The homeland of hazelnut is far Asia, but you can meet this herbaceous plant on the territory of the Caucasus, in the USA and Europe. The taste qualities of the nut, its useful and decorative properties have long been appreciated by gardeners.
Hazel is a tree or shrub.
Does not everyone know what hazel is, is it a tree or a bush? Most often, the plant is represented by a shrub. This species has several dozen species, among which there are trees. A great specimen of a tree is a bear nut.
Hazel in the wild grows in many regions
This plant is tall, has a beautiful crown shape. But in most cases, hazel still grows in the form of a bush. In nature, forms a dense undergrowth, mainly in broad-leaved groves.
For your information! A well-known representative of a kind is hazel forest - a very spectacular nut bush.
What does hazel look like
Most species of hazel is a deciduous shrub. The plant is covered with large leaves of round shape and bright green color. Hazel grows well on fertile soils with good humidity. Good neighbors are oak, maple and elm.
Note! In the undergrowth, hazel is a shrub that forms a dense wall and surrounds the border of the forest. In the form of a branchy bush, the nut grows in the wild.
Bushes form many shoots that grow directly from the rhizome. The appearance of hazel is difficult to confuse with other shrubs:
- in height, hazel reaches 5 m;
- hazelnuts reproduce well vegetatively or by seeds from their nuts;
- Hazel is difficult to confuse with other plants, especially in the summer. Oval-shaped leaves have a pointed tip and jagged edges;
- An additional feature of the plant is the rough texture of the bush.
Almost all types of hazelnuts in the end are tall bushes. The height can reach 5-6 m in wild plantings, the bark of the stems is smooth. Young shoots are painted in a gray-green hue, in addition, you can see yellow specks.
Hazel can be confused with elm bushes. The bark and leaves of plants are similar in hue and texture. For distinction, you should pay attention only to the trunk. Elm has only one main shoot, but several hazel. The buds also have a different look, in hazelnuts they are green and round, and in elm they are sharp and reddish.
Red and green leaf hazel
Red-leaved hazel, or hazel, is a shrub that looks quite attractive in decorative terms. Against the background of other plants, it is distinguished, of course, by the color of the foliage. This multi-stemmed shrub reaches 4 m in height. Large leaves of a purple hue are located on the branches. During vegetation, nuts are formed, which are decorated with a red wrapper. The kernels of these nuts are light pink.
Leafy hazel
Red-leaved hazel is usually used as an ornamental plant. They grow shrubs in the south, as they cannot bear the harsh Russian winters of mid-latitude. Even if you cover the plant for the winter, such events will not help. The shrubby nut will not die at all, but subsequently it will not work to wait for flowering and fruit. In this case, the bush will become only a decorative decoration of the site.
Important! Mutually pollinated varieties must be planted nearby.
With red-leafed hazel nearby should be located Tambov early and first-born. These varieties are representatives of green leaf hazel and are considered good pollinators of the red leaf variety.
Green-leaved hazel trees better tolerate frosts, so they are often planted in Central Russia.
Varieties of Hazelnut
More than 20 species have a hazelnut genus. The variety of cultures of this kind is simply amazing. Plants have significant differences, but almost all normally tolerate frosts and are distinguished by their longevity.
Hazel grows well on all types of soil, it is unpretentious, but it is better to bear fruit on fertile ones. Walnut loves moisture, but its excess can harm the plant. In an open sunny area, hazel will be decoratively attractive and will give a good harvest. Among all types of hazel, several of the most common are distinguished.
Common hazel, or hazelnut
Common hazel reaches 6 m in height. The tree has an extremely attractive crown. Common hazel is distinguished from classical varieties by flowering, which begins before the leaves open. Bees are especially keen on this shrub.
Note! When other trees are just beginning to prepare for the dissolution of flowers, hazel already in full bloom and gives nectar to insects.
Bear Nut, or Tree Filbert
A bear nut, or tree hazel, stands a real mansion among all types of wild hazel. This plant grows up to 20 m high. The diameter of the walnut crown is 8 m. A slender and attractive trunk is a distinctive feature. The tree is recognized by the wide pyramidal shape of the crown. Over the season, it gives a big increase. The plant tolerates drought, shaded place of growth and frost.
Hazel nut
Hazel and hazelnuts: what is the difference
Hazel and hazelnuts are usually considered the same plant, but this is far from the case. Both nuts belong to the Berezov family. A wild plant is the same hazel. Hazelnuts are selected varieties of hazel giving the maximum yield. Hybrid varieties also apply to hazelnuts.
Unlike hazel, hazelnuts are shrubs that are thermophilic. The fruits of hazel have a rounded shape, but in hazelnuts they are more elongated and large with high productivity.
Important! Not every variety is suitable for cultivation in the middle latitudes of Russia.
Hazelnuts and hazelnuts have approximately the same content of nutrients and vitamins. Hazelnuts have a more astringent taste and calorie content, the class of these nuts is higher. But hazelnuts are still more useful, since the bush grows in natural conditions.
Growing hazel in the garden
Despite the fact that hazel grows in the forest without anyone's help, when growing it in the garden, certain agrotechnical rules are required to be observed. For example, it is important to comply with the landing pattern. Between trees there should be at least 3 m of free space. Otherwise, the plants will simply interfere with each other.
Hazelnuts grown in the garden
Important! A favorable period for planting hazelnuts is autumn.
If the landing pit is being prepared on poor soil, several spoons of fertilizer should be added to it in advance. After planting a seedling, you should compact this place and shed well with water. Additionally, you can cover the layer of mulch to maintain moisture.
Hazelnut care is a set of standard measures - loosening the soil, watering, pruning, top dressing. Especially in dry periods, it is extremely important to irrigate. It will be good if you can water the soil before it has time to dry out. If it rains periodically, moistening is not required for the nut, but if the weather is hot and there is no rain for a week, you will have to water it abundantly.
Ripe nuts
Walnut is a shrub that needs at least 3 top dressings per year. In spring, nitroammophosk can be used. In June, wood ash, superphosphate and potassium salt are used. In July, you can apply superphosphate in the amount of 1 tbsp. spoons for each bush. In the beginning of spring it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning, for other purposes it is, in principle, not needed. Cutting out dry shoots of the crown will become less thickened, which will improve the condition of the plant in general.
Not only as an ornamental plant, but also as a tree with healthy nuts, hazel is grown on its sites. In the wild, the shrub gives no less good harvest than at home. The main thing is to choose a variety suitable for the region, plant the seedling correctly and provide it with the required care.
