Content
The homeland of the heart nut is Japan. This plant originates from the island of Honshu, where it co-grows with the Siebold nut. It got its name due to the fruits of the characteristic shape. The heart-shaped nut differs from the walnut in the higher taste qualities of its fruits. Planting and caring for heart-shaped walnuts in the Middle Lane is the necessary knowledge for growing a crop.
Description of heart-shaped walnut
Heart-shaped walnut is a deciduous tree, which, in addition to tasty fruits, also has a high decorative effect, therefore it is often used as a park plant. The average plant height is from 12 to 15 m, the girth of the spherical crown can reach 7-9 m.
The bark of the trunk of this tree is light gray in color. Young shoots are mostly brown and sticky. Often, noticeable pubescence is observed on young shoots. The kidneys of the heart-shaped nut are large, their size can exceed 3 cm.
Photo of a heart-shaped tree:
The leaves of the plant are very large, their length can reach from 50 to 100 cm.In fact, the leaf is a miniature twig, on which there are 10 to 15 leaves up to 18 cm long and up to 5 cm wide. tops. They are located on short petioles. The upper part of the leaves is glabrous, and the lower part, on which noticeable veins are located, is covered with slight pubescence.
Heart-shaped walnut belongs to monoecious plants, that is, male and female flowers are located on the same tree. Male flower-earrings are up to 20 cm long and about 1 cm thick. Usually the flower contains up to 25 stamens. Female pistillate flowers are collected in a "brush" type inflorescence of about 10 pieces each. The stigma of female flowers has a characteristic pink-red color.
Flowering occurs at the end of May, moreover, it occurs simultaneously with the blooming of the leaves.
Fruits are collected in clusters of 7-12 pieces. The dimensions of each fruit are 5 cm in length and 4 cm in diameter, their shape is elongated, with a pointed end, the color of the peel of the fruit is green. The kernel has a mass of about 30% of the total weight of the fruit. Fruit ripening occurs in September. In terms of nutritional value, heart-shaped walnut is not inferior to ordinary walnuts, but it tastes much better than the latter.
The lifespan of the heart-shaped nut is several tens of years. Individual specimens can grow up to two hundred years. The yield of adult plants (over 20 years old) is from 100 to 120 kg per tree. The yield per hectare is estimated from 2500 to 7500 kg.
The plant has a high frost resistance. Heart-shaped walnut is able to withstand frosts down to -30 ° C. This accounts for its high popularity in the North of the United States and in Canada. Currently, many varieties of heart-shaped walnut have been developed. Most of them are of Canadian origin, and they are practically unknown to the domestic gardener. This plant is just beginning to gain popularity in our country.
For central Russia, in particular for the Moscow region, this species is more promising for cultivation, since in comparison with the same walnut, it is much better adapted to our conditions and has better taste.In addition, one should not forget its high decorative effect.
Using the heart-shaped Japanese nut
The use of the heart nut is very versatile. In particular, the following directions are distinguished in it:
- Cooking. The plant can completely replace walnut kernels in cooking in all its possible uses. This can be both the use of fruits in their pure form, and their use for the manufacture of confectionery or sauces. Special mention should be made of the production of nut butter, since the kernel of the heart nut is softer and therefore better suited for this.
- Ecology. It is believed that the leaves of the heart-shaped walnut can purify the air from the vapors of various harmful substances: gasoline, acetylene, products of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons, etc. Therefore, it is considered rational to plant this plant in places with unfavorable environmental conditions. Naturally, it is better not to eat the fruits from such trees.
- The medicine. The fruits of the heart-shaped nut are used in folk medicine as cleansing agents and agents that normalize the functioning of many body systems.
- Landscaping. Since the heart nut is a very ornamental plant, its benefits can be not only commercial, but also aesthetic. It is perfect for creating single compositions as well as for park or garden groups.
- The use of wood. The wood of old trees can be used to make furniture or various decorative items.
Planting and caring for a heart nut
Despite the thermophilicity of the heart-shaped nut, it can be grown in the Middle lane. He will endure winter without problems, and with a sufficient number of sunny days, the yield indicators, although they will not reach the "Japanese" standards, will be quite acceptable. It is possible to reduce the size of fruits by 15-20%, but their taste and nutritional qualities will remain at the proper level.
In addition, there are many varieties of heart nut, bred for the climate of the North of the United States (for example, Marvel or Rival), which can take root very well in the Mid lane.
There are two ways to plant heart nuts: with seedlings or with seeds.
Preparation of the planting site and material
The heart-shaped nut has no special requirements for soil. Thanks to a very strong and branched root system, the plant can grow in almost any area. It is preferable to plant the nut on loam, although this requirement is not mandatory. In addition, the heart-shaped nut does not like excessive tightness and too close to the surface of groundwater.
Preparing the soil for planting heart-shaped seedlings consists in applying fertilizers about a month before planting. On one tree, a hole should be made up to 80 cm deep, at the bottom of which it is necessary to add a bucket of manure and a glass of ash. After that, the pit is filled up to a level of 40 cm and watered.
Preparation of seedlings consists in examining the root system and removing diseased and damaged roots.
The preparation of seeds for planting is carried out as follows: before planting, they are immersed in warm water with a temperature of up to + 50 ° C so that they crack. The planting process itself should begin at the end of April and immediately plant the seeds in a permanent place, since the heart-shaped nut tolerates transplantation very poorly at any age.
Despite the fact that the germination of seeds in a heart-shaped nut lasts for more than 2 years, it is the seeds of last year's harvest that germinate and adapt best.
Landing rules
Saplings are planted in the fall, a month before the first frost. The planting depth is 30-40 cm, the distance between trees is at least 5 m. When planting trees on a slope, this distance can be reduced to 3.5 m.
The seedling is placed in a pit, while its roots are straightened horizontally and sprinkled alternately, starting from the lowest and gradually moving up. The distance from the highest roots to the soil level should not exceed 6-7 cm. After planting, the ground is tamped and watered.
Planting a walnut tree by seed is a very simple procedure. It is carried out in holes, 5-7 cm deep, moreover, the seeds are placed in them sideways. This completes the planting process. Watering is optional.
Watering and feeding
Watering is carried out 2 times a month. Its norms are 20 liters for young trees and 30 liters per 1 sq. m of land under the crown for adults.
Top dressing is carried out twice a year. In the spring, nitrogen fertilizers are applied (up to 7 kg of ammonium nitrate), in the fall - potassium and phosphoric fertilizers (2-3 kg of potassium salt and 10 kg of superphosphate). The rates are indicated for mature trees over 20 years old.
Young trees either do not fertilize or bring in organic matter at the end of autumn.
Trimming and shaping
No pruning is necessary for crown formation for fruiting heart trees. If it is necessary to correct the shape of the crown or remove diseased branches, it is best to do this as follows:
- in the summer, the necessary branch is removed, while a knot 5 cm long is specially left;
- the next spring, the knot is removed completely;
- the place of the cut is treated with garden pitch.
Sanitary pruning of small branches can be done in early spring.
Preparing for winter
With every year of life, the ability of the heart-shaped nut to withstand frost only increases. However, plants under three years of age should be covered with whatever material is at hand.
Features of growing heart-shaped walnut in the Moscow region
The cultivation of heart-shaped walnut in the middle lane, in particular, in the Moscow region, has a number of features concerning its wintering. Despite the sufficient frost resistance, the heart-shaped nut can freeze slightly in particularly cold winters. This is not critical for the tree, since mainly young shoots freeze slightly, which over time grow back. It should also be said that in the Moscow region, heart-shaped nuts rarely grow above 10 m in height.
Young plants need to be wrapped for the winter while there is such an opportunity (that is, as long as the growth of the tree allows). Already in the second year of life, the shoots are able to endure the winters near Moscow. Therefore, the main task when growing this plant is thorough preparation for each wintering of the tree in the first 5-6 years of its life. If a tree can form a sufficiently strong trunk with many branches, it will be much easier to tolerate subsequent wintering.
The harvest
Fruiting in a heart-shaped nut occurs at 6-8 years of age. Until 20 years, the yield will constantly increase until it reaches its full level. This level can persist throughout the life of the tree. Even trees that are more than 100 years old are capable of yielding at least 100 kg per tree.
Reproduction
Reproduction of nuts is carried out either by the previously considered seed method, or by grafting. However, the latter method is relevant only for the southern regions - there you can, for example, graft a heart-shaped nut onto a walnut. In the middle lane, this is possible if there is an adult walnut plant adapted to this climate. Inoculation by budding or splitting is done at the beginning of spring.
Diseases and pests
The walnut tree has very strong phytoncidal and insecticidal properties.Most pests and diseases bypass this tree, however, it can also be vulnerable to some types of diseases, mainly fungal.
Of the fungal disease, leaf spot should be noted. She is white and brown. It is characterized by the appearance of spots of the corresponding color, first on the lower, and then on the upper side of the leaves. Over time, the spots take up an increasing area, and the leaves die off entirely.
When such symptoms appear, the plant should be sprayed with copper preparations (vitriol or Bordeaux mixture). Depending on the extent of the lesion, re-treatment is recommended after 3-4 weeks.
Other fungi that annoy the plant are tinder fungi, which are located on its trunk. Typically, tinder fungi attack diseased or weakened trees, or plants that do not have enough nutrition.
It is necessary to remove polypores, cutting out the surroundings of the affected wood and carry out phytosanitary treatment of the affected areas. The treatment can be carried out with any copper-containing fungicide.
Bacterial diseases of the heart nut most often manifest themselves in the form of bacteriosis or fire blight. In this case, the spread of the disease begins with flowers and ovaries, gradually moving to the leaves.
As in the case of other diseases, copper-containing preparations are used to treat bacterial infections, but in a lower concentration.
In general, to prevent all types of heart nut diseases, both fungal and bacterial, it is recommended to carry out several preventive sprays during the season:
- at the time of disclosure of leaf buds;
- before flowering;
- immediately after the end of flowering;
- during the formation of the fruit.
Since the size of the heart nut is large, it is quite problematic to spray it. Therefore, along with spraying, other preventive measures should be carried out:
- loosening the soil;
- destruction weeds;
- destruction of last year's foliage, etc.
Reviews of the heart-shaped nut
Conclusion
Planting and caring for heart-shaped walnut is quite simple and does not present problems even for an inexperienced gardener. The plant is extremely unpretentious and hardy.
Even grown by seed, it perfectly adapts to the climate and terrain. Despite the fact that the results will have to wait long enough, they are worth it, since the fruits of the heart-shaped nut are very tasty and healthy.
