Hazel, also known as "hazelnut," is most common in the northern hemisphere. As a rule, these are mixed and deciduous forests of Russia, Belarus, the Caucasus, as well as Ukrainian steppes. Although there are more than 20 plant species in total, only 7 of them are actively cultivated. This shrub has one important property - the ability to produce nuts (hazelnuts).
Some plants reach 8 meters, although most often in the garden plots they manage to grow 3 meters. Depending on the variety, the shape of the leaf can be either elongated or rounded, the edge is pointed. Nuts ripen in a shell of two mutated small leaves. Despite the fact that hazel belongs to dioecious plants, both types of flowers (monoecious) are present on the branches. It is very simple to distinguish them: male in the form of earrings, like a birch, and female - subtle perianths.
Leaves and flowers appear in early April or mid-May, depending on the climate zone. Nuts ripen in September. The fruits are spherical, often slightly elongated. From cultivated plants they manage to collect up to 1.5 kg, which approximately corresponds to 1300 pieces. Having decided to grow hazel, it should be borne in mind that fruiting is not constant, but changes. For example, two productive years are replaced by "empty", and this is the norm for a "hazelnut". In addition, fruiting does not occur immediately, but from the 3rd year.
Beneficial features
Hazel is a real "plant-grower", since in its falling leaves there are a large amount of calcium compounds that fertilize the soil.
One of the undoubted advantages of hazelnuts is its high nutritional value. Due to the fact that the fat content in nuts reaches 70%, for saturation it is enough to eat only 20-30 pcs. 15% of vegetable proteins make hazel fruits indispensable for people who refuse meat food.
The most valuable oil is obtained by pressing, which retains most of the beneficial properties of nuts. Thanks to this, it is quite convenient to store the bottle in the table and periodically use a teaspoon. This has the most positive effect on memory and mindfulness. What is surprising, the use of such oil does not contribute to the appearance of "bad" cholesterol. The substances contained in the kernels of nuts lower blood pressure and restore elasticity to the vessels. Thus, hazel can be recommended for "varicose veins".
Eating nuts grated with milk facilitates the course of pulmonary diseases.
Due to its high energy value (650 kcal per 100 g) and easy digestibility, hazelnuts help to quickly recover strength after serious illnesses.
Hazel is especially useful for breastfeeding women, as it not only promotes the formation of milk, but also enriches it with vitamins and minerals that the child needs so much.
Growing hazel in the area
The plant has a lifespan of about 60 years, in rare cases reaching a century of age, so you need to approach the choice of planting place with due responsibility. Despite the fact that hazel is a rather cold-resistant species, planting in an area open to "all winds", even in conditions of not too frosty winters, often leads to freezing.
To obtain good yields, it is necessary to choose moderately moist soil, while groundwater should not rise above 1.5 m. Cultivation is possible even in shaded places, however, increased illumination affects the bush in the most positive way.
The distance between plants should not be less than 3-4 meters.
Hazel is propagated by seeds, seedlings, cuttings and layering. The first method is usually used for breeding. The easiest way to cultivate a plant is by planting a root shoot. Usually a perennial bush gives a lot of sprouts that already have root tissue. It is best to plant in the fall. A shallow hole is dug in which the plant is placed, watered abundantly, and the trunk section is covered with mulch. In the spring, they carry out forming pruning, in which only 5-8 buds are left. This activates the growth of lateral shoots and overgrowth of the shoots. Further care consists in loosening the soil around hazel and removing excess trunks.
In the case of pests (their number exceeds 200 species), chemical treatment may be required. For example, the real “scourge” of hazel is a nut weevil. This insect gnaws a passage inside the nut and eats up the core, leaving a dummy shell.
Reproduction by layering consists in the fact that in early spring a strong branch is selected, bends to the ground, is fixed in a groove at a depth of 20 cm and is dug in such a way that the tip is on the surface (6 buds should remain on this site, the rest are cut off). Watering is periodically necessary. Rooting can be accelerated by making an early cut in the bend area underground. By the fall of next year, the young plant can be separated from the main and transplanted.
