Content
Manchurian hazel is a low-growing shrub (height does not exceed 3.5 m) and is a variety of Zimbold hazelnut. The variety has been known since the end of the 19th century, imported from Japan. In Russia, the crop is grown in the Far East, Manchuria, and the middle zone. Manchurian hazel is often found in China on forest edges and mountain slopes. The plant is bred for fruit production and is practically not used for decorative purposes.
Description of Manchurian hazel
This is a low-growing (3-3.5 m), well-branched shrub, consisting of several trunks. The branches are thick, reaching 15 cm in diameter. Young shoots of Manchurian hazel are covered with small, soft fluff. The trunk has gray-brown bark with small cracks.
The leaves are small, oblong, ovoid, with jagged edges, and soft. There are large ones up to 12 cm in length and 7 cm in width. Basically, the entire crown is strewn with medium-sized foliage: 5 cm in length and 3 cm in width. The leaves are dark green, with a rusty, orange or burgundy spot in the middle. In autumn their color turns dark orange.
In spring, catkins appear on the shoots of Manchurian hazel - male inflorescences, collected 5 pieces on one cutting. Their length can reach 14 cm.The inflorescences are covered with light beige sharp scales. Manchurian hazel blooms late for its species - in the first ten days of May.
Hazel bears fruit in September. There are few fruits on one bush. 2-4 nuts are attached to one cutting.
The kernels are oval, round, 1.5-2 cm in length. The shell is thin, fragile, the fruits of Manchurian hazel can be eaten, they have a good nutty taste.
Spreading
In nature, the culture grows in the Far East of Russia, in the Chita region, Khabarovsk, Primorsky Krai, and in the central regions. Abroad, Manchurian hazel can be found in China, Japan, and Korea. The shrub grows on the edges of coniferous and deciduous forests, the tops of mountain slopes, and in open forest glades. In places where the forest is cleared or burned, it forms dense growth.
Application of the plant
Manchurian hazel is used for fruit production. Their collection is difficult due to the hard, bristly pluses. It is also planted for landscaping hills and ravines, plantings, and deforestation sites. This fast-growing crop covers burnt forest edges and fields.
In cities they are used for landscaping parks and alleys. In gardens it is planted as a hedge. Thanks to its strong, wide shoots and large leaves, hazel forms dense, impenetrable thickets.
Planting and caring for Manchurian hazel
The crop is planted in early spring before the juices begin to flow or in late autumn after harvesting, a month before the first frost. Experts recommend autumn planting. It allows you to harden Manchurian hazel in winter.Next spring you can get a strong, well-rooted plant.
Site selection and preparation
Hazel is planted in the southern or western part of the site, protected from the winds. The place should be well lit or in partial shade. The main thing is that groundwater does not lie closer than 2 m to the surface of the earth. It is good to plant shrubs near buildings that will protect it from drafts. Hazel should not be planted in lowlands where melt water accumulates in the spring. Tall bushes and trees should be 5 m from the hazel.
It is better to choose loose, fertilized, slightly acidic soil. Swampy or clayey soils are not suitable for planting hazel.
Selection and preparation of seedlings
For planting, choose tall plants with strong shoots. They should have as few leaves as possible, long, well-branched roots. It is good to purchase seedlings from a nursery. A wild plant does not take root well and produces a weak harvest. The roots of a good seedling are approximately 0.5 m long; before planting, I shorten them by half.
Landing
3-4 weeks before planting hazel, dig a hole about 50 cm in diameter and allow the soil to settle. Then a fertile mixture is poured onto the bottom: soil, humus, manure in equal parts. 400 g of wood ash and a glass of superphosphate are added to the mixture.
The following is the landing algorithm:
- In the center of the pit it is necessary to form a ball of earth.
- Place the roots on top of it, straightening the shoots.
- You need to drive a peg next to the bush and tie the trunk of the plant to it.
- Afterwards, the hole is filled with loose soil and compacted.
At the end of planting, you need to pour 2-3 buckets of water under the bush.The soil around the trunk within a radius of 1-2 m must be covered with sawdust or covered with spruce.
Care
In the summer, 2-3 times a month, the hazel is watered with 10 liters of water. A few days after watering, the soil must be loosened to provide air access to the rhizome. After watering, the tree trunk circle must be covered with mulch.
Winter hardiness
Manchurian hazel is not afraid of cold weather and can withstand frost down to -45 °C. Grows well in the northern regions, in Siberia. There it is used as a nut-bearing and ornamental crop. She is one of the few that easily endures harsh local winters.
Harvest
Manchurian hazel fruits begin to be harvested in mid-September. If the ripening conditions were favorable, up to 3 kg of harvest can be obtained from one bush. Collection is difficult due to the specific structure of the nut. People wear gloves when working because of the prickly bristly pads, which easily injure the skin. Therefore, Manchurian hazel is harvested in limited quantities. The species is not grown on an industrial scale.
Reproduction
The characteristics of each hazel variety can only be preserved through vegetative propagation.
In agricultural technology, Manchurian hazel also uses other types of propagation:
- seeds;
- layering;
- dividing the bush.
The easiest way is propagation by nuts, but it does not guarantee the preservation of the variety. Well-ripened kernels are used for sowing. They are planted in the fall in well-dug, fertilized soil to a depth of 5 cm. The distance between seedlings is 10 cm. The seeds are sprinkled with humus on top. After overwintering under the snow, the first seedlings will sprout in the spring.
In the fall, after harvesting, part of the bush is cut as close to the ground as possible. Layers will begin to form in this place.In the spring, they are bent and placed in prepared shallow grooves and secured with metal brackets. The folded area is carefully cut. The outer thin ends of the bush are attached vertically to the support. Their length should be at least 10 cm. Seedlings are grown by layering for about 2 years. Afterwards they are disconnected from the mother bush and rooted separately. This method is long and labor-intensive, but it allows you to preserve the species qualities of the plant.
When dividing, the mother bush is cut at the root so that each new plant has several shoots and a well-developed rhizome. Before planting, the root shoots are shortened to 25 cm. Each new Manchurian hazel bush is rooted according to the planting algorithm.
Diseases and pests
Manchurian hazel often suffers from attacks from the nut weevil. If hazel plantations are old, the likelihood of this pest appearing increases several times. In this case, you can lose 80% of the harvest. If a nut weevil appears, the garden is treated 3-4 times with chemicals (insecticides) during the growing season.
Manchurian hazel is not susceptible to major diseases of nut crops. Rarely may suffer from fungal infections. When the first signs of the disease appear: white or rusty curled leaves, their withering and falling for no apparent reason, it is necessary to spray the hazel bush with fungicides.
It can remain under the bark of a plant for a long time without showing itself in any way. At the same time, the bush begins to slowly fade for no apparent reason. If you look closely, you can find small bumps and furrows on the hazel bark, covered with a brown or rusty coating.At the first signs of damage, the shrub is treated with Bordeaux mixture or other fungicides.
Conclusion
Manchurian hazel is a frost-resistant, unpretentious plant that is well suited for growing in the northern regions. Hazel tolerates snowless winters and severe frosts well. At the same time, a sharp decrease in temperature does not affect crop yields. The main disadvantage of this type of hazel is the structure of the nut, which is difficult to extract from the strong prickly film.
