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Large hazel variety Purpurea is a variety of cultivar. It was bred in 1836 by English breeders. The species later received an award from the English Royal Horticultural Society. The crop is used for landscaping gardens and parks. Perform single or group plantings.
Description of large hazel Purpurea
Large hazel Purpurea mainly grows in the form of a large bush. Height can reach 4-5 m. Multi-stemmed. The crown is umbrella-shaped, spreading. At the initial stages, large hazel grows slowly, then a little faster. The foliage is round in shape and purple in color. The same color is found in earrings and fruits. This distinctive feature of large hazel is clearly visible in the photo. During the entire growing season, the surface of the leaf blade is covered with small fibers. Leaf length is 10-14 cm. The bark is ash-colored, smooth. The root system of large hazel with numerous branches, superficial, is quite sensitive to compaction.
The flowering period occurs at the end of April or May. The appearance of leaves is preceded by the opening of buds.The flowers look like earrings, 10 cm long.
The fruits are large, cylindrical in shape. They reach 2 cm in diameter. They grow in groups of 3-6 pieces on long legs. The nut is completely covered with plush. The fruits of the large hazel Purpurea are used in cooking, better known as hazelnuts.
Winter hardiness of hazel Purpurea
Large hazel Purpurea is a frost-resistant crop. Tolerates a drop in air temperature to – 29 °C. Belongs to the fifth climate zone. It is allowed to plant in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Vladivostok, and in central Russia. However, when flowering in early spring, damage to the ovaries by return frosts is possible.
Planting and caring for large hazel Purpurea
Common hazel Purpurea is a cross-pollinated plant, so to obtain high yields it is necessary to plant several varieties of shrubs nearby. Growing large hazel Purpurea is not difficult. And the process is no different from caring for other hazel trees.
Preparation of planting material and site
Large hazel Purpurea grows well in sunny, open or slightly shaded areas. However, under the wide crown of trees, the bushes become sparse, develop poorly, and practically do not bear fruit. Large hazel Purpurea is not picky about soils. Fertile, well-drained soils are optimal. Atropurpurea hazel is suitable for urban environments.
Preparatory work before planting seedlings.
- First of all, deep loosening is carried out in the area, approximately 60 cm deep. This will ensure complete enrichment of the soil with oxygen, as well as long-term preservation of moisture.
- The preparation of the recess is carried out 2 weeks before the planned planting. Size 50x50x60cm.
- Fertilizers are poured into the bottom: 150 g of nitroammophoska, 50 g of potassium salt, 1 bucket of compost.
- The top layer of earth is mixed with sand, humus and 1/3 of the hole is filled.
- A support is driven in at the bottom to support the large Purpurea hazel seedling.
- The young plant is carefully examined before planting. Dry, damaged parts of the rhizome are trimmed with a sharp knife or pruning shears.
- Remove crooked branches. Trim the root.
- Immediately before the procedure, the root system of the greater Purpurea hazel is treated with a clay mash with the addition of Kornevin.
Therefore, before purchasing a large Purpurea hazel seedling, you should pay attention to its condition. It is advisable to choose 1-2 year old plants with a lush root system. No visible putrefactive areas. The shoots must be healthy, flexible, and elastic.
Landing rules
Purple-leaved hazel is planted at a distance of 4-5 m from each other. It all depends on the fertility of the soil. The more fertilized the soil, the more luxuriant the crown, so it is better to make the distance greater.
Planting of large hazel Purpurea is carried out in the spring, in March-April, before the start of sap flow, or in the fall. The procedure consists of the following steps:
- place the seedling carefully in the center of the previously prepared hole;
- straighten the roots so that there are no kinks;
- the root collar of the large Purpurea hazel should be flush with the ground, however, weakened plants are buried 5 cm to stimulate the development of lateral shoots;
- lightly compact the soil to eliminate voids;
- cut the bush at a distance of 20-30 cm from the ground level;
- after planting is completed, large hazel Purpurea is watered in a volume of 40-50 liters per bush, regardless of the weather;
- After a week, repeat watering, 4 times.
Watering and fertilizing
The description of the variety states that watering large Purpurea hazel is needed only in dry summers. It is recommended to keep the soil around the trunk moist. Lack of fluid leads to small fruits, shedding of leaves and fruits. Purpurea hazel should be especially watered during the period of laying the generative organs for the next year, approximately the beginning - mid-summer.
Abundant nutrition ensures good fruiting for many years. During fruit formation, it is advisable to feed the crop. Nitrogen-containing preparations are optimal. They also promote uniform ripening of fruits. Once every 2-3 years, fertilize with organic fertilizers.
Loosening and mulching
Approximately 4-5 times per season it is necessary to loosen the surrounding circle, especially after moistening. This way, a dense crust will not form on the surface of the soil, and the air mixture will have unhindered access to the root system. However, there is no need to dig up the soil or loosen the soil deeply, so as not to harm the roots. The optimal depth for loosening the soil layer under a tree is 5-7 cm.
The mulching procedure can be carried out immediately after planting a large Purpurea hazel seedling. Peat, hay or straw will do. The mulch layer is usually 10-15 cm.Thanks to this procedure, moisture is retained in the soil longer, and it also prevents the active growth of weeds.
Trimming and shaping
Proper care of purple hazelnuts involves regular pruning. The first procedure is carried out immediately after planting, to align the above-ground part with the root system. Next, as it grows, the turn of crown formation comes. Large hazel Purpurea can be represented in the form of a tree or bush.
Forming hazelnuts in the form of a stamped tree simplifies care, stimulates earlier fruiting, and allows for maximum planting of plants in one area. To do this, two trees are planted side by side. After 3-4 years, one hazel is removed, the weaker one. On the second, large one, all lateral shoots are cut off at a level of 30-40 cm from the surface of the ground. The sections are disinfected with garden varnish.
On the main trunk, 5-7 branches of the first order or two tiers of 3 skeletal shoots are left. The distance between the tiers should be maintained at 20-25 cm. The skeletal bowls, as a rule, are 5 cm apart from each other. The second tier is formed from the side shoots. At the age of 4-5 years, the conductor branches of the large Purpurea hazel are shortened, this way the growth of the tree is controlled. The optimal height is 2-3 m.
The shrub form of the large Purpurea hazel forms faster and easier. The main thing is to maintain the main 8-10 shoots on the bush. It should not be forgotten that new growths are added every year. From the 8th year of life, they begin to remove 1-2 old branches every 12 months, replacing them with young basal shoots.
Remove dry, diseased, broken, improperly formed branches.Thus, thinning the bush and providing full access to light. Every few years, more radical anti-aging pruning is carried out. As a result, the entire aerial part is removed under the root.
Preparing for winter
Young large-fruited hazelnuts can freeze slightly in harsh winters. As a result, male inflorescences (catkins), which are more susceptible to cold, die. Therefore, experienced gardeners recommend bending down the lower shoots in the fall. Press down on top with a weight, cover with agrofibre, and cover with snow in winter. With the arrival of warmth, the load is removed, and the branches of the large Purpurea hazel restore their previous shape.
Dry leaves left over from the fall help the roots not freeze in winter.
Harvest
In August-September they begin to collect nuts. The main features are:
- fruit shedding;
- opening of the hard shell;
- dark brown color.
When harvesting, a manual method is used to pick nuts from the branches. They also crawl the tree and collect fruits from the ground. In any case, collecting does not cause any particular difficulties. Next, the hazelnuts are dried and the top layer of peel is removed. After that, the still damp nuts are scattered in a room with a temperature of + 18-20 ° C for drying. As a result, the moisture content of the fruit should be within 10-12%.
Reproduction
Large hazel Purpurea is propagated in several ways.
- Seeds. Seed material needs stratification. Germination is stimulated by alternating influences of heat and cold. Therefore, the seeds are left in warm water for two days. Afterwards they are kept in a warm place for 2 weeks. Afterwards it is transferred to the cold. The nuts stay there for up to 4 months. As a rule, the seeds produce different offspring that are not exactly similar to the mother plant. Fruiting of seedlings occurs after 5 years.
- Dividing the bush.The shoot is carefully separated from the root using a shovel. The shoot, together with a lump of earth, is transplanted to a new place. Small cuts are made on the trunk of a large Purpurea hazel for the rapid appearance of root shoots.
- To obtain a large number of seedlings, they resort to propagation by layering. The first harvest is formed in the sixth year.
- New varieties are obtained using split grafting. Budding and copulations do not take root.
Diseases and pests of hazel Purpurea
Large hazel Purpurea is little susceptible to diseases and pests. However, if possible unusual symptoms appear, you should be alert.
- Gray rot. A fungal disease from which the tree suffers greatly and the fruits rot. If measures are not taken in time, the hazel may die.
- Nectrius. Another fungal disease that appears as orange-red spots on the trunk.
- Nut weevil. The bug is 10 mm in size. Its females lay larvae in unripe fruits. If measures are not taken in time, up to 50% of the harvest is lost.
- Aphid. It feeds on plant sap, which subsequently leads to death. The fruits of a diseased bear nut do not ripen.
- Kidney mite. A small insect that spends the winter hiding in the buds of a nut. There he lays eggs. And in the spring, the affected buds dry out.
- Nut leaf beetle. A pest that eats hazel leaves.
Copper-containing preparations help cope with fungal infections: HOM, Abiga-Peak, and colloidal sulfur. In addition, the affected areas of the large Purpurea hazel are removed and burned. The fight against insect pests involves treating wood with insecticides: Intivira, Karbofos, Fufanon.
Conclusion
Large hazel is a healthy and valuable nut that grows everywhere in the wild.If desired, this variety can be grown in a summer cottage. In addition to delicious fruits, the tree will be a real decoration of the garden. It easily gets along with other large fruit crops and plants.
