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Is it possible to grow a tree from chestnut fruits. How to plant a chestnut and grow a beautiful tree

Is it possible to grow a tree from chestnut fruits. How to plant a chestnut and grow a beautiful tree

Horse chestnut is ubiquitous in parks and on the streets. Tall deciduous tree, grows up to 25 meters in height. It is inedible, but very beautiful. The fruits are used in medicine and industry.

Actually, chestnuts belong to the beech family and to the chestnut genus. But horse chestnut represents a completely different family - Sapindaceae. It also includes such well-known exotic fruits as lychee and rambutan.

If you compare the fruits and leaves of all plants of this family, including horse chestnut, you can easily find similarities. Fruits with thorns, similar to round hedgehogs. And the leaves of all representatives are similar to the leaves of shefflera radiant, only with teeth and on long petioles: like spread fingers.

Chestnuts are loved for their unique flowering. The so-called "candles" are flowers collected in a brush, which are located directly and make you admire a unique spectacle from May to June. After flowering, a fruit is formed. In this box with thorns is a large seed, which is called a chestnut.

In Russia, horse chestnut has become widespread, especially in the middle lane. Plantings of this tree grow from Moscow to St. Petersburg. But it does not reach large sizes there. But in the southern part of Siberia, where horse chestnut is widespread, it grows much more. In total, 23 species of horse chestnut are known, of which about 13 grow in Russia.

California horse chestnut (Aesculus californica)

This is a native species of the flora of the western states of America, including California. It is a compact tree with a wide, spreading crown that looks very much like a large shrub. Very often, the California chestnut has more than one trunk, but several. Its height ranges from 3 to 12 meters.

The leaves consist of 5 leaf plates in the shape typical of horse chestnut leaves. The fruit is oval with several seeds inside. Some parts of the tree, including the fruit, are poisonous.

For its decorative qualities and fragrant flowers, this type of horse chestnut is grown in parks and on the slopes of ravines to prevent soil erosion. Despite the poisonous properties, in lean years, the fruits were soaked and fed to livestock.

Horse chestnut yellow (Aesculus flava)

Grows in North America. Frost-resistant species that can withstand low temperatures down to -29 ° C. It got its name from the yellow shade of the leaves in autumn and the yellow flowers with a pink center. During flowering, the tree is covered with yellow "candles".

Trees can reach a height of 15 meters, but the most common yellow chestnut is no more than 10 meters.

Horse chestnut bare (Aesculus glabra)

Perhaps the chestnut got its name for a loose, loose crown, which opens up a view of the trunk and skeletal branches. But, despite this, naked horse chestnut is intensively used in park management and planting on city alleys.

The height of the tree is more than 15 meters. The crown is rounded, but sloppy hanging branches spoil the whole impression. In autumn, the leaves take on a rich red hue. The fruit is covered not with thorns, but with pimples.

Indian horse chestnut (Aesculus indica)

The Indian horse chestnut is common and grows in Northern India. A giant tree 20-30 meters high with 7-fingered leaves of a reddish hue and pink flowers collected in panicles. Like most horse chestnuts, it is poisonous and has only decorative value.

Small-flowered horse chestnut (Aesculus parviflora)

Small-flowered horse chestnut is a shrub, three meters high. Its drooping arcuate branches create a wide crown, which is much larger in width than in height. Upward, such a chestnut grows only up to 4 meters, and then continues to grow due to shoots extending from the roots in breadth.

Small-flowered chestnut justifies its name: its candle-shaped brushes are very loose, and the flowers are graceful, thin, on high pedicels. This tree-bush grows in partial shade or shade of other trees due to low growth. The fruits do not have thorns.

Red horse chestnut (Aesculus pavia)

This is perhaps the most decorative of all horse chestnuts. The red chestnut pavia is not remarkable for its size or leaves, but only for its carmine-red flowers. During the flowering period, the tree takes on a very elegant appearance.

Japanese horse chestnut (Aesculus turbinata)

So named because it is endemic to Japan. Over time, he was transported to other countries, including America. It is distinguished by elongated leaves and beautiful lush "candles".

Horse chestnut meat-red (Aesculus carnea)

Like the red pavia chestnut, the meat red stands out for its colors. During the flowering period, the tree has a decorative appearance due to candle-shaped inflorescences of different shades: from pink to red.

Walnut cultivation

When you decide on a variety, you can start growing. Some of the listed species of horse chestnut grow in city parks and alleys. Here you can pick fruits. Another tried and tested option is to obtain seed material from breeders.

Preparation of chestnut planting material

In order for the landing to be successful, the “nuts” must be prepared after harvest. Under natural conditions, without the use of additional efforts, one out of 20-30 seeds grows. The preparation algorithm is as follows:

First of all, the fruits of the horse chestnut must be collected from the ground. In no case do not pick from the tree, they are unripe.

Go through and select the best, without damage, dents and signs of disease.

Prepared fruits are peeled (with or without thorns) and soaked in a small amount of water. It is desirable that the water does not completely cover the "nuts". Water needs to be changed every day so that it does not turn sour. A damp cloth or gauze is placed on top of the fruit.

After 2-3 days, swollen fruits can be put in the refrigerator for stratification. For autumn planting, it lasts 10-14 days. At the same time, chestnuts are sprinkled with slightly damp sand.

Sand for stratification should be taken large river. Before use, it must be calcined in the oven or microwave to kill pathogenic bacteria.

Planting a chestnut

For planting, prepared "nuts" are placed in the furrow at a distance of 40-50 cm from each other. The furrow should be no more than 10 cm deep and well spilled with warm water with potassium permanganate. After that, the crops are sprinkled with old leaves or sawdust. And in the spring, when the snow melts, the mulch needs to be raked off to allow seedlings to break through.

If the fruits are stored all winter until spring planting, then the storage temperature should not exceed 5-7C. A month before planting, the seeds are prepared in the same way as for autumn sowing. The difference is that the stratification time can be significantly increased, and after planting, cover the ground with a film.

Mice are very fond of chestnut fruits. If you are planting seeds in the fall, use a mouse repellent. For example, grease the fruits with Vishnevsky ointment. Or bury lumps of paper smeared with this ointment around the plantings.

Chestnut care tips

After the seedlings have appeared, you need to carefully loosen the ground around. The treatment must be carried out so that when watering, the water does not flow in different directions, but remains in the near-stem circle. A month after the shoots appeared, the plant needs to be fed.

A complex mineral fertilizer or any of the organic fertilizers is taken:

manure infusion;
"Green" fertilizer (herbal infusion);
ash;
dolomite flour;
compost or manure.

If the fertilizer is dry, then it is scattered around the seedling. For better formation of the root system, it is watered with a solution of nitroammophoska or superphosphate. Why take a matchbox of fertilizer and dilute it in a bucket of water.

Watering a young chestnut

While the chestnut is small, it needs to be watered frequently as the root system is still in its infancy. The plant cannot feed on its own and extract water from deep groundwater. In addition, the chestnut is moisture-loving, and you need to water it regularly so that the soil does not dry out.

Planting a chestnut in a permanent place

A chestnut tree is transplanted 3 years after they were sown in the ground. For a successful landing, you need to choose correctly both the time and place of landing.

In order for chestnuts to take root better, you do not need to delay the transplant too much. It is better to do it a year earlier than later.

A large plant is more sick when transplanted to a permanent place, as the root system is damaged. The chestnut stops growing and developing in order to grow the root that a plant of this age needs.

Location selection

Chestnut loves the sun's rays, but it is better to shade it with something for the first time. For example, it can be annual tall or climbing plants. It must be borne in mind that over time, when the chestnut grows, nothing should interfere with it. There should be no shrubs nearby that he could shade.

Landing dates

As soon as the soil warms up in spring, horse chestnut seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent place. According to the timing, this is the end of April - the first half of May. An autumn plant transplant is also possible. This should be done as soon as the constant air temperature does not rise above 12C.

Soil preparation

The soil at the planting site should be moist and fertile. It is best if it is well-fertilized loam. The chestnut lives for a long time, so we prepare in advance (maybe six months before planting) a large planting hole so that it is saturated with oxygen.

The pit should be at least half a meter deep. Its width and length is 50-60 cm. After digging a large hole, lay various plant remains on the bottom with a layer of 20-40 cm (depending on the depth of the hole). It can be branches of different thicknesses, as well as grass, cones, manure and sod. Before planting, you need to add ashes and sand so that the roots of the plant do not come into contact with undecayed manure and plant debris.

Further, compost or fertile soil is poured up to the intended root. From the sides, earth is poured to the chestnut seedling. It is best if it is rotted sifted compost or humus. Before pouring the ground, you need to add ash to them (half a liter per bucket) and superphosphate (2 tablespoons per bucket). Mix well.

How to plant a chestnut from a seedling

It is best to plant a chestnut with two people, when one holds it over the pit, and the other cooks and sprinkles the earth. But, if this is not possible, then the pit is filled to the brim a few days before planting, so that the soil settles. Optimally - for two days.

Then a small hole is dug in the center with a depth equal to the length of the root system. The pit is well shed and the seedling is placed with one hand, and with the other they rake up the ground and tamp it well. Then again, the earth is properly shed around the seedling.

Planted chestnut care

Care comes down to regular watering, top dressing, loosening. If there is a danger that the seedling will break, then it must be tied up. The stake is placed so as not to damage the root system. Tie neatly, without pinching or rubbing the bark. Use a soft rope or special twine.

When growing any seedling, including horse chestnut, while it is still small, you can mulch the soil with any organic material. It could be:

fallen leaves;
sawdust;
cut grass;
needles;
tree bark.

Mulch keeps moisture near the soil surface. As it decomposes, it works like a slow organic fertilizer. Basically, as a source of nitrogen. A soil crust does not form under the mulch and it remains loose for a long time. Earthworms quickly start up in it, which help to loosen and enrich the soil with organic matter.

If you use needles or bark and sawdust of coniferous trees as mulch, then be sure to neutralize the acidity of the soil. This can be done by adding ash, dolomite flour, lime.

Top dressing and fertilizer

Top dressing is necessary, especially at first, but make sure that there is no excess fertilizer. When transplanting, you need to add superphosphate - a source of phosphorus, ash - potassium, phosphorus, calcium, compost and humus - nitrogen.

If necessary, every summer the seedlings are fed with complex mineral fertilizers. They do this about once a month and a half. We must not forget that in the fall the application of nitrogen fertilizers is not necessary.

It is better not to bring in fresh manure when digging around, as it can “burn” the thin roots of the plant.

How to properly trim a chestnut and crown formation

The chestnut grows very slowly at first. In the first 10 years, he annually adds a little in growth. After that, at the age of 10-25 years, the most rapid growth of horse chestnut begins. Therefore, you need not to miss and form a crown before active growth. In addition, dry branches should be cut every spring.

In the first year, all shoots should be cut in half. The next year in the spring, you need to remove the shortened side branches. This operation is repeated until a stem of the desired height is formed.

After leaving a few skeletal branches to form a crown, remove the rest. Cover the cuts with garden pitch or ordinary oil paint. This procedure should be carried out a few days after pruning, when the cut dries out a little. Thin, thickening branches can be cut even in summer.

Preparing for winter

Preparing young seedlings for winter is different from how an adult horse chestnut should be prepared for the cold. Young trees in the first years need to be covered. First, we mulch the soil under the chestnut with a thick layer.

Then, using burlap or spunbond, we form a shelter for the seedling in the first year. You can use spruce branches, which will not only keep warm, but also protect the tree from rodents.

In subsequent years, when the chestnut grows, it is necessary to clean the tree of lichens and lubricate, in case of damage, with garden pitch.

The trunk circle in autumn can be mulched with manure. Fresh manure will not harm the roots of an adult plant.

Propagation by cuttings

Horse chestnut cuttings are an effective way of vegetative propagation of a plant. The most important thing is to find a reliable source of planting material. Cuttings are carried out in the spring. It is better to prepare a site for planting cuttings in advance, in the fall.

Soil preparation

For planting cuttings, loose and moderately nutritious soil is needed. Soil preparation begins in the fall and it is somewhat reminiscent of preparing a mixture for seedlings. The requirements for the composition are the same.

The earth in the area intended for planting cuttings is dug up on a spade bayonet and thoroughly cleaned of weeds. So that this place is not filled with weeds, it is sown with mustard, which disinfects and enriches the soil. Before the onset of winter, the soil can not be re-cultivated. The site goes under the snow along with the growing green manure.

In the spring, you need to dig the site again and loosen it. To create favorable conditions for rooting, you need to create a drainage cushion. To do this, the top layer of soil is removed, 20-30 cm, and fine expanded clay is laid on the bottom with a layer of 5-7 cm. The soil is mixed with sand, ash and superphosphate and returned to its place.

Procurement of cuttings

Cuttings are taken from a chestnut tree, which is 5-10 years old. The best time for cutting cuttings is flowering. Just do not need to take cuttings from those branches that already have flowers. Cuttings are taken semi-lignified. Cuttings should have 3-5 internodes.

Preplant processing of cuttings

On the prepared cuttings make an oblique cut. This technique is used in order to increase the area of \u200b\u200bnutrition and the formation of the root system. In order not to confuse the top and bottom of the handle, some experienced gardeners make the bottom cut oblique, and leave the top straight.

The lower cut of the cuttings is processed in growth stimulants, the most famous of which is Kornevin. Before processing, the cut must be dried for several hours. Additionally, you need to dip the bottom of the handle in crushed coal to prevent decay.

If the stalk nevertheless rotted some time after planting, then it must be urgently removed, and the place where it took root should be shed with a fungicide or any disinfectant solution. For example, a dark solution of potassium permanganate.

Determining a cutting that has not rooted is very simple. Leaves do not grow on it, and it shrinks a little.

Planting cuttings

The cuttings are planted at an angle in small grooves. They are laid in advance, filling with a mixture of sand, perlite and sifted earth. The composition of the mixture into which the lower part of the cuttings will be dipped should be very light and breathable.

We spill the furrows with a solution of potassium permanganate and plant the cuttings, deepening 2 buds. We compress the earth around well, adding new earth. Landings need to be covered with spunbond.

First, the cuttings need a little shading. Too bright rays of the spring and summer sun can dry out both planting material and soil. Secondly, soil moisture should be maintained at about the same level.

Cutting Care

Caring for cuttings comes down to timely watering, loosening and weeding. Until the cutting takes root, it does not need to be fed. There should be no excess fertilizers in the soil, especially nitrogen ones. For better rooting, the soil is dug up with superphosphate. Phosphorus is actively involved in the formation of the root system.

There should not be a single weed in the cuttings. The soil must be clean. Especially carefully you need to monitor areas that are in close proximity to chestnuts. Weeds interfere with the development of cultivated plants, suppressing them. Therefore, you need to get rid of them in a timely manner.

Diseases and pests of chestnut

In order for a tree to grow healthy, it is necessary to follow the rules of pruning and shaping so that the leaves are ventilated and there is no moisture stagnation inside the crown, which leads to the spread of diseases. Horse chestnut has three main enemies:

mining (chestnut) moth;
wood mite;
powdery mildew.

To prevent chestnut damage by moths, it is necessary to collect and burn all the foliage that has fallen in autumn from trees where pest larvae usually hide. As a mulch, you can try using a different material.

When a chestnut is damaged by a tree mite, the leaves become reddish and small bright dots appear on them. Branches that are severely affected by the mite should be collected and burned. Healthy parts of the plant are sprayed with special means.

Powdery mildew is not only a scourge of chestnuts. It especially spreads during prolonged wet weather at low temperatures. Powdery mildew spores love these conditions and quickly spread throughout the garden.

A grayish coating appears on the leaves, as if dusted with flour, hence the name. In the future, the leaves and the tree are covered with growing brown spots that grow. The tree during this period is sprayed with fungicides, simultaneously destroying the affected areas.

Horse chestnut is a very beautiful tree. By planting it, in 5 years you will get a slender tree with spectacular unusual leaves and beautiful flowering. And in five years, it will become your universal favorite.

In the article we discuss how to grow horse chestnut, its varieties, methods of care and reproduction in a temperate and cold climate. You will learn how to plant a tree with seeds and seedlings, how to prune young shoots and prepare the plant for winter.

Features of growing horse chestnut

Horse chestnut can be planted in a summer cottage. This tree is unpretentious in its care. It grows rapidly, reaching a length of 15–25 m. A wide spreading crown, on which flowers in the form of candles are visible once a year for 2 weeks, turns the tree into a beautiful giant that adorns parks, squares, household plots and purifies dozens of cubes of air from harmful impurities and particles of heavy metals.

In late October - early November, fruits ripen on it, covered with a peel with thorns, inside of which nuts are hidden. Edible types of chestnut produce a crop that can be eaten. Horse chestnut is not one of them. Its fruits contain a bitter component that makes the nuts unfit for eating. But domestic animals willingly eat them.

Planting and caring for horse chestnut occurs from early spring to late autumn. In winter, the tree sleeps, and in spring it gives young shoots, from which a crown emerges. Depending on the height of the stem (trunk from the root neck to the branches of the lower tier), the branches of the first order are pruned.

Varieties and varieties of horse chestnut

An adult horse chestnut can reach a height of 30 m. The tree lives up to 300 years. Chestnut, which grows up to 25 meters, belongs to deciduous tree species. In total, 28 species of horse chestnut are known, 13 of which grow in Russia. Common types:

Californian;
yellow;
red;
meat red;
Indian.

Depending on the variety of horse chestnut, once a year, white, pink or red flowers bloom on it for 2 weeks.

How to grow chestnut at home

For the germination of seeds and the full development of horse chestnut seedlings, special conditions must be created. If you do everything right, then the tree will bloom at home, and you will not rack your brains on how to grow horse chestnut in the garden or in the house.

Location selection

Please note that horse chestnut should be planted in a free and well-lit area. Do not plant garden crops within a radius of 5-6 meters from the tree. The powerful chestnut root system has a length of 6-7 meters, so other plants will not have enough nutrients.

The tree needs sunlight, but if you plant it in a shaded place, this is not critical. Horse chestnut gives the landscape a special flavor and beauty - on hot days, the shade under its crown will be a safe haven from the scorching rays, and at the end of summer this place will become a blooming oasis.

Which nut to choose for planting

Growing horse chestnut depends on the quality of the seeds you take for planting. In autumn, when the nuts start to fall from the tree, pick them up from the ground and examine them carefully. Select intact, whole fruits and prepare them for stratification. It will take from 2 to 5 months to harden the seeds. If you collect nuts in the fall, then you can plant them in the spring. Pour wet sand into a wooden container and place the seeds there. Put the box in a basement or other cool place.

When to plant horse chestnut with this method of stratification? Seeds are planted in the spring after soaking them for 7 days in warm water. During this time, they sprout.

You can prepare the seeds for planting in another way: collect the nuts in the fall and place them between the roots of the tree. Cover with fallen leaves, tamp it down and leave the nuts to “winter” until spring. When the snow melts, clean the fruits of dirt and plant particles and place the nuts in warm water for 5-7 days.

Before growing horse chestnut, make sure that the seeds are not dry. Fruits in which there is no moisture left will not germinate.

What if you need to plant a horse chestnut urgently, and there is no way to wait for the long winter months? Shorten the stratification period: mix the nuts with wet sand or sawdust and refrigerate for 2 weeks. Then repeat the procedure with warm water so that the fruits sprout.

Growing from seeds in the garden

Chestnuts are planted with seeds or seedlings. In black soil or loamy soil, the seeds feel “comfortable”. If there is no clay in the sandy soil, add it. If the earth is clayey, heavy, mix it with sand. In loose fertile black soil, gardeners plant vegetables and berry bushes. In October, the beds are already empty. Use this land for growing seedlings in beds or for winter stratification.

Scatter nuts on the surface of the black soil, press them into the ground by 7-10 cm. If you dig them up when the snow melts, then soak them in warm water for 1 week before planting. Leaving them in the garden, you will be pleasantly surprised that some of the seeds will sprout without soaking. Choose strong seedlings and plant them in separate areas of the cottage.

Planting seedlings

How to plant horse chestnut seedlings? To do this, follow these steps:

Dig a hole with sides 50-60 cm.
Pour sand at the bottom with a layer of 10-15 cm, spread a layer of crushed stone or gravel 10 cm high on top. Excess moisture will go into the ground, and the roots will not rot if it is in excess.
Having provided drainage, place the seedling in a recess and fill the hole with soil so that the root neck of the tree rises 5-10 cm above the ground. Then the soil will settle, and the underground part of the plant will be at the desired depth.
Strengthen the seedling from all sides with props. When a strong wind blows, it will stand thanks to their support.

How to plant horse chestnut seedlings in soil with a high level of acidity? Pour 150-200 g of lime into the pit. Fertilize the soil that you will fill in the recess with sod and compost.

Horse chestnut care

Young seedlings just starting to sprout can die if not cared for. Make sure that the tree receives enough nutrients and moisture, is at least 4 meters away from other seedlings if you decide to make a whole alley of chestnuts.

Watering

When transplanting horse chestnut into the soil on the site, water the seedlings every day in the evening at sunset or after sunset. Young trees need moisture constantly, but they cannot be overfilled with water. With proper care, the root system develops rapidly.

Knowing how to grow horse chestnut from seedlings, make sure that the soil does not dry out and is always slightly moist.

top dressing

When watering, add 1 kg of compost and 15 g of uric acid to 10 liters of water. If the land is very depleted, add humus to it when planting. In autumn, use the following composition to feed the chestnut: 15 g of nitroammophoska, dissolved in 10 liters of water. Water the chestnut regularly for the first 3-5 years. Mature trees store a sufficient amount of moisture in their roots - they need watering only on dry days.

Preparing for winter

Cut off excess side shoots from a tree if its crown has become thick and bushy over the summer. Prepare the burlap, wrap it around the chestnut trunk, secure with twine. Cover the roots of the tree with a thick layer of fallen leaves.

If the bark of a tree cracked during winter frosts, treat the cracks with lime and garden pitch. How does horse chestnut grow in winter? During these months, he sleeps and almost does not add in growth. But with the onset of heat, it grows 2-3 times faster.

pruning

When the tree is still young and sprouts a lot of side shoots, remove excess first-order branches to form a crown of the desired shape and density. Leave the top shoots as is. Shorten the lower side branches by half in the autumn, and remove them in the spring, depending on which stem you want - high or low.

In the spring, inspect the tree and cut dried branches from it. For seedlings aged 2-3 years, leave 5-6 shoots. This amount is enough for the appearance of a lush, beautiful crown in the future.

horse chestnut transplant

Planting and caring for horse chestnuts in the photo occur first at home. You can follow the same pattern:

Plant the seeds in containers, after making a drainage layer.
When the tree begins to take root, carefully free them from the soil.
Cut them horizontally.
Plant seedlings in a larger container.
When the trees grow again, transplant them to the site along with a clod of earth from the container.

For more information about transplanting horse chestnut to a new place, see the video:

Diseases and pests

The main enemies of horse chestnut are powdery mildew, mining moth and tree mite. When attacked by a chestnut prayer, the foliage darkens and falls off even in the summer. In winter, the tree may die. To combat this pest, use Lufox 105 EC. Burn the fallen leaves - moth larvae remain in them.

With the defeat of powdery mildew, a grayish-white coating appears on the leaves. The leaves turn yellow or dark brown spots appear on them. The crown disappears from the tree. Use fungicides against powdery mildew. To prevent a tree mite from appearing on a tree, treat the chestnut every 2 weeks with karbofos or fitover.

What to remember

Horse chestnut is undemanding to conditions, but it needs a wide space, good lighting and moderate watering.
Seeds must be stratified.
By cutting the roots of young trees, horse chestnut growth can be controlled.
The crown is formed in the first years of the tree's life.

May is the time for chestnut blossoms. What could be more beautiful than the white candles of this beautiful tree? And then in his balls, similar to hedgehogs, brown shiny and smooth nuts ripen, from which this miracle grows. Everyone in life should plant one tree, and not necessarily a man. In this way, we can contribute to the greening of the earth and the revival of nature. Chestnut requires attention and care, it is not so easy to germinate, but if you have patience and learn some features, it will not be difficult to grow it. If you decide to plant a chestnut, it remains only to find out how best to germinate it so that it grows into a real handsome man and pleases everyone around.

What are chestnuts?

The plants in question are not at all the ones that we are all used to seeing in the parks and gardens of our neighbors in the country. In some cases, experts even refer these trees to completely different families.

Usually the height of the tree reaches from 1 to 35 meters, depending on the specific species. Its beautiful pyramidal inflorescences adorn the gardens for two months - from May to June. To know how to properly grow a chestnut from a fruit, you need to understand its structure.

Each fruit of this plant is in a shell, which is enveloped by a peel with thorns. As a rule, one to three small nuts can be found in one shell. It should be remembered that chestnuts create a dense shadow due to their crown.

In addition, they have very strong surface roots. These are the main factors that affect the growth of surrounding crops, which rarely grow near this tree. Correcting this shortcoming is very simple - you need to put a few benches here, turning the space around the chestnut tree into a cozy corner.

Preparation of chestnut planting material

Where to get it? Of course, under the crown of a large beautiful chestnut tree. Fallen chestnuts are harvested in the fall, moreover, with a margin, so that there is plenty to choose from for the best specimens for planting. Next, one of the stratification methods is selected.

1. The first way is simple. The fruits collected in autumn are laid right there, between the roots of the "parent" tree, sprinkled with sand, covered with fallen leaves and left for several months. In the spring, they dig them up, select a few pieces and plant them where needed.

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2. The second way is more complicated. The collected fruits are placed in a cellar, refrigerator or other cool place. They are stored there until spring, periodically checking that the planting material does not dry out.

Cold stimulates fruiting and starts the reproduction program. A dried fruit is not suitable for planting, because. unable to give rise to a new tree.

Don't want to wait until spring to plant a chestnut tree? Stratification can be accelerated. To do this, the fruits are placed in a container with wet sand and kept in a cool place for 10 days. This is quite enough to land them in the fall.

Planting a chestnut

Before planting a nut in the ground, its peel must be softened. To do this, the fruit should be placed in a container with warm water. The fluid will constantly need to be changed as it cools. The duration of this procedure is 7 days. After that, large, white sprouts appear in the fruits.

This is the basis for planting nuts in the ground. It is recommended to grow a seedling at home in a plastic or wooden container. It is better to choose a large pot right away in order to avoid the need for a transplant. In a bulk container, chestnut roots can develop without oppression.

The depth of planting a nut should be equal to three times the length of the fruit itself. Therefore, if the diameter of the chestnut seed is 3 cm, then the planting hole should not be less than 9 cm deep. Trees planted in spring should produce better fruits (if we are talking about an edible species).

However, when growing chestnuts for ornamental purposes, experienced gardeners recommend planting nuts in the fall. Then the seedling has a better chance of survival, and the tree turns out to be strong and branchy.

Chestnut care tips

1. After 55-60 days, small sprouts should already appear. Now is the time to prepare the container for planting. A layer of drainage is poured at the bottom of a pot or other container, and a soil mixture is placed on top. Absolutely any soil is suitable, whether it be from a local park or from a garden plot. Sprouted fruits are planted at a sufficient depth, about 2 cm. If the seeds are buried deeper, they will break through very slowly, but if placed near the surface, they can dry out and die.

2. When the chestnut grows up, it can be planted in open ground in a summer cottage or in the yard. Planting pits are preliminarily prepared with a drainage layer (crushed stone is better) and a thin layer of slaked lime. Trees should be distributed on the plot taking into account future growth, therefore, it is necessary to keep a distance and plant seedlings at a distance of at least 4-5 meters from each other.

3. Delicate and vulnerable seedlings need regular watering and feeding. You can feed chestnuts with organic matter or mixed fertilizers. This is done twice a year: with the arrival of early spring and autumn. Periodically, weeds are removed around the plant, and the soil layer is loosened. For better growth, the soil must "breathe" and be enriched with oxygen. During the active growth of the plant, young shoots from the trunk and shrunken branches are removed. This will provide the seedling with growth strength and further strengthen healthy branches.

4. With the advent of real frosts and the arrival of winter, young chestnuts are covered with burlap and covered with dry fallen leaves. This will help young trees to winter safely.

Diseases and pests of chestnut

Regardless of the variety of chestnut (decorative or edible), trees are attacked by tree mites, chestnut moths and powdery mildew. To avoid damage, it is necessary to observe preventive measures - treat trees with disinfecting solutions 2 times a month.

How to recognize powdery mildew? If you see that the leaves of the chestnuts have become covered with white or brown spots, then this is powdery mildew. You can rid the plants of the pest if you make phosphorus or nitrogen fertilizers, as well as use fungicides.

If the plant was attacked by a chestnut moth, then an integrated approach is needed. Chemical agents that need to be used to treat a damaged tree will help get rid of pests. A popular effective drug is Lufox-105, it helps to destroy pests at different stages of growth. The substance is not toxic, therefore it will not harm the environment and will not kill the bees.

Chestnut is a favorite of landscape designers. This tree adorns the streets and squares of cities, is widely used in the creation of unique landscape gardening areas. Chestnut with white candle inflorescences and large fan-shaped leaves is liked by everyone without exception. Let us dwell in more detail on how to grow a healthy and strong walnut tree (the so-called chestnut fruit, devoid of its prickly “fur coat”).

Planting material preparation

Cold stimulates fruiting and starts the reproduction program. A dried fruit is not suitable for planting, because. unable to give rise to a new tree.

Don't want to wait until spring to plant a chestnut tree? Stratification can be accelerated. To do this, the fruits are placed in a container with wet sand and kept in a cool place for 10 days. This is quite enough to land them in the fall.

Landing

Immediately before planting in the ground, the outer hard shell of the nut is prepared. In order to soften it, the fruits are immersed in warm water for a week, changing it daily. By the end of this period, a small white sprout usually appears. The sprouted nut is ready for planting. The planting depth should be 3 times the diameter of the nut itself.

The question arises: so when is it better to plant a chestnut, in autumn or spring? Experts answer like this: plants planted in autumn give much earlier shoots than spring. At the same time, spring specimens grow better and faster, and are of higher quality.

Care and feeding

So, a chestnut from a germinated nut is planted in open ground. The next task - to grow a strong healthy tree out of it - requires patience, strength and certain knowledge. Here are some important care tips to help you solve it:

Trees growing in common yards, squares and parks are fenced with pegs or wooden fences in order to protect against the "human factor".
In areas with difficult weather conditions, the trunk of a young chestnut is tied to a support so that it does not break under the influence of wind loads.
Young trees are provided with abundant watering. This is extremely important in the first years of life, while the root system of the plant is not sufficiently developed.
Every spring, dry and frozen branches are removed from the chestnut trunk, leaving healthy ones.
Starting from the age of 10 years, a crown is formed by competent systematic pruning of branches.

A few words about how to properly fertilize the soil and feed the plants.

The ideal soil option for chestnuts is loose loam. If, in fact, the soil does not meet this requirement, it is ennobled: clay is added to loose soil, and sand is added to clay.
If the land is depleted, it is fertilized with compost.
As a spring top dressing, the following solution is introduced into the soil: for 10 liters of water - 1 kg of cow manure and 15 g of urea.
In autumn, top dressing for chestnut is prepared from 15 g of nitroammophoska dissolved in 10 liters of water.

While young plants need regular watering, mature chestnut trees only need to be watered during the dry season. Trees older than 10 years no longer need care.

As you can see, in order to plant a chestnut, seedlings from the nursery are not needed, this can also be done from a walnut.

How to grow an ornamental chestnut tree on a windowsill

Those who live "on the floor" and do not have a land plot can grow a chestnut from a walnut in their apartment. To do this is quite simple.

In autumn, peeled chestnuts are planted in a pot for indoor plants and watered systematically. In the spring, small white sprouts appear from the ground - a signal that the planting material is ready for seating in separate pots.

In order to get a decorative bonsai chestnut, a young tree is grown for about a year or two in an ordinary flowerpot, like a houseplant. Then proceed as follows:

take out of the pot, clean the roots from the old earth;
cut the roots so that the root system acquires a flat shape;
plant the prepared chestnut in a container with bonsai potting mix;
after the plant takes root (and this will happen pretty soon), it is transplanted together with a lump into a special bowl.

The most patient and persistent can watch the bonsai chestnut bloom. With proper care, this happens 10 years after planting.

» Walnut

Chestnuts are very useful for humans. Some varieties produce edible nuts that are used for cooking.. About whether it is possible to grow a chestnut at home from a nut and how to plant it will be discussed further.

To acquire your own chestnut alley, it is not at all necessary to purchase expensive seedlings. It is possible to grow trees from a nut.

More than 30 species of chestnut trees are known, but not all will be able to grow at home:

- a long-lived tree. With proper care, a tree will live for over 500 years. The height of the chestnut reaches 35 meters, the leaves are large. Inflorescences of a chestnut of cream color, magnificent. Nuts are suitable for food, large. The shell is soft.
Chinese softest- fruits have high taste qualities, are highly valued among gourmets. A tree up to 15 meters high, the leaves are small, pubescent. Candles standing upright, different colors.
- differs in its growth rate. It enters fruiting in the third year of cultivation. The fruits are edible, weighing up to 100 gr.

When planting a chestnut tree in the garden, keep in mind that it gives a dense shade, and its roots are located superficially. Nothing will grow under the tree, but no one forbids to equip a recreation area under its branches.

In addition, you need to grow edible varieties of chestnuts away from highways, factories and factories. The best solution is a country house. The fact is that the chestnut draws in heavy metals and all toxic emissions, the fruit from the city tree is completely unsuitable for food.

Edible varieties of chestnuts need winter shelter, as they do not have high winter hardiness, unlike horse chestnut.

During the flowering period, chestnut trees are excellent honey plants.. has a slight bitterness, but is very useful.

Which nut to choose for planting

In order to avoid mistakes in growing chestnuts, we advise you to listen to the opinion of experts and select only fallen nuts. They are used for further germination.

The fruits should be even and beautiful in appearance, without damage and soft spots.. For planting, select hard chestnuts.

If you plan to grow 1-2 trees, take about 5 nuts. Not all of them will germinate, some will die in the garden. Extra ones can always be offered to neighbors in the country.

It is better to start planting in the fall, after harvesting the fruits. It is not always possible to save nuts until spring without loss. They dry out and lose their germination. If this is not possible, then you need to store chestnuts until spring in a bag of wet sand.

Conditions for planting and growing chestnut

The secret to successful chestnut cultivation is seed stratification. If you collect nuts in late autumn and plant them in open ground, then nature itself will do everything. But in room conditions, you will have to independently subject the seeds to stratification.

To do this, immediately after harvest, nuts are placed in a container with sand and cleaned in a cool place. It can be a refrigerator shelf or a basement. Experienced gardeners recommend dropping a container of nuts in the garden under the snow. The nuts are stored there until spring. They are delivered a week before landing.

It is better to start planting nuts in late February or early March.. Before sowing, they are soaked in water for five days. The water is changed regularly to keep it from spoiling. The shell of the nuts should soften well. This process activates the embryo and helps the sprout germinate faster. The nuts are planted when a white sprout sprouts.

Almost any soil is suitable for chestnut germination. Nuts are planted immediately in separate containers, with a volume of 300-500 ml. The substrate is well moistened and the seed is placed in it to a depth of 3-5 cm. The first shoots appear after 15-20 days.

Too deep planting will cause the sprout not to come out. High landing promotes drying of a nutlet. Follow the recommended depth.

Spring planting chestnut at home is preferable:

seedlings growing fast and strong enough for the winter.
seedlings well endure the winter.
The percentage of germination is higher.

This method of growing chestnuts is less labor intensive.

When to transplant seedlings in open ground

Transplant young seedlings outdoors after the threat of night frost has passed. As a rule, this is the end of May.

When planting in the garden, keep in mind that chestnuts are large trees. The distance between seedlings should be at least 3 meters. Only under this condition will the tree please with a dense crown, beautiful and long flowering and tasty fruits. Any soil is suitable for planting, but black soil is best.

Take a bright place for planting, but so that direct sunlight does not fall on the seedling.

The planting hole should match the root system of the seedling. The earth from the hole is mixed with humus and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1 and 500 g of hydrated lime are added. A little phosphorus-potassium fertilizer is added to each well. The bottom of the holes is well drained with pebbles, gravel or sand. The height of the drainage layer is 10 cm.

Planting seedlings is carried out carefully, trying not to damage the tap root of the plant:

Pour the prepared soil into the hole, moisten well.
Establish a seedling and sprinkle with soil.
They tamp the ground and water the chestnut tree.

For better rooting of young chestnut cover the plant for a few days with a paper bag.

Caring for a chestnut in the garden in spring and autumn

Growing a chestnut tree from a walnut is not as difficult as it seems. The main thing is to properly care for it and protect the young seedling from the winds and animals.

A young chestnut is fenced with pegs and tied with a red ribbon.. In the windy season, the plant is tied to a support so as not to damage the fragile trunk.

Walnut chestnut grows slowly, so you should have a lot of patience. In the second year of cultivation, the tree will add only 20-25 cm.. But already in the fifth year, with good care, it can grow up to 1.5 meters. The formation of a violent crown begins in the tenth year of life. Pruning will help stimulate crown formation.

Watering a young chestnut

Young seedlings are regularly watered, as their root system is still weak. In the future, the chestnut is rarely watered. After watering, the soil must be mulched with humus or sawdust.. Young trees require especially careful care.

top dressing

For full-fledged fruiting, the chestnut needs top dressing. They are held twice a year.:

spring the seedling is fed with a solution of urea (15g per 10 liters of water) or mullein.
autumn make nitroammophoska (15 g per 10 liters of water).

Moreover, in the soil regularly add organic matter.

Preparing for winter

In autumn, young plants need shelter for a period of cold weather. With the onset of the first frosts, seedlings are mulched with a thick layer of humus or dry leaves.. This will protect the root system from freezing. Mature chestnuts do not need mulching. They are more hardy and unpretentious.

crown formation

From the age of three, they begin to form a beautiful chestnut crown. In the spring, the seedling is cut to ¼ height. At the same time, the central conductor is shortened, and the side branches are slightly cut.

Further chestnut pruning is carried out regularly.

Difficulties in growing

Even with good care, chestnut trees are attacked by pests and diseases. This greatly complicates the cultivation of a tree and can ruin all the work done.

Plants are most commonly affected:

wood tick;
chestnut moth;
powdery mildew.

As a preventive measure, the tree is sprayed with disinfectants twice a month.

Recognizing powdery mildew on chestnut is easy.. It is manifested by characteristic dark or white spots on the leaves. Phosphate fertilizers will help to significantly reduce the risk of infection.

From pests, drugs are used that are less toxic and do not harm the bees.

Chestnut trees with edible fruits deserve attention. They are not only beautiful, but also useful. With good care, seedlings will begin to bear fruit for 7-8 years of planting.. To avoid mistakes when planting a chestnut tree, carefully follow the instructions and advice of experienced gardeners. Remember that at a young age, chestnuts need special care.