How to plant walnut chestnuts

Chestnut belongs to the Beech family. A tall-growing tree is of two types: with edible nuts - this is a noble variety, and also a horse, which gives inedible fruits. For landscaping park areas, you can grow an alley of wild chestnuts. On a personal plot, you can place a purchased seedling or grow a chestnut from a nut yourself.

What does a chestnut look like?

A deciduous, monoecious tree native to the subtropical zone. In the wild, the chestnut reaches a height of 40 meters, the trunk diameter is about 3 m. The culture is perennial, thermophilic, with a dense spreading crown. Asia Minor is considered the historical homeland, where culture grows on the mountain slopes from the shady side. In Russia, trees can be grown in the Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, the Black Sea coast and the Caucasus. The seedling prefers non-limestone soil of medium moisture. It is not possible to grow a crop on swampy and dry soils.

External characteristic:

1. The bark is dark brown in color, thick, with deep grooves.
2. Conical brown, rounded buds have four outer leathery scales.
3. Stipules are oblong, light pink, up to 2 cm long, prone to rapid fall.
4. The leaves are simple, the arrangement is two-row in a spiral type, fixed on short petioles. Oblong, lanceolate, wide, maximum length 25 cm. The apex is pointed, the surface is rigid with feathery veins. The edges of the dark green leaf are serrated.
5. After flowering, a seed capsule (plyus) is formed, at the time of fruit formation it acquires a rounded shape. The inside is soft, pubescent, the surface is equipped with hard branched thorns. After the ripening of the nut, the plyuska splits into 4 parts, inside there are from 1 to 4 fruits.
6. Nuts are flat-oval in shape, tapering upwards. The surface is bumpy at the base with a pronounced light spot of a round shape. The shell is glossy, dark brown, tough, leathery. Seeds are spherical with a thick embryo. The structure is dense, with a high concentration of starch.

When hit on the ground, the nut quickly germinates, the cotyledons remain in the soil. Therefore, it is not difficult to grow a chestnut tree from a chestnut fruit.

How the chestnut blooms

The photo shows a branch of a chestnut tree during flowering, which occurs in May. The tree does not bloom until the air warms up to the desired temperature. Frosts rarely affect flowers. The culture belongs to strong honey plants, the crown is always surrounded by a large number of bees. The plant is monoecious with heterosexual flowers, requires pollinators, therefore, during flowering, it exudes a persistent, tart aroma that attracts insects. Wild crops are grown as honey plants and for landscaping. You can grow trees that produce edible fruits in your personal plots.

Description of chestnut flowers:

1. The flowers are zygomorphic, small in size, collected in large inflorescences, bisexual, painted white with pink or yellow blotches.
2. Inflorescences - panicles up to 25 cm long, pyramidal, erect.
3. Axle and pedicels with fine yellow pubescence.
4. The anthers of the flowers are red, the pedicels are long, the edges are fringed. Supplied with 6 stamens and a pistil.

Blooms in good weather until early June, flowering duration is 21 days.

Chestnut root system

After the entrances, the chestnut begins to form a taproot, which per year deepens into the soil up to 40 cm. At the same time, the stem grows, by the end of the year the shoot height reaches 20 cm. The root system of a young tree is very fragile.

The root system is not determined by the crown of the tree, it is much larger, goes beyond the border by 3-5 m, this factor must be taken into account when planting a crop close to other fruit trees.

The structure of the root system of an adult chestnut:

1. The taproot goes up to 4 m deep.
2. There are shoots of the first and second order, the first is formed less, the branching of the second plan develops several times more.
3. Horizontal roots grow to the sides parallel to the surface by 4 meters.
4. Vertical branches extend from the horizontal roots deep into the soil.

The deep system, which grows well to the sides, provides the tree with sufficient nourishment and moisture.

How long does a chestnut tree grow?

It is a fast growing seedling. The end point reaches the 30th year of the growing season. Forms young growth well even on the cut (stump). The annual growth is approximately 50 cm. Depending on the type of culture, at the age of 1 year, the height of a young tree can be 30 cm, by the end of the third year, about 1.5 meters. If you manage to grow a chestnut from a fruit, it blooms for 10 years, and will bear fruit up to 45 years. The grafted crop will bear fruit in the fifth year of the growing season.

How to tell the difference between edible and inedible chestnuts

The wild horse species bears inedible fruits, the purpose of planting is to decorate the landscape and create a honey plant base. The cultivation of edible chestnuts for the purpose of obtaining nuts is possible in the southern regions of Russia. The difference between the noble species and the wild one is presented in the table.

How to plant a chestnut

Reproduction of chestnut is done by cuttings, a seedling can be grown from a nut. The plant is thermophilic, drought-resistant, grows only in the subtropical zone, it is quite problematic to grow a crop in regions with a temperate climate due to recurrent spring frosts. In order for the tree to be comfortable on the site, you need to plant the chestnut correctly.

How to choose the right nut for planting

It is possible to grow a chestnut from a nut in the country with the condition of acquiring high-quality planting material. Seed requirement:

• the fruits must be ripe and have fallen from the tree on their own. Small unripe fruits will not sprout;
• the seeds are taken from a strong perennial plant;
• the nut must be firm and intact, without damage or dents.

When harvesting planting material, take into account that only one nut out of 5 pieces can germinate.

How to plant walnut chestnuts at home

There are two ways to grow nut chestnuts at home. Planting material is collected and stored until spring, then germinated and planted on the site. The second option - the autumn fruits are buried in the hole, in the spring they will sprout by themselves. Pre-growing chestnuts for spring planting:

1. The collected fruits are placed in a canvas bag, stored at a temperature close to zero.
2. In the middle of winter, high-quality nuts are selected for growing a tree, placed in a container, sprinkled with sand, and removed to the balcony for hardening.
3. After 2 weeks, the container is brought into a warm room, during which time the seeds will sprout, the material without sprouts is thrown away.
4. The nutrient mixture is poured into small containers, the nuts are deepened by 5 cm.
5. After 20 days, the first shoots will appear.
6. For unhindered access of oxygen to the nuts, the earth is constantly loosened, watered as the top layer of the soil dries out.

It is necessary to first grow the chestnuts from the walnut in pots, then, when the soil is completely warmed up in the spring, place the seedling in the designated place, approximately the planting is carried out in early May.

Planting chestnuts from walnuts directly into open ground

You can plant walnut chestnuts in open ground in the fall, with the seeds of the current year. The decision to grow a crop by late planting has its advantages, the nuts will harden over the winter, they will grow together, the seedling will receive good immunity.

The sequence of growing walnut chestnuts in the open field:

1. 5 days before planting, the nuts are soaked in warm water.
2. They make a deepening of 10-15 cm, put seeds, cover with soil.
3. Cover with dry leaves from above.

For protection from rodents, it is recommended to cover the top with a mesh-netting with small cells. In the spring, the nuts will sprout. Weak shoots are removed, leaving the right amount of seedlings. Chestnuts grow until autumn. A month before the onset of frost, the seedlings are determined to a permanent place. You can grow trees with single seeds, this method has its drawback, not all nuts will sprout.

Sequence of planting seedlings:

1. They make a landing pit 50 * 50.
2. A mixture of sod layer, wood ash, compost and sand, taken in equal parts, is poured onto the bottom.
3. A stake is driven in 20 cm from the center.
4. The seedling is placed so that the root collar remains on the surface.
5. The trunk is installed vertically in the center, covered with earth.
6. To keep the tree even, it is fixed to the support.
7. From above, the root circle is mulched with peat or dry sawdust.

How to grow chestnuts

On a personal plot, you can grow one, less often two plants. The tree requires a lot of space. The root system spreads over a long distance, completely takes nutrients from the soil. You won't be able to grow anything within a radius of 5 m from it. If the planting is massive, then it is possible to grow trees 3 meters from each other.

Watering and feeding

Growing a healthy chestnut without regular feeding and watering is problematic. Watering is carried out up to 4 years of growth, then this measure is not relevant. The root system completely nourishes the plant and provides sufficient moisture. Top dressing is carried out in early spring before the formation of leaves. Prepare a mixture for 20 liters of water:

• organic - 1 kg;
• phosphorus-potassium agent - 30 g;
• ammonium nitrate - 25 g;
• urea - 30 g.

The solution is applied at the root. In autumn they mulch with compost.

Trimming and shaping

The culture is easy to care for. Spring pruning is necessary to grow a chestnut with a beautiful crown. In order to prevent thickening and fungal infection, the excess branches on the chestnuts are removed. Young shoots are cut to ¼ of the length. They do sanitary cleaning, remove dry branches, shoots frozen over the winter, last year's buns with nuts. Cut off the root shoots.

Preparing for winter

An adult chestnut does not need preparatory measures for wintering. It will not work to grow young seedlings up to 3 years of vegetation without shelter for the winter. Culture can die. To protect the roots in the fall, the root circle is mulched with straw or dry leaves. Supports are installed at the height of the crown around the plant, a tarpaulin or special covering material is pulled over them, the trunk is wrapped in burlap.

Diseases and pests

The most common plant infections are powdery mildew and anthracnose. The disease manifests itself in white or brown spots on the leaves. The problem is eliminated with the antifungal drug "Fundazol", in spring and autumn, for preventive purposes, the crown is treated with Bordeaux liquid. Insects parasitizing on culture: borer, spider mite, bagworms. To eliminate them, use a potent insecticide "Karbofos".

Experienced gardening tips

Growing chestnuts from walnuts at home is not difficult. Subject to the requirements of agricultural technology, in 10 years the tree will bear its first fruits. Experienced gardeners give advice on how to grow a beautiful tree with minimal costs:

1. Do not plant the plant in an area with closely adjacent groundwater.
2. Moderate watering of young seedlings is carried out.
3. The plant is placed at a distance of 5 meters from the fence and other trees.
4. When transplanting, take into account that the root system is deepened and does not correspond to the diameter of the crown.
5. If the composition of the soil is calcareous, it will not work to grow a healthy chestnut; sawdust is mixed into the soil.
6. Every spring, they carry out sanitary cleaning and pruning of young chestnut shoots.
7. Do prophylactic treatment with Bordeaux liquid.
8. To grow a chestnut faster, be sure to feed the plant in the spring and, if necessary, cover it for the winter.

Conclusion

For planting a tree in a personal plot, you can purchase a ready-made seedling in a nursery or grow a chestnut from a nut yourself. With proper care: watering, feeding, protecting young seedlings for the winter, the plant will bloom after a certain period of time and give nuts. If there is a stationary apiary, chestnuts can be grown as a honey plant. To obtain nutritious fruits, an edible species is chosen for cultivation.

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