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The homeland of the heart-shaped nut is Japan. This plant originates from the island of Honshu, where it grows together with the Siebold nut. It got its name from its characteristically shaped fruits. The heart-shaped nut differs from the walnut in the higher taste of its fruit. Planting and caring for heart-shaped nuts in the Middle Zone is the necessary knowledge for growing the crop.
Description of the heart-shaped nut
The heart-shaped nut is a deciduous tree, which, in addition to tasty fruits, is also highly decorative, so it is often used as a park plant. The average height of the plant 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 predominantly brown and sticky. Often, noticeable pubescence is observed on young shoots. The buds of the heart-shaped nut are large; their size can exceed 3 cm.
Photo of heart-shaped walnut 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 from 10 to 15 leaves up to 18 cm long and up to 5 cm wide. The leaves are asymmetrical, oblong-oval, pointed at tops. They are located on short petioles. The upper part of the leaves is bare, and the lower part, on which noticeable veins are located, is covered with slight pubescence.
Heart-shaped nut is a monoecious plant, that is, male and female flowers are located on the same tree. Male earring flowers are up to 20 cm long and about 1 cm thick. Typically, a flower contains up to 25 stamens. Female pistillate flowers are collected in a “brush” type inflorescence of about 10 pieces each. The stigmas of female flowers have a characteristic pink-red color.
Flowering occurs at the end of May, and it occurs simultaneously with the blossoming of the leaves.
The 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 point at the end, the color of the fruit skin is green. The kernel has a mass of approximately 30% of the total mass of the fruit. Fruit ripening occurs in September. In terms of nutritional value, the heart-shaped walnut is not inferior to a regular walnut, but its taste is much better than the latter.
The lifespan of the heart-shaped nut is several decades. Individual specimens can grow up to two hundred years. The yield of mature plants (more than 20 years old) ranges from 100 to 120 kg per tree. The yield per hectare is estimated from 2500 to 7500 kg.
The frost resistance of the plant is high. Heart-shaped nut can tolerate frosts down to -30 °C. This accounts for its high popularity in the northern United States and Canada.Currently, many varieties of heart-shaped nut have been developed. Most of them are of Canadian origin, and they are practically unknown to domestic gardeners. 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, do not forget its high decorative value.
Using the heart-shaped Japanese walnut
The use of heart nut is very multifaceted. In particular, it highlights the following areas:
- Cooking. The plant can completely replace walnut kernels in cooking in all its possible uses. This can be either the consumption of fruits in their pure form, or their use for the manufacture of confectionery or sauces. Separate mention should be made of the production of nut butter, since the kernel of the heart-shaped nut is softer, and therefore better suited for this.
- Ecology. It is believed that the leaves of the heart-shaped nut can purify the air from 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 fruits from such trees.
- Medicine. The fruits of the cordate nut are used in folk medicine as cleansers and means that normalize the functioning of many body systems.
- Landscape design. Since the heart-shaped nut is a very ornamental plant, its benefits can be not only commercial, but also aesthetic. It is perfect for creating single compositions and for park or garden groups.
- Use of wood. Wood from old trees can be used to make furniture or various decorative items.
Planting and caring for heart-shaped nuts
Despite the heat-loving nature of the heart-shaped nut, it can also be grown in the middle zone. It will survive the 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 the fruit by 15-20%, but their taste and nutritional qualities will remain at the proper level.
In addition, there are many varieties of heart-shaped nut bred for the climate of the northern United States (for example, Marvel or Rival), which can take root very well in the Middle Zone.
There are two ways to plant heart-shaped nuts: using seedlings or using seeds.
Preparation of planting site and material
The heart-shaped nut has no special soil requirements. Thanks to a very strong and branched root system, the plant can grow in almost any area. It is preferable to plant nuts on loam, although this requirement is not mandatory. In addition, the heart-shaped nut does not like excessive crowding and groundwater located too close to the surface.
Preparing the soil for planting heart-shaped nut seedlings involves applying fertilizer about a month before planting. For one tree, you should make a hole up to 80 cm deep, at the bottom of which you need to add a bucket of manure and a glass of ash. After which the hole is filled to a level of 40 cm and watered.
Preparing seedlings involves inspecting the root system and removing diseased and damaged roots.
Seeds are prepared for planting in the following way: before planting, they are immersed in warm water with temperatures up to + 50 °C so that they crack. The planting process itself should begin at the end of April and the seeds should be immediately planted in a permanent place, since the heart-shaped nut does not tolerate transplantation very well at any age.
Despite the fact that the germination of seeds in the 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
Planting of seedlings is carried out 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 hole, while its roots are straightened horizontally and sprinkled one by one, starting from the lowest ones and gradually moving upward. The distance from the highest roots to the soil level should not exceed 6-7 cm. After planting, the soil is compacted and watered.
Planting a walnut tree by seed is a very simple procedure. It is carried out in holes 5-7 cm deep, and the seeds are placed in them sideways. This completes the landing process.Watering is not necessary.
Watering and fertilizing
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 area under the crown for adults.
Feeding 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 phosphorus fertilizers (2-3 kg of potassium salt and 10 kg of superphosphate). The norms are indicated for mature trees over 20 years old.
Young trees are either not fertilized or organic matter is added at the end of autumn.
Trimming and shaping
Pruning to form a crown is not necessary for fruiting heartnut trees. If you need to correct the shape of the crown or remove diseased branches, it is best to do it this way:
- in the summer, the necessary branch is removed, while a twig 5 cm long is deliberately left;
- next spring the knot is removed completely;
- The cut site is treated with garden varnish.
Sanitary pruning of small branches can be carried out in early spring.
Preparing for winter
With each year of life, the ability of the heart-shaped nut to withstand frost only increases. However, plants that have not reached three years of age should be covered using any material that is at hand.
Features of growing heart-shaped nuts in the Moscow region
Growing heart-shaped nuts in the middle zone, in particular in the Moscow region, has a number of features regarding its wintering. Despite its sufficient frost resistance, the heart-shaped nut can freeze slightly in especially cold winters. This is not critical for the tree, since mainly young shoots freeze, which eventually grow again.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 tree’s growth allows). Already in the second year of life, the shoots are able to withstand winters near Moscow. Therefore, the main task when growing this plant is to carefully prepare the tree for each wintering in the first 5-6 years of its life. If the tree can form a sufficiently strong trunk with many branches, it will be much easier to endure subsequent winters.
Harvest
Fruiting of the heart-shaped nut occurs at 6-8 years of life. Up to 20 years, the yield will constantly increase until it reaches its full level. This level can be maintained throughout the life of the tree. Even trees that are more than 100 years old are capable of producing yields of at least 100 kg per tree.
Reproduction
Nuts are propagated either by the previously discussed 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 zone, this is possible if there is an adult walnut plant adapted to the given climate. Grafting using budding or splitting is done in early spring.
Diseases and pests
The walnut tree has very strong phytoncidal and insecticidal properties. Most pests and diseases avoid this tree, however, it can also be vulnerable to some types of diseases, mainly fungal.
Among the fungal diseases, leaf spot should be noted. It comes in 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 occupy an increasingly larger area, and the leaves die off entirely.
If such symptoms appear, the plant should be sprayed with copper preparations (vitriol or Bordeaux mixture). Depending on the extent of the damage, re-treatment after 3-4 weeks is recommended.
Other fungi that plague the plant are tinder fungi, located on its trunk. Typically, tinder fungi infect sick or weakened trees, or plants that do not have enough nutrition.
It is necessary to remove polypores, also cutting out the surroundings of the affected wood, and carry out phytosanitary treatment of the affected areas. Treatment can be carried out with any fungicide containing copper.
Bacterial diseases of the heart-shaped nut most often manifest themselves in the form of bacteriosis or bacterial burn. In this case, the spread of the disease begins with flowers and ovaries, gradually moving to the leaves.
Just as in the case of other diseases, copper-containing drugs are used to treat bacterial infections, but in lower concentrations.
In general, to prevent all types of heartnut diseases, both fungal and bacterial, it is recommended to carry out several preventative sprays during the season:
- at the moment of leaf buds opening;
- before flowering begins;
- immediately after flowering ends;
- during fruit formation.
Since the size of the heart-shaped nut is large, spraying it is quite problematic. Therefore, along with spraying, other preventive measures should be carried out:
- loosening the soil;
- destruction weed;
- destruction of last year's foliage, etc.
Reviews of heart-shaped nut
Conclusion
Planting and caring for heart nuts is quite simple and does not pose a problem 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 you will have to wait quite a long time for the results, they are worth it, since the fruits of the heart-shaped nut are very tasty and healthy.
