Sweet chestnut edible: planting and growing

Chestnut – the legendary character of folk tales and culture of ornamental foliage adorning the gardens and parks of Western States and the southern regions of Russia. This interesting tree has several varieties and names (edible, European, noble), United by one name-sweet chestnut. About the features of plants, their preferences and agricultural cultivation learn from this publication.

The Stranger of the family beech

Sweet Chestnut – an amazing tree in which different peoples are connected by various associations. For example, with the onset of autumn in France begins “the chestnut season” when on every street corner selling fried fruits and other dishes based on them. Blooming chestnut – the symbol of Kiev, spring parks which is planted with chestnut alleys, the imagination of lavish beauty and excellent decorative effect. A Bulgarian healers appreciate it for its high medicinal quality, as healing are all aboveground plant parts.

Distribution

South-East Europe and Malaysia is recognized as the birthplace of the representative of the temperate and warmer latitudes. The sweet chestnut, the hardiness of which is low, is found today in East Asia, widespread in the Mediterranean and Atlantic coast of America, but in Northern climates the plant will not survive.

The tree – a remarkable survivor. There are few plants living more than 1000 years, and in the foothills of the Caucasus known instances, crossed the 500-year mark. The average lifespan of the chestnut is considered an impressive period of time – 450-500 years.

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Species characteristics

All of these types of chestnut trees belong to the famous family of beech and represent the tall trees reaching 30-35 meters. This plant is – a true giant with a wide spreading crown and straight, going up the barrel, the diameter of which can reach up to two meter values. Dark brown bark covering the trunk of a tree, riddled with cracks, the depth of which increases with age. Extensively raschityvajte branches create a voluminous and dense crown. Chestnut leaves are elongated (up to 25 cm), oblong with visible edge nicks, proportionally large. Their beautiful form emphasizes dense structure and rich dark green color. Budding leaves in early April.

Sweet Chestnut-tree flowering. The spectacle is impressive, but to see it in June. Small and bright flowers are collected in spicate inflorescences, cover culture, attracting the eye of passers-by and encouraging pollinating insects.

Fruits

The plant begins to bear Fruit in October and November, with the beginning of the fall of the leaf foliage. The fruit is an edible chestnut – a hard dense structure yellowish or cream color. It develops in the protective cover-the Cupule is provided with rigid spines and protect them from various misfortunes. Each shell ripen one to three nuts, then the Cupule crack, exposing the fruit.

Nuts such as sweet chestnut are edible, are edible, and inedible species, for example the fruits of the horse chestnut, are excellent raw materials for use in folk medicine. The fruits of sweet taste have a slightly loose structure and the unique composition of nutrients.

Edible chestnut horse looks different from the slightly pointed tip boxes in which the cotyledons. After harvesting, the nuts are stored for long because they quickly dry out, become brittle and lose their consumer properties.

Sweet Chestnut: useful properties and application

The Composition of chestnut fruits is unique, they contain a balanced set of minerals, vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids, macro - and microelements and their compounds. Unlike other nuts, the chestnut contains a minimum amount of fat, making it a good product for the diet. Rich chestnuts proteins, sugars, natural plant enzymes.

Nuts are valuable as food. They are used fresh or subjected to any cooking: fried, baked, boiled, added in bakery and confectionery. Chopped roasted chestnuts – a great coffee substitute.

In Addition to the fruit, has special qualities and the leaves of the tree, high content of tannins and pectin which allows you to effectively disinfect and heal wounds, to stop bleeding.

Sweet Chestnut: cultivation

Culture Propagated by seeds or vegetatively-cuttings. Chestnut is pollinated by insects. Fruiting different species also begins at different times. Some – with 3-6-year life, others – from the 25th. Often happens that, planting in the garden planting the chestnut grower cares first and foremost about the decorative element of the interior country, and the second – provides a harvest of nuts children and grandchildren as his own to reap the harvest he is not always possible. But experienced gardeners say that 40-year-old copyeasily collect 60-70 kg of nuts.

Sweet Chestnut survives well in a Sunny, sheltered sites with fertile, neutral aerated soils. Moisture-loving culture does not tolerate drought, so care for young plants is very important.

Growing from seed

As stated above, chestnut – comes from the warm subtropics and does not tolerate frost, but grow well in greenhouses and conservatories, as well as in the home culture by Japanese technology "bonsai".

To complete the chestnut tree from seed a fully ripened and fallen from the branch. For quality germination requires a long stratification, mimics the natural process. Seeds are placed in a container, pour dry river sand and place in the fridge or basement. After 5-6 months hardened thus the seeds of the chestnut tree can be planted for germination.

They are placed in a substrate of a mixture of forest land and leaf humus. Each nut planted in a separate container with a capacity of 4-5 litres facilitate germination before sowing the seeds soak in warm water for 5-6 days. Bury Stratified 10 cm, they germinate fairly quickly, within 15-20 days. Germinated seedlings are transplanted in spring to a Sunny outdoor area, shaded corners of the garden, the chestnuts are not suitable.

A Place to land you need to prepare in advance to neutralize the excess acidity of the soil by adding 1 m² 500-600 grams dolomite and dig the top fertile layer with humus. Before the seedlings are planted, they were quenched, bringing in fresh air daily for two weeks. Planted in open ground-rooted seedlings grow rapidly. They require simple but regular care.

How to care for young plants

For regions with warm climate and sweet chestnut to plant and grow is not difficult, it is necessary only to give the plant a little bit of attention, performing the normal procedure stipulated by the characteristics of the species and cultivation techniques of cultivation.

Supporting the growth of young seedlings, you need to regularly weed the soil, in tree trunks, loosen it and water the plant as needed. Chestnut does not like drying out of the soil, but over time he develops a powerful rod root system to extract water for which is easy. However, rooted seedlings should not experience water shortages.

Chestnuts, the lack of which is a low winter hardiness, requires a winter cover, even if grown in ideal conditions of the Crimea. As shelters used were nutrasal or other non-woven protective materials.

Pruning: sanitary and forming the

In addition to the usual care measures, chestnut needed pruning, the formative crown providing decorative and protected from thickening and the occurrence of diseases of different origin. Carry out pruning in early spring, removing damaged, sick, weak and growing inside the crown of branches. The crown formation is carried out on a more Mature plant, building it in accordance with their own preferences and desires. Sweet chestnut, a photo of which is presented in the publication, – the great tree. However, a live specimen of this representative of beech growing in a private garden – a showy and desirable plant for gardeners the southern regions.