About deciduous forests of Western Siberia. And horse chestnuts are blooming in the Urals! Chestnut tree care

How to grow horse chestnut from walnut

The horse chestnut genus (in Latin, esculus) belongs to the horse chestnut family. It unites 13 species distributed in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere.

Aesculus is a relic of the tertiary flora, which in the past occupied a vast territory from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. Common horse chestnut grows naturally in northern Greece, southern Bulgaria, Albania and is widely distributed in cultivation. Horse chestnut is one of the best ornamental deciduous trees, a good honey plant. It grows quickly and is especially beautiful during flowering. Horse chestnut is cultivated in many cities of the former USSR, and is widely distributed throughout Ukraine.

In Kiev, horse chestnut is a landmark of the city and the main element of the decorative decoration of its streets.

The bark, fruits and leaves of the chestnut are used in medicine. So, horse chestnut extract (venostazin) is used orally for varicose veins, atherosclerosis. In folk medicine, chestnut fruits and flowers are used in the treatment of articular rheumatism, gallbladder diseases, bleeding, chronic and inflammatory bowel diseases.

Horse chestnut seedlings are grown in nurseries (for example, in the Vyborg Flower and Nursery Plant). Horse chestnut seeds are frost-resistant, they winter under fallen leaves, have a healthy and fresh appearance and are distinguished by high sowing qualities. They can be sown not only in spring, but also in autumn until the onset of stable winter frosts (autumn and winter crops). During autumn sowing, the seeds are sown to a depth of 10-15 cm. In the spring, it is necessary to loosen the topsoil where the seeds are sown.

Horse chestnut seeds are large, oval-flattened, dark brown in color, 3-4 cm long, 2.5-3 cm wide. For normal growth, deep, fresh loamy soils are needed, and in dry locations - artificial watering. Sandy, acidic and saline soils, as well as excessive moisture, are unsuitable for chestnut.

The germination of chestnut seeds is maintained at a moisture content of at least 40%. The shelf life of seeds is no more than 7-9 months.

For spring sowing, chestnut seeds must be stratified immediately after receiving them. In the nurseries of the Vyborg plant, the seeds are stored in the following way. A platform is chosen in an open place, a layer of sand up to 3 cm thick is poured on it, chestnut seeds are scattered on top in an even layer so that they do not touch each other. A layer of sand is again poured onto this layer of seeds, and a second layer of seeds is scattered on top of the sand. There may be several such layers. The last layer of seeds is covered with a layer of sand and covered with a layer of woody leaf, and from above the whole pile is covered with snow.

So that the snow does not melt quickly in the spring, the pile is covered with tree leaves with a layer of 15-20 cm, fine peat, and sawdust. In such heaps, horse chestnut seeds winter well and begin to peck at the time of sowing.

In the middle or at the end of April, when the ridges are already prepared for sowing, the snow is dumped from the heap, and the seeds are completely pecked on the third or fifth day. After that, they are dismantled and those that have obvious signs of sprouts are used for sowing, and those that are spoiled or rotten are thrown away. Sowing with such seeds gives friendly even shoots, and by autumn the seedlings already reach a height of 35 to 60 cm.

On a ridge 1 m wide, seeds are sown in five rows with a distance of 18 cm between rows and 15-18 cm in a row. At the same time, one seed is sown in each hole to a depth of 6-8 cm.

A. Grintal , candidate of biological sciences

(variety description, photo)

horse chestnut- high (up to 30 m) deciduous tree with a wide dense crown. The leaves are opposite, long-petiolate, palmately compound with 5–7 sessile, obovate, elongated-pointed leaves. The flowers are irregular, white with red-pink spots, collected in erect pyramidal panicles. Blooms in May. The fruit is a round capsule up to 6 cm in diameter, covered with large soft spines, inside which are 1–2 large brown shiny seeds. The fruits ripen in September-October.
Decorative. The plant is an excellent honey plant. Has decorative value. Chestnut leaves turn yellow, brown, purple, crimson in autumn. The inflorescences are large, pyramidal, erect racemes.
Usage. Very beautiful tapeworm, goes well with tall conifers.
Plant characteristics. Horse chestnut is winter-hardy, but young individuals can freeze slightly in severe winter conditions. Sensitive to dry winds. Likes rich, moist soils.

How to buy horse chestnut seedlings
in the nursery "Siberian garden"

In our nursery, you can buy horse chestnut seedlings on open trading floors and in nursery stores. Addresses, work schedule, phone numbers of outlets, see section "Contacts"(in the top menu).

Nursery "Siberian Garden" delivers seedlings in Russia. You can order plants in our online store at: order.site or follow the link in the top menu. Information about the conditions for placing orders, their payment and delivery of seedlings in Russia can also be found in the online store in the relevant sections.

Nursery Siberian Garden sells seedlings in bulk and invites organizations involved in the sale of seedlings, landscape design, as well as organizers of joint purchases to cooperate. The terms of cooperation can be found in the section "Wholesalers"(in the top menu).

The chestnut has a wide crown. Prefers to grow in bright places, tolerates shade well, but does not bloom well without exposure to direct sunlight.

For normal development, there should not be any buildings or plants within a radius of 5 m from the chestnut tree.

Timing

Seedlings are planted in early spring or November, and germinated nuts are planted in early May or left in the ground since autumn.

Soil preparation

The chestnut tree has a shallow root system.

So that the roots do not rot and the water does not stagnate, the tree is planted in moderately moist, neutral or slightly acidic loose soils with good drainage. Suitable chernozem or loamy substrate mixed with lime and sand. You can add a little clay to the sandy soil.

Features of planting seedlings

When growing chestnut, there should be no plants within a radius of 5 meters from the seedling

Dig a hole in a cubic shape, 50-60 cm deep and wide.

At the bottom, lay out a layer of sand mixed with crushed stone, 30 cm thick. This will provide drainage.

If necessary, add humus to the soil mixture, with increased acidity - dolomite flour.

When planting a seedling in a hole, make sure that the root neck is at the level of the soil.

To avoid exposing the trunk, make the planting hole 10 cm higher. After planting, water the tree with plenty of water (3-4 buckets).

Install supports around the seedling on four sides - this will protect the fragile tree from gusty winds.

reproduction

Chestnut is propagated by cuttings, layering, root suckers and seeds. The latter method is more often used; it is not difficult to grow a tree from a walnut.

Features of seed reproduction

Fully ripe fruits are suitable for germination. Whole and undamaged nuts that have fallen to the ground are used.

Seeds germinate only after stratification, which can be carried out in natural conditions - at the end of autumn, plant the collected fruits in open ground and warm them with dry leaves on top. Many seeds will germinate in spring.

With this method of reproduction, there is a risk of damage to the walnut by rodents.

For artificial stratification, the fetus is placed in a tightly closed container filled with wet sand in a cold place for a period of two to five months.

Five days before planting, the fruits are soaked in warm water, which is changed from time to time. This softens the hard skin of the nut and promotes further germination. Treated chestnuts are planted in the ground to a depth of 8-10 cm.

Grow a chestnut from a nut in late autumn

At the end of winter, chestnut nuts can be planted in pots, and in May they can be planted in open ground, pinching the taproot, which will allow the plant to develop a strong root system.

In the first 3 years, and in colder regions - 5 years, the tree is grown in greenhouses, putting it outside for the summer.

You can learn about the species of fast-growing trees.

And you can find out how to properly care for thuja at this link.

Care

Care in the summer period consists in weeding, shallow loosening of the earth, top dressing.

Young individuals need regular watering, adults - only in the hot, dry season. Watered in the evening.

top dressing

The tree is fertilized in early spring with this solution: for 10 liters of water - 1 kg of mullein and 15 g of urea.

autumn- 15 g of nitroammophoska are mixed into the same volume of water. For fertilizer, the near-stem circle is also mulched with a layer of 10 cm of wood chips, peat or peat compost.

pruning

Chestnut is formed in the form of a stem tree with a main trunk. To make the drooping branches look better, the trunk should be at least 2-3 meters in height.

The central trunk with evenly spaced branches is formed from the main shoot, which is maintained as long as possible.

When the crown is formed, the tree practically does not need pruning. In early spring, cut off damaged and dry branches.

In summer, if the crown has grown excessively, young shoots are removed. All summer cuts are covered with garden pitch.

Winter care, preparation for winter

The tree is frost resistant.

Only young trees need additional protection in the first 2-3 years after planting. Their trunk circles are mulched with a layer of fallen leaves 20 cm thick, and the trunks are insulated with burlap. In the event of cracks in the bark due to severe frosts, an antiseptic is applied to the damaged area and covered with garden pitch.

As the tree grows older, the winter hardiness of the tree increases.

Pest and disease control

Most often, chestnuts are attacked by chestnut (or mining) moths, tree mites and powdery mildew.

Chestnut moth primarily damages the foliage of a tree

When attacked moth diseased chestnuts shed their leaves in mid-summer, and new foliage and flowers grow in autumn. As a result, the tree is very weakened and may not survive the winter.

In the fight against this pest, special chemicals help. For example, the drug Lufox 105 EU, which destroys the insect at all stages of development.

Leaves that have fallen as a result of illness during the summer and autumn are collected and burned, as the moth lays larvae in them.

Chestnut often affects a fungal disease - powdery mildew.

On the upper side of the leaves, a white-gray bloom or rusty-brown spots form, the leaves turn yellow and quickly fall off. The disease is treated with fungicides. They also process a tree for preventive purposes, and also feed them with nitrogen or phosphorus fertilizers.

To prevent the occurrence tree mite chestnut is treated with karbofos or fitover every two weeks.

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Varieties

For temperate climates, varieties such as American chestnut, European and horse chestnut are most suitable. They are resistant to sub-zero temperatures and are quite unpretentious.

American chestnut, also serrated, has brown bark, yellowish shoots, on which there are many long lenticels.

The leaves are large with sharp teeth. Nuts are edible, covered with fluff, sweet in taste. The tree develops quickly, but requires a lot of sunlight.

European sowing chestnut has brown bark and ribbed reddish or olive shoots. The branches are covered with glandular hairs.

The leaves are oblong with sickle-shaped teeth, covered with a grayish fluff below.

Male dense spikelets-inflorescences reach 35 cm in length, female ones are short and knocked down. The fruits are edible, covered with a prickly shell.

Horse chestnut is very decorative. It has a spreading dark crown and cone-shaped inflorescences.

Leaves with long petioles, five- or seven-fingered.

The fruits are inedible, round, hidden in prickly pericarp. This variety prefers to grow in loamy soils mixed with lime. Horse chestnut is an excellent natural air filter.

Photos of chestnut varieties can be viewed in the gallery:

Chestnut

Chestnut - a native tree

There are two versions of the origin of the horse chestnut species epithet - horse. The first interprets it as a hint of the inedibility of the fruit, in contrast to the sowing chestnut. The second connects with the horseshoe-shaped trace that remains on the branch after the chestnut leaf has fallen.

Chestnut - tree - traveler

Half a century ago, horse chestnut in central Russia was considered an accidental heat-loving guest performer. Indeed, at that time, it seems, like a bather, he only timidly tried the water with his foot. But at the same time, the capital of Ukraine, generously decorated with chestnuts, already considered him her own and composed songs about him.

Toli has really warmed up here, toli the chestnut tree has acclimatized and hardened, but over the past decades it has firmly established itself in the territories previously forbidden to it. Chestnut blossoms are now in our country too - a familiar picture of spring, although it still flows less abundantly than it happens in warmer climes. At the same time, it practically does not freeze slightly, bears fruit every year, which gives real hope that further seed generations will make it possible to isolate even more winter-hardy plants. So it is not at all excluded that soon there will be reasons to compose songs about him, which we have about cherries and apple trees, also, by the way, aliens.

Amazingly, the horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is so widespread in cultivation that scientists have had great difficulty finding its original habitat. It turned out that the natural range of this tree is represented by only a small area of wooded mountains in the Balkans. Meanwhile, this species is considered a local plant almost throughout Western and Central Europe. It is quite common in our country in the European part of Russia, especially in the center and in the south.

Everything in a tree should be impressive

Attention to his person is not surprising, even in warm Europe, where the tree diversity is high, the horse chestnut is valued as an outstanding park tree. A powerful stocky trunk, with muscular branches going obliquely upwards, also works on its appearance; and large five-seven-fingered leaves, up to 25 cm in diameter. The bark of young trees has an attractive grayish-beige color with brown streaks. Even small chestnut seedlings look extremely impressive: their shoots are unusually thick, and the buds, similar to the tops of medieval spears, are famous for being the largest in the tree world. The tree as a whole also looks extremely representative, near the mosaic of leaves, from a distance the silhouette of the crown. And even in winter, the chestnut is unusually spectacular with its massive trunk and unique graphics of the branches. It should be mentioned that an adult chestnut tree in Europe reaches a height of 25 meters and in a mature state in open places has an umbrella-shaped crown raised on a low trunk. In our middle lane, it is no longer so large, and 15 m is the limit for it. Further north, the chestnut can take the form of a low (5-6 m) multi-stemmed tree.

The trunk of a maturing tree is gradually exposed from below, so that under its crown you can walk freely. At the same time, the crown itself is evenly thick, and a fleeting downpour simply flows off it like on a roof, leaving you dry. If, standing at the foot, raise your eyes, you can trace the entire trunk almost to the very top. This is because the main part of the leaves is located on the periphery of the crown.

Chestnuts are blooming again...

But the most decorative period in the life of a chestnut is its flowering. In this, none of the large trees of the middle lane can be compared with it. Indeed, chestnut, unlike birch, maple, linden, oak, ash or elm, has real, very large (about 2 cm in diameter) white-pink flowers, moreover, collected in extraordinary inflorescences - panicles, densely, in the manner of candles placed on the outer surface of the crown. Our chestnut blossoms in early May and blooms for up to 25 days, after which, in place of the flowers, spherical (up to 6 cm in diameter) fruit-boxes with a prickly pericarp, or more correctly, a plush, are tied and gradually poured. Inside, the fruits are divided into chamber-sectors, in which 1-3 large red-brown seeds are hidden.

It is impossible not to say about the twin of the horse chestnut - the real chestnut. It is this tree, also called the sowing chestnut ( Castanea sativa) or noble chestnut, has "exclusive rights" to be called chestnut. The horse chestnut only resembles it in its fruits, but their leaves and flowers are completely different. Botanically, they even belong to different families, horse - to horse-chestnut, and real - to beech. At the same time, in terms of the area of \u200b\u200bthe range and popularity, the sowing chestnut significantly surpasses its rival, and the reason is simple - its fruits, unlike the horse chestnut, are edible. We have to add with regret that the thermophilic nature of this chestnut does not allow it to be cultivated even in the Black Earth region - in Russia it can only grow in Dagestan and on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. It is gratifying, however, that horse chestnut still overshadows its edible counterpart with the beauty of flowering.

The horse chestnut has several decorative forms, of which I will only mention the one that is in my garden. This is its variegated variety, or Variegata variety, the individual leaves of a complex leaf of which have pure white spots, dots and sectors of various shapes. I have this variety arose by itself during the mass sowing of seeds. Then in the garden, among hundreds of normal plants, one turned out to be colored non-standard. In essence, by human standards, this is a kind of defect, an abnormality, but this is how new decorative varieties are bred. I note that the variegated form is extremely attractive and deserves the most ceremonial places in landscaping, although it can only be propagated by grafting onto the main form. Unfortunately, the variety is prone to burning in the sun in hot weather, which is why some of the leaves curl, dry out and even fall off. In damp cold years, this, as a rule, is not observed.

Planting and transplanting chestnuts

Chestnut seeds, correctly called nuts, and in everyday life just chestnuts, ripen with us at the beginning of September and fall off in 2-3 weeks. At this time, they are collected for sowing or medicinal needs. The skin of chestnuts has an attractive glossy surface and a pleasant brown hue, the one that we call chestnut.

It is better to sow seeds before winter, because they are not very attractive for rodents. When sowing, chestnuts are deepened by 2-3 cm. Seedlings develop a straight taproot, which is advisable to cut at an early age to form a compact root system. Such plants, at first, although they lag behind in growth, but in the future they tolerate transplants completely painlessly and can even be grown in containers for some time.

Transplanting chestnuts with open roots is shown in a leafless state in spring or autumn before the onset of permanent night frosts. According to our observations, spring transplantation is preferable, although there are practically no cases of plant death. But at the same time, in early spring ("through the mud"), even significant damage to the roots has little effect on the prospects of the seedling. By the way, with proper digging with a clod of earth of at least 50 cm, plants tolerate early spring transplantation well even at the age of 12-15 years.

Looking for approaches to chestnut

Horse chestnut is sun-loving, loves to grow in the open, and only in full light develops a beautiful spreading-umbrella crown. It is drought-resistant, but grows best on moist, fairly fertile and powerful loamy soils with a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. By the way, in the arid steppes of southern Russia, chestnuts often suffer from burning leaves in the heat: they dry, curl and even fall off. The worst soil option is a barren and dry sandy loam substrate with the same subsoil. If you got exactly the last unfavorable option, and there is no choice, then the situation can be corrected by preparing the seat. To do this, they dig a landing hole with a diameter and depth of at least 1 m. It is filled with a fertile substrate, a variant of which can be a mixture of soddy soil, humus and sand in a ratio of 3:2:1.

The chestnut tree grows quite quickly, and if it has not undergone transplants that hinder the development, then by the age of four it can exceed a meter mark, at 10 years old it can grow to 3 m, and at 9-10 it can show the long-awaited flowers and give the first fruits. By the age of 12-15, the flowering of the tree becomes quite lush, while its abundance and decorative effect of the tree as a whole remain until old age.

Care for a young tree, first of all, consists in watering. In the early years, watering should be fairly regular, keeping the earthen ball moderately moist. It is important to help the plant quickly develop a deep penetrating root system that will nourish it later. I note that if a tree is planted on an initially fertile and fairly powerful loam, then in the future it does not require any care.

We are treated with chestnut

Horse chestnut is a medicinal plant recognized by the pharmacopoeias of many countries. For medicinal purposes, use the bark, whole fruits or their peel, sometimes flowers. Chestnut preparations reduce blood clotting, strengthen the walls of capillaries and veins, prevent the formation and promote the resorption of blood clots. They also contain substances that lower blood pressure. Based on this, chestnut is used for thrombophlebitis, hypertension, varicose veins of the lower extremities, trophic ulcers, hemorrhoids, rheumatic and joint diseases. Aescusan, sold in pharmacies, is nothing more than a water-alcohol extract from chestnut fruits.

Druids advise

Fans of all kinds of horoscopes often turn to the heritage of the ancient Celtic scientists and priests - druids, who left us their tree horoscope. The Druids believed that every person at the time of his birth, and depending on his date, has a magical connection with a certain tree species, which later determines not only his character traits and actions, but ultimately fate itself. According to the Druid horoscope, chestnut is the totem tree of those born between May 15-24, or November 12-21.

As for those born under the sign of chestnut (here, by the way, the ancient priests, who were not familiar with the current achievements of botany, did not distinguish whether it was a real chestnut or a horse chestnut), then, according to the Druids, they have a heightened sense of justice, and are always ready to defend, regardless of the consequences. Chestnut is hostile to prudence and all kinds of diplomatic tricks. He is full of vitality and ready to work tirelessly to realize his plans.

The modern interpretation of the Druid horoscope advises to look closely at your tree in nature, if possible, plant it near the house and take care of it. This gradually helps to comprehend oneself, to find one's own path in life.

Horoscopes, of course, can be treated differently, but I personally like the teachings of the druids, if only because they teach respect for trees, which is not bad in itself. Of course, if you treat this belief with a share of skepticism, and not turn it into a fixed idea.

chestnut at home

Chestnut tolerates the urban environment very well, purifies the air of sulfur dioxide, and retains dust. We only have to regret that it is still not very common in urban gardening. It is especially good in casing wide city and park alleys and boulevards. Its presence is desirable in the landscaping of schools, universities, highways. And, of course, its resistance to smoke and gases makes it a welcome guest in the landscaping of factories, industrial zones, energy facilities, etc.

Chestnut is a widespread ornamental tree, a real salvation in the garden and city streets on a hot summer day. However, a chestnut is not only a shadow from a wide deciduous crown, but also a light, pleasant aroma of delicate flowers and fresh, clean air. In addition, some varieties of this tree have tasty, edible fruits. Most chestnut is distributed in the south and in the middle zone of the European part of the CIS, as well as in the Caucasus and Central Asia. The popularity of growing chestnut grows every year, it is chosen by many homeowners for decorating the landscape.

Did you know? Chestnut blossoms in May, but its pale pink color can also appear in winter, in conditions of an abnormal temperature drop. Chestnut fruits ripen in early or mid-autumn, some peoples eat them, they taste like sweet potatoes. Chestnut is also used in folk medicine: various medicinal products are prepared from its fruits.

Planting and propagation of chestnut

A chestnut can grow into a powerful, sprawling handsome man 30 meters in height, subject to simple measures related to its planting and care.

Location selection

There are three main factors to consider when choosing a chestnut planting site: space, lighting, and wind protection. A site with a large area should be preferred, since the chestnut tree has a powerful crown and root system, which require space for normal development. The distance from the chestnut to other plants or buildings should be at least 5 meters. Chestnut is a fairly shade-tolerant tree, but blooms better in good sunlight. And the last condition: in order to avoid deformation of the chestnut trunk during its cultivation, choose a quiet place, not subject to strong gusts of wind.