Chestnut care. Decorative chestnut candles at your dacha Horse chestnut ornamental trees and shrubs

Chestnut is a tree crop that delights with the beauty of its flowering, and in the fall it offers healthy and tasty fruits.

In addition, it grows well and does not require serious personal care.

In this article we will talk in detail about how to plant and how to care for a chestnut tree in your garden.

Varieties

There are different varieties of chestnut. The most common of them are the following:

Large-toothed or American variety. It is completely edible, which is what attracts admirers of this tree. It grows in the most extreme conditions and has another name - the North American variety. If you plant a 3-year-old seedling, the crop will begin to bear fruit and delight you with flowering within a year. The fruits are stored fresh for 1 month, then the product is processed into regular flour.
Chinese variety. It is used for food and has excellent taste, as well as the presence of a large amount of nutrients. Can reach 20 meters in height.
The Japanese variety grows quite quickly. Over 10 years of life, the height of the tree can reach 15 meters. The fruits weigh 20-40 grams.
Marroni. This is a high-yielding variety with pleasant, sweet-tasting fruits.

Features of cultivation

In order to grow a chestnut, you need to take care of the place where it will be planted in advance. It is important to create room for growth and excellent lighting.

The land should be well fertilized, with sufficient nutrients.

The planting hole is large and wide, since the crop has a fairly developed root system. The soil must be prepared in the fall, but the planting process itself must be carried out directly in the spring.

As for the landing method, you can choose one of two existing ones.

The first method: using seedlings. In this case, shoots that are at least 2 years old are used. The process is:

A pit is being prepared, the diameter of which will be at least 1.5 meters. Essential nutrients are added to enrich the soil.
Drainage is placed in the hole.
The drainage is filled with soil with fertilizer and watered.
A seedling is planted.
Next, the soil is filled in and compacted on top.

In this case, a mound should appear. It is better to strengthen the seedlings so that strong winds cannot harm the future tree.

The second way: using fruits. This option is great for gardeners. The process is:

To plant, you need to take autumn fruits that are fully ripe and lower them into the sand. Leave them until spring.
Before planting nuts in the ground, it is recommended to soak them in plain water for 5 days.
Prepare a landing site. The hole for planting must be at least 5 cm in size.
Plant the nuts and water generously.

Care

When caring for chestnuts, it is important to consider some rules:

Young seedlings need good watering.
Every season it is necessary to loosen the soil around the tree.
Dried branches can inhibit the growth of the crop, so it is necessary to get rid of them.

Diseases and pests

Chestnut is quite often exposed to the negative effects of various pests, especially aphids.

It is important to constantly monitor the tree and identify negative changes in its appearance. In case of pest attack, use special means and remove dried branches in a timely manner.

Use in garden landscape design

Designers involved in landscaping greatly value chestnut for its decorative qualities. This tree goes well with many plants.

At the same time, very often, this crop (especially the horse variety) is used to create a park area on the site.

How to grow a chestnut tree from a walnut yourself, see the following video:

Horse chestnut is a perennial plant (tree or shrub), the planting of which on streets, parks and individual plots helps purify the atmospheric air. As research by Swedish scientists has shown, one specimen of this breed can remove about 20,000 cubic meters of car exhaust gases. m of air. The article talks about the rules for planting and caring for this wonderful plant in open ground conditions. Breeders have developed various decorative varieties of chestnut, photos of some of them are presented on the website page. The methods of its propagation and the frequency of fertilization are also covered.

Varieties and varieties of horse chestnut

The common horse chestnut reaches 30 m in height. It has large palmate leaves and pyramidal racemose inflorescences with flowers that are white and pink in color. As can be seen in the photo, decorative plant varieties can have a varied crown shape - in the form of a ball, column, pyramid, or with branches pointing downward, like a weeping willow. Their flowers can be not only white, but also yellow, pink or red, and can be single or double. The leaves of the tree may be green, variegated, or golden in color.

Common chestnut blossom

In addition to horse chestnut, the most common are the following: plant species:

California chestnut. The homeland of this variety is the western states of America. The trees reach 10 meters in height, are characterized by an erect trunk, white and pink flowers are collected in inflorescences, the diameter of which can reach up to 20 cm.

California chestnut

Meat-red chestnut. This variety is most common in Ukraine, Crimea and the countries located in the south of the Baltic states. The height of the trees can be from 15 to 25 m, the fruits are round in shape, the flowers are dark pink or dark red, the leaves are dark green, leathery, and do not tolerate drought.

Meat-red chestnut

Yellow chestnut. Its natural habitat is the eastern states of America. It can reach 30 m in height, the crown has a pyramidal shape, the leaves are finely toothed, wedge-shaped, and have a yellowish tint on the underside. This variety is the most cold-resistant of all types of chestnut; its flowering begins 15-20 days later compared to the common chestnut.

Chestnut yellow

Small-flowered chestnut. It is a shrub reaching 5 m in height, creating dense thickets. Grows in the southeastern USA. Its leaves consist of 5-7 leaflets, the underside of which is pubescent and has a grayish tint; the flowers are pink and white.

Small-flowered chestnut

Red chestnut (pavia). It is found in the eastern United States as a tree, with a maximum height of 12 m, or a shrub, no more than 6 m in height. The flowers are bright red in color, the surface of the fruit is smooth, without bristles.

Red chestnut

Japanese chestnut. Reaches 30 m, has a straight, narrow trunk, from which spreading branches extend widely. The stipules of this species can be quite long, sometimes reaching 16 cm, the inflorescences are yellowish-white, and the ripening fruits are pear-shaped.

Japanese chestnut

Planting seedlings

Well-lit areas with loamy soil are most suitable for planting horse chestnut seedlings. The distance from the future tree to other objects - buildings or plants - should be 5 m. This will allow its crown to develop well. Chestnut roots are quite sensitive to stagnation or lack of water in the soil. The quality of clay soil can be improved by adding sand, while sandy soil can be improved by adding humus or mature compost. Soil with an acidity of no more than 7.5 is suitable for growing horse chestnut; the acidity can be reduced by adding quicklime.

When planting chestnuts, leave enough space for the crop to grow.

Landing sequence:

A hole with sides of 50-60 cm is dug.
If the soil is clayey, a layer of sand or crushed stone 10-15 cm thick is poured onto the bottom, which will help remove excess water.
The seedling is installed in the hole in such a way that after watering and the soil settles, the root collar is at the level of the surface of the hole.
The voids between the roots of the seedling and the walls of the pit are filled with a pre-prepared earthen substrate, including slaked lime (if the soil is acidic), rotted manure and dolomite flour.
Water the plant abundantly, install a support that will provide support to the young tree during powerful gusts of wind.

Advice. In order for the seedlings to take root well, it is necessary to monitor the soil moisture during the first week after planting, preventing it from drying out.

Tree care

After planting during the first years, horse chestnut seedlings require the following care:

Horse chestnut seedling

periodic feeding;
regular watering in dry weather;
loosening the soil followed by mulching its surface with peat, wood chips or sawdust to improve the flow of air to the roots and prevent the growth of weeds;
decorative varieties with a beautiful crown shape require annual pruning; in other varieties, dried or damaged branches are removed.

Advice. To protect the roots of young seedlings from severe frosts during the winter, the surface of the tree trunk circles should be insulated with a layer of fallen leaves. Wrapping it in one or two layers of burlap will help protect the trunk from frost damage. If the trunk is damaged by frost, it is treated with an antiseptic and a layer of garden varnish is applied.

Using fertilizers to feed trees

Horse chestnut is fed in spring and autumn. For a bucket of water in the spring, take 1 kg of mullein, 25 g of ammonium nitrate and 15 g of urea. For feeding in early autumn, it is enough to dissolve 15 g of nitroammophoska in 10 liters. A good fertilizer is humus or compost, which can be applied in a 10 cm thick layer to the soil under the tree before digging the soil in the fall.

Horse chestnut propagation

The easiest way to propagate horse chestnut is by seeds; planting root suckers, rooting layering or cuttings is less popular. The fruits of the plant are stratified before planting.

Horse chestnut is propagated by seeds

To do this, you need to prepare a wooden box and fill it with moistened sand. Chestnuts that have fallen from a tree are placed in warm water for several days, changing it daily, and then placed in a box with sand. The box is placed in a cellar or other cool place. After May frosts, with warming, the fruits should be planted in a prepared place to a depth of 10 cm.

Advice. Shortening the taproot of a 2-year-old seedling by one third will lead to the development of additional lateral roots and the growth of a lush, spreading crown.

Horse chestnut pests and diseases they cause

The main pests of chestnut:

By planting a chestnut tree near your house, you can improve the urban atmosphere, which is saturated with exhaust gases and is unfavorable for health, and give a beautiful look to your yard and street. From the collected inflorescences and tree bark you can prepare medicinal products for external use. The shade of the tree will protect well from the summer heat, and the powerful crown will protect from gusts of wind.

Horse chestnut: video

Flowering horse chestnut: photo

» Walnut

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

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

More than 30 species of chestnut trees are known, but not all of them can be grown at home:

- the tree is long-lived. With proper care, the tree will live more than 500 years. The height of the chestnut reaches 35 meters, the leaves are large. Chestnut inflorescences are cream-colored and lush. The nuts are edible, large ones. The shell is soft.
Chinese softest– the fruits have high taste qualities and are highly valued among gourmets. Tree up to 15 meters high, leaves are small and pubescent. Candles standing vertically, different colors.
- differs in its growth rate. It begins to bear fruit in the third year of cultivation. The fruits are edible, weighing up to 100 g.

When planting chestnut in the garden, keep in mind that it provides dense shade and its roots are located superficially. Absolutely nothing will grow under the tree, but no one forbids setting up a recreation area under its branches.

In addition, edible varieties of chestnuts need to be grown away from roads, plants and factories. A better solution is a country house. The fact is that the chestnut absorbs heavy metals and all toxic emissions; the fruits from the city tree are 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 healthy.

Which nut to choose for planting

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 smooth and beautiful in appearance, without damage or soft spots. Select hard chestnuts for planting.

If you plan to grow 1-2 trees, take about 5 nuts. Not all of them will germinate; some will die in the garden. You can always offer extra ones to your neighbors in the country.

It is better to start planting in the fall, after harvesting the fruits. It is not always possible to preserve nuts until spring without loss. They dry out and lose their viability. If this is not possible, then chestnuts should be stored in a bag of damp sand until spring.

Conditions for planting and growing chestnuts

The secret to successfully growing chestnuts is seed stratification. If you collect nuts in late autumn and plant them in open ground, then nature itself will do everything. But in indoor conditions you will have to stratify the seeds yourself.

To do this, immediately after harvesting, nuts are placed in a container with sand and put in a cool place. This could be the refrigerator shelf or the basement. Experienced gardeners recommend burying a container of nuts in the garden under the snow. The nuts are stored there until spring. A week before landing they are taken out.

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 prevent it from spoiling. The shell of the nuts should soften well. This process activates the embryo and helps the sprout grow faster. The nuts are planted when a white sprout appears.

Almost any soil is suitable for germinating chestnuts. 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 in 15-20 days.

Planting too deeply will result in the sprout not coming out. The high seating position helps the nut dry out. Follow the recommended depth.

Spring planting of chestnuts at home is preferable:

Seedlings growing fast and by winter they are quite strong.
Saplings are good endure winter.
The germination percentage is higher.

This method of growing chestnuts is less labor-intensive.

When to transplant seedlings into open ground

Young seedlings are transplanted into open ground after the threat of night frosts 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 must be at least 3 meters. Only under this condition the tree will delight you with a thick crown, beautiful and long-lasting flowering and tasty fruits. Any soil is suitable for planting, but black soil is best.

Set aside a bright place for planting, but so that the seedlings are not exposed to direct sunlight.

The planting hole must correspond to the root system of the seedling. The soil from the hole is mixed with humus and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1 and 500 grams of slaked lime are added. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are added little by little to each hole. The bottom of the holes is well drained with pebbles, crushed stone or sand. The height of the drainage layer is 10 cm.

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

Pour the prepared soil into the hole and moisten it well.
The seedling is installed and sprinkled with soil.
Compact the soil and water the chestnut tree.

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

Caring for chestnuts in the garden in spring and autumn

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

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

The walnut chestnut grows slowly, so you need to 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 lush crown begins in the tenth year of life. Pruning will help stimulate crown formation.

Watering a young chestnut tree

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

Top dressing

For full fruiting, the chestnut tree needs fertilizing. They are held twice a year:

in spring The seedling is fed with a urea solution (15g per 10 liters of water) or mullein.
in autumn add nitroammophoska (15 grams per 10 liters of water).

In addition, into the soil add organic matter regularly.

Preparing for winter

In autumn, young plants need shelter during the cold season. With the onset of the first frosts, the 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, chestnut trees begin to form a beautiful crown. In spring, the seedling is cut to ¼ height. In this case, the central conductor is shortened, and the side branches are slightly trimmed.

Further Chestnut pruning is carried out regularly.

Difficulties in growing

Even with good care, chestnut trees are subject to attack by pests and diseases. This greatly complicates growing the tree and can ruin all the work done.

Plants are most often affected:

wood mite;
chestnut moth;
powdery mildew.

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

It is not difficult to recognize powdery mildew on chestnuts.. It manifests itself as characteristic dark or white spots on the leaves. Phosphorus fertilizers will help significantly reduce the risk of infection.

For pests, drugs are used that are less toxic and do not harm 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 in the 7-8th year of planting.. To avoid mistakes when planting walnut chestnut trees, carefully follow the instructions and advice of experienced gardeners. Remember that chestnuts require special care when they are young.

Chestnut is a powerful and beautiful tree. It looks especially chic in the spring, when it is covered with many wonderful “candles”. Every gardener would like to plant such a beauty on his plot. To fulfill this desire and create beauty in your dacha, you need to familiarize yourself in more detail with the planting rules, the variety, and find out what type of care the tree requires. This is exactly what this article will discuss. And also, it will be described in detail how to grow a chestnut from a nut, how to plant a chestnut, and how to germinate a chestnut.

The tree has a round crown shape. Trees are grown mainly in park areas and squares, and often in the countryside. The height of each can reach tens of meters in the air, which gives the tree a certain majesty.

Chestnuts are good because they create a fairly extensive shade.

Choosing a variety for planting

Most often, inedible chestnuts are common in park areas. They begin to bloom in late spring. This kind of chestnut is called “horse chestnut”. In appearance it is very similar to edible. The variety of trees whose fruits can be eaten belongs to the beech family.

Almost all gardeners grow only horse chestnut. It attracts attention with its impressive crown and abundant, fragrant flowering. Horse chestnut cannot be planted in a small area, as it requires a lot of free space. In addition, it creates a fairly large shady area that many other plants will not like. It is not advisable to plant shrubs and flowers under the horse chestnut tree; it is better to put a cozy bench to hide from the scorching sun in the summer.

Chestnut varieties that are edible:

Serrated (American). The tree is very powerful, has strong branches and a spreading crown. The bark of the tree is brown in color and has deep grooves. It can reach a height of more than 30 meters. The leaves are similar to hemp, pointed at the ends. In autumn, the foliage is especially beautiful, as it gathers many shades. It will perfectly complement any herbarium. The inflorescences of this variety reach 20 centimeters. Blooms in mid-summer.

The chestnuts themselves have an interesting shape. The delicate brown fruits are contained in a greenish, needle-shaped shell. There are several pieces in each. Sweet to taste. The fruits are considered a delicacy in some countries and have an impressive price.

Sowing (European). A very tall tree that can grow over 35 meters. The trunk is massive, approximately 2 meters in diameter. This species is also called noble. The foliage of the tree is large, the lower part has a small fluffy coating. For this reason, the color of the sheets below may appear grayish. In fact, the leaves have a rich green tint. Blooms in mid-summer. The inflorescences are more like “spikelets” than “candles”; each of them reaches 35 centimeters. In mid-autumn, when the leaves gradually fall off, fruiting begins.

The fruits are hidden in a green, round, needle-shaped shell. As soon as the fruits are ripe, the clouds will burst. The fruits have a sweetish taste and are quite a fatty product. They are prepared in different interpretations. The older the tree is, the more chestnuts it will have.

Horse chestnut is preferred for its decorative qualities. It is very easy to care for, does not require close attention, tolerates frosty weather well, and is practically not susceptible to disease. One drawback of this tree is that it grows slowly in the first decade.

The most popular horse chestnut varieties:

As mentioned above, chestnuts have a very voluminous crown, so they require a lot of space. It is recommended to plant the tree in an area where there is a lot of sunlight. With insufficient lighting, flowering will be poor.

In order for the chestnut to develop well, there should be no buildings or vegetation at a distance of 5 meters from it.

If you plant a tree as a seedling, the optimal time is the beginning of spring or the end of autumn. When nuts are used as planting material, the best time is the end of spring, or they are left for the winter in the fall.

The root system of the tree does not go deep and spreads along the surface of the soil. To avoid water stagnation after watering, and the roots do not suffer from this, for this purpose, select soil with neutral acidity, or at most slightly acidic. There must be good drainage at the bottom of the planting hole. The optimal soil for the plant is black soil. If the soil is sandy, add a little clay to it.

Growing chestnut, detailed description

Common chestnut can be propagated in several ways:

By cuttings.
Vegetatively.
Seminal.
Root shoots.

Almost always, the seed method is used for propagation. Chestnuts ripen annually, so there will be no problems finding seeds.

If a gardener decides to grow an ornamental variety at his dacha, then he cannot do without grafting.

To grow a tree from seeds, take only ripe fruits that have already fallen to the ground. They must not be damaged.

Without stratification, nuts will not be accepted. The procedure can be carried out in 2 ways:

Natural. In November, the nuts are buried in the ground and covered well with dry leaves. There will be many shoots in the spring.
Artificial. The fruits are placed in a well-closed container filled with moistened sand. Place in a cool place. The germination period can last from 2 to 5 months.

In the first case of stratification, there is a risk that the nuts will be damaged by various rodents. In this case, germination will suffer significantly.

5 days before planting nuts, they are immersed in warm water. It needs to be changed periodically. The chestnut skin will become a little softer and germination will be more efficient.

The fruits are buried in the soil to a depth of 8-10 centimeters.

As spring approaches, chestnuts can be planted in containers, and in May, the plants can be transplanted into open ground. At this moment, you should pinch the taproot, then the chestnut will form strong roots.

To safely plant small chestnut seedlings, you should follow these rules:

What kind of care should be provided

The common chestnut tree is most often found in summer cottages. It does not require special attention, does not need frequent watering, and tolerates hot summers well.

During the dry period, an adult tree will need a bucket of water per 1 m² of crown projection. Young growth needs moisture more, so watering is increased more often.

Necessary procedures for common chestnut:

Pruning branches.
Fertilizer.
Mulching.

Organic matter is used as fertilizer, which is applied in the spring. To prepare the solution you will need:

Mullein - kilogram.
Urea – 15 grams.

You can use wood chips or peat as mulch. The mulch layer should be at least 10 centimeters. For young seedlings, the layer of mulch is increased to 20 centimeters for the winter. So the tree should overwinter for the first 3-4 years after planting. For young trees, it is recommended to wrap the trunk with burlap. The older the chestnut becomes, the greater its resistance to frost.

In the event of severe frosts, the tree bark may suffer damage in the form of cracks. In this case, the damaged areas are lubricated with an antiseptic or garden varnish.

Is chestnut sick, description of problems

If the chestnut is provided with proper care, then diseases and all kinds of pests bypass the healthy tree. The main problems that a gardener faces when growing common chestnuts in their summer cottage:

Fungal infections.
Powdery mildew.
Borer.
Bagworm.
Japanese Khrushchev.

To cure a tree, it is enough to use foundationazole or Brodsky liquid. Insecticides help in pest control.

Not so long ago, a tree like chestnut developed a new problem - the chestnut moth (miner or Balkan moth). What is most unpleasant is that the origin of the pest has not yet been determined. Accordingly, the methods of struggle are also little known.

Identifying a tree affected by moths is not difficult. The foliage quickly dries out and falls off. Chestnut can overwinter with this pest and become significantly weaker.

To get rid of chestnut moths, you should purchase chemicals from a specialized store. They are introduced directly under the bark, into the tree trunk. To protect the plantings, it is strongly recommended to completely remove fallen leaves in the fall.

When a tree is carefully and thoroughly cared for, it is practically not susceptible to diseases and pests.

If you decide to plant a chestnut tree at your dacha, then you will not only get a lot of shade and beauty, but also a pleasant aroma will be fragrant every spring.