and growing chestnut
The secret to successful chestnut cultivation is seed stratification. If you collect nuts in late autumn and plant in open ground,then nature will do it all. But in the indoor environment will have to expose the seeds of stratification.
For this right after harvesting, nuts are placed in a container with sand and clean in a cool place. This may be a refrigerator shelf or a basement. Experienced gardeners recommend dropping a container of nuts in the garden under the snow. There nuts are stored until spring. A week before landing they get it.
It is better to start planting nuts in late February or early March.. Before sowing, they are soaked in water for five days. Water is regularly changed so that it does not spoil. The shell of the nuts should soften well. This process activates the embryo and helps the sprout to germinate faster. Planted nuts when white sprout naklyunutsya.
For the germination of chestnut fit almost any soil. Nuts are planted immediately in separate containers, volume 300-500 ml. The substrate is well moistened and placed in it a seed to a depth of 3-5 cm. The first shoots appear after 15-20 days.
Spring planting chestnut at home is preferable:
- Seedlings grow fast and the winter is quite strong.
- Saplings good endure the winter.
- The percentage of germination is greater.
This method of growing chestnuts is less time consuming.
When to replant seedlings in open ground
Young saplings are transplanted into the open ground after the threat of night frost has passed. As a rule, this is the end of May.
When planting in the garden, keep in mind that chestnuts are large trees. The distance between seedlings must be at least 3 meters. Only under this condition, the tree will be pleased with a dense crown, beautiful and long flowering and tasty fruits. The soil for planting fit any, but the best chernozem.
The landing pit should correspond to the root system of the seedling. Earth from the hole is mixed with humus and sand in the ratio 2:1:1 and add 500 gr hydrated lime. Phosphate-potassium fertilizers are gradually added to each well. The bottom of the wells is well drained by pebbles, rubble or sand. The height of the drainage layer 10 cm.
Planting seedlings spend carefully, trying not to damage the taproot of the plant:
- Pour the prepared soil into the hole, moisturize well.
- Establish a sapling and sprinkle with soil.
- Ramming the ground and watering chestnut.
For better rooting of young chestnut cover the plant for several days with a paper bag.
Chestnut care in the garden in spring and autumn
Growing a chestnut tree out of a nut is not as difficult as it seems. The main thing is to properly care for him and fence the young seedling from the winds and animals.
Young chestnut fenced with pegs and tied with red ribbon. In the season of winds, the plant is tied to a support in order not to damage the fragile trunk.
Walnut chestnut grows slowly, so a lot of patience should be gained. In the second year of growing, the tree will add only 20-25 cm. But for the fifth year with good care can grow before 1.5 meters. The formation of a violent crown begins in the tenth year of life. Cropping will help stimulate the formation of a crown.
Watering a young chestnut
Young seedlings are watered regularly, as they have a weak root system. In the future, chestnut watered rarely. After watering the soil must be mulched with humus or sawdust.. Young trees require especially careful care.
Top dressing
For full fruiting chestnut needs feeding. They are held twice a year.:
- In the spring seedling is fed with a solution of urea (15 g per 10 liters of water) or mullein.
- In the autumn make nitroammofosku (15 grams per 10 liters of water).
Also into the soil regularly contribute organic.
Preparing for the winter
In the fall, young plants need shelter for a period of cold weather. With the onset of the first frost, saplings are mulched with a thick layer of humus or dry leaves. This will prevent the root system from freezing. Adult chestnuts do not need mulching. They are more hardy and unpretentious.
Crown formation
From the age of three begin to form a beautiful chestnut crown. Spring seedling pruned on ¼ height. At the same time, the center conductor is shortened, and the side branches are slightly pruned.
Further chestnut pruning is done regularly.
Difficulties in growing
Even with good care, chestnut trees are attacked by pests and diseases. This greatly complicates the cultivation of trees and can destroy all the work done.
Most often plants are affected.:
- tree mite;
- chestnut moth;
- powdery mildew.
As a preventive measure, the tree is sprayed with disinfectants twice a month.
Recognizing powdery mildew on chestnut is easy. It appears characteristic dark or white spots on the leaves. Phosphate fertilizers can significantly reduce the risk of infection.
Chestnut trees with edible fruits deserve attention. They are not only beautiful, but also useful. With good care, seedlings will begin to bear fruit on 7-8 year landing. To avoid mistakes when planting chestnut walnut, carefully follow the instructions and advice of experienced gardeners. Remember that at a young age chestnuts need special care.