Planting and caring for common hazel in the Moscow region, the best varieties and cultivation

Hazel is a type of hazelnut that gardeners grow in their summer cottages. Planting and caring for common hazel in the Moscow region requires a detailed approach in order to get a bountiful harvest. Cultivated varieties of hazel reach a height of 3-4 m and are capable of growing for several decades.

Is it possible to grow hazel in the Moscow region?

Climatic conditions in the Moscow region are suitable for the growth of hazel. The region has a temperate continental climate with warm, humid summers and relatively mild winters.

The best varieties of hazel for a given region

When choosing hazelnut varieties for planting in the Moscow region, you should pay attention to the options common among experienced gardeners. These include:

1. Tambov early. The hazel variety produces nuts early, which occurs in early to mid-August. The shrub is wide, with large leaves. The fruits have an elongated shape and a yellowish shell.
2. Moscow ruby. The shrub variety is distinguished by red leaf blades. The plants are vigorous and reach a height of 4 m. The nuts ripen only at the end of September.
3. First born. Nuts of this variety are distinguished by their elongated shape and sweet taste. The harvest ripens in early autumn. During the year, the hazel tree does not grow much, but actively forms inflorescences.
4. Sugary. The bush ripens medium-sized fruits containing large amounts of sugar. The hazel productivity indicator is high. The foliage and nut shells have a cherry hue.

How to grow a plant correctly

Growing hazelnuts in the Moscow region requires adherence to planting technology. In order to get a good harvest each season, it is also necessary to take into account the optimal timing of planting shrubs, select a location on the site and pre-treat the planting material.

When to plant

Hazel can be planted in open ground in early spring or autumn.. In the case of spring planting, it is important to ensure that there is no risk of return frosts. When planting in autumn, there may be a need to use covering material to protect young seedlings.

Place for planting hazel (hazelnut)

Well-lit areas that are not exposed to direct sunlight are suitable for hazelnuts. Since mature hazel plants will be spreading and form a dense crown, the area should be spacious if you plan to plant several shrubs. Often hazel trees are planted along the fence to provide protection from through blowing.

Hazelnuts are practically unpretentious to the type of soil. The exception is acidified or dry soil. Loose, fertile soil with a neutral acidity level will be optimal. If the soil is too acidic, you will need to treat it with dolomite flour or lime.

Preparation of planting material

Hazel seedlings must be fresh, without damage or rot, with developed roots. Before planting in the ground, the roots are soaked in water mixed with black soil for 3-4 hours. If the roots of the hazel tree are damaged, they are pruned to a healthy place. Elongated processes are shortened.

Planting process

In the selected area, planting holes for hazel are dug. A distance of at least 4 m is left between plants, and 5 m between rows. A mixture of humus, double superphosphate and potassium sulfate is added to the bottom of the holes a month before planting. A mound of earth is poured in the center of the hole, on which the seedling is placed. Then the roots are straightened and covered with soil. The root collar should remain 3 cm above the ground.

Plants are watered abundantly and the soil is compacted. In the area of ​​the trunk circle, lay a layer of mulch from sawdust or pine branches.

Subtleties of caring for hazel in the Moscow region

When caring for hazelnuts in the Moscow region, you need to take into account a number of nuances. Comprehensive care and proper implementation of agrotechnical techniques contribute to the active development of hazel, timely fruiting, and the production of large nuts with high taste characteristics.

Post-landing formation

The purpose of post-planting pruning of shrubs is to restore the balance between the above-ground part and the roots. During the formation process, the shoots are shortened by cutting off part of the apical buds. If you leave buds on hazel seedlings, they will bloom and consume a large amount of moisture from the soil.

How to water

Hazel is one of the moisture-loving plants, so in spring and summer it requires abundant moisture. The soil should not be allowed to dry out, as this will negatively affect the fruiting of the bushes. The frequency of irrigation depends on weather conditions and climate. The drip irrigation method is suitable for hazelnuts.

Fertilizing and feeding the plant

Hazel trees need to be fed annually with organic fertilizers. For common hazel, a mixture of humus, compost and rotted manure is suitable. It is recommended to use wood ash and nitroammophoska as additional fertilizing. The use of fertilizers improves the development of plantings and the taste of fruits.

At the beginning of June, when nuts are forming on the plants, urea is required. When growing hazel in insufficiently fertile soil, the use of nitrogen-containing compounds will be useful.

How to care during flowering

During the flowering period, it is important to carefully care for the bushes for further formation of ovaries.When inflorescences appear on the plants, you should increase the amount of watering and, if necessary, use an additional dose of fertilizer.

Trimming

Shrub pruning is necessary to eliminate damaged parts of plantings and reduce density. When pruning hazel, it is recommended to leave no more than 10 skeletal shoots. Formation must be completed before fruiting begins. The total height of the hazel tree after pruning should be 2.5-3 m.

Preparing for winter

Common hazel has a high winter hardiness rate. When planting shrubs in the Moscow region, you will need to insulate the seedlings for the winter only in the first year after planting. To protect young plants, you can cover them with agrofibre, plastic film or other dense material. Low temperatures are especially dangerous for hazel after pollination.

Diseases, pests and prevention

When combating the attack of harmful insects and the consequences of diseases, an integrated approach is required. Proper agricultural technology, biological and chemical methods help protect plants. Among the pests that are dangerous for hazel are:

• nut weevil;
• alder leaf beetle;
• hazelnut barbel.

Pest control involves manually collecting large insects, destroying plant debris and spraying plants with insecticides. Treatment can be carried out as a preventative measure 2-3 times during the season.

Diseases affect shrubs less frequently than parasites. A common disease is tan spot, caused by a fungus. Due to the influence of the fungus, spots appear on the leaves, which lead to drying out. For control and prevention, fungicidal treatments are carried out.

Shrub propagation

You can increase the number of shrubs on a site through propagation. The procedure is performed in various ways depending on the desired result, characteristics of the variety and environmental conditions.

By layering

The method of propagation by layering allows you to preserve all the characteristics of the variety in new plants. For propagation, an incision is made on the shoot at a distance of 30 cm from the top. The incision area is treated with a growth stimulator and the damaged side is deepened into the soil. The soil is compacted and watered, and the top of the shoot is fixed to a peg. After a year, the formed seedling is transferred to a permanent place.

Offspring

Hazelnut shoots are formed 2-3 years after planting in a permanent place. The bushes form about 100 root suckers. Powerful offspring can be used for reproduction. To do this, 2-3-year-old offspring are selected, cut off from the bush and placed in a separate container for germination.

Vaccination

To propagate by grafting, you need to prepare cuttings for the rootstock. They are separated from the bushes in the fall and stored in snowdrifts. With the onset of spring, a split is made on the mother bush and a cutting is placed in it. The grafting site is treated with garden varnish and covered with plastic wrap. The shoots located under the grafting site are cut off.

Dividing the bush

The method of dividing a bush is the simplest and allows you to transfer the full set of characteristics of the variety to new shrubs. Old hazel trees are dug up, all shoots are removed to a height of 15-20 cm and divided into parts. Each part should have a stump and part of the roots.

Collection and storage

The massive hazel harvest begins no earlier than August. The main sign of ripening nuts is the darkening of the shell. In addition, some of the nuts begin to crumble.The fruits must be collected together with the metatarsal wrapper, which is removed during primary processing.

The harvest collected from the bushes is stored in small piles for drying. At the time of storage, the nuts are fully ripened, and the beneficial substances from the wrapper penetrate into the kernels. Thanks to this process, the taste and nutritional properties of the fruit are significantly increased. Dried fruits are placed in fabric or paper bags and placed in a dry, cool place.