Hazelnut Purpurea

Hazel large varieties Purpurea – a variety of varieties. It was bred in 1836 by English breeders. Later, the species received an award from the Royal Horticultural Society of England. The culture is used for landscaping homestead territories, parks. Perform single or group landings.

Description of the large Purpurea hazel

Hazel large Purpurea mainly grows in the form of an overall bush. Height can reach 4-5 m. Multi-stemmed. The crown is umbrella-shaped, spreading. At the initial stages, large hazel grows slowly, then a little faster. The foliage is rounded and purple in color. Earrings, fruits have the same color. This distinctive feature of a large hazel is clearly visible in the photo. Throughout the growing season, the surface of the leaf plate is covered with small villi. Leaf length 10-14 cm. Bark ash-colored, smooth. The root system of a large hazel with numerous branches, superficial, quite sensitive to compaction.

The flowering period falls at the end of April or May. The appearance of the leaves is preceded by the blooming of the buds. Flowers have the form of earrings, 10 cm long.

The fruits are large, cylindrical. They reach 2 cm in diameter. They grow in groups of 3-6 pieces on long legs. The nut is completely covered with plush. The fruits of the large Purpurea hazel are used in cooking, better known as hazelnuts.

Winter hardiness of Purpurea hazel

Large hazel Purpurea is a frost-resistant crop. It tolerates a decrease in air temperature to -29 ° С. Belongs to the fifth climatic zone. It is allowed to land in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Vladivostok, in Central Our Country. However, when flowering in early spring, damage to the ovaries by return frosts is possible.

Planting and caring for large Purpurea hazel

Common hazel Purpurea is a cross-pollinated plant, therefore, to obtain high yields, it is necessary to plant several varieties of shrubs nearby. Growing large hazel Purpurea is easy. And the process is no different from caring for other hazels.

Preparation of planting material and site

Large hazel Purpurea grows well in sunny, open or slightly shaded areas. However, under the wide crown of trees, bushes become rare, develop weakly, practically do not bear fruit. Large hazel Purpurea is not picky about soils. Fertile, well-drained soils are ideal. Hazel Atropurpurea is suitable for urban conditions.

Preparatory work before planting seedlings.

1. First of all, deep loosening is carried out in the area, approximately 60 cm deep. That will ensure the full enrichment of the soil with oxygen, as well as the long-term preservation of moisture.
2. The preparation of the recess is carried out 2 weeks before the intended landing. Size 50x50x60cm.
3. Fertilizers are poured to the bottom: 150 g of nitroammophoska, 50 g of potassium salt, 1 bucket of compost.
4. The top layer of the earth is mixed with sand, humus and 1/3 of the pit is covered.
5. At the bottom, a support is driven in to support the seedling of the large Purpurea hazel.
6. A young plant is carefully inspected before planting. Cut dry, damaged parts of the rhizome with a sharp knife or pruner.
7. Remove crooked branches. Cut off the root.
8. Immediately before the procedure, the root system of the large Purpurea hazel is treated with clay mash with the addition of Kornevin.

Therefore, before buying a large Purpurea hazel seedling, you should pay attention to its condition. It is advisable to choose 1-2 year old plants with a lush root system. No visible rotten areas. Shoots must be healthy, flexible, elastic.

Rules of landing

Purple hazel is planted at a distance of 4-5 m from each other. It all depends on the fertility of the soil. The more fertilized the earth, the more magnificent the crown, so it is better to make the distance longer.

Large Purpurea hazel is planted in spring, in March-April, before the start of sap flow, or in autumn. The procedure consists of the following steps:

• place the seedling carefully, in the center of the previously prepared pit;
• correct the roots so that there are no kinks;
• the root neck of the large Purpurea hazel should be level with the ground, however, weakened plants are deepened by 5 cm to stimulate the development of lateral processes;
• lightly tamp the soil to eliminate voids;
• cut the bush at a distance of 20-30 cm from the ground level;
• after planting is completed, large Purpurea hazel is watered in a volume of 40-50 liters under a bush, regardless of the weather;
• after a week, repeat watering, so 4 times.

Watering and top dressing

The description of the variety indicates that watering the large Purpurea hazel is needed only in dry summers. It is recommended to keep the near-stem soil moist. Lack of fluid leads to small fruits, shedding of foliage, fruits. It is especially necessary to water the Purpurea hazel during the laying of the generative organs for the next year, tentatively the beginning is the middle of summer.

Plentiful nutrition ensures good fruiting for many years. During the formation of fruits, it is desirable to feed the culture. Nitrogen-containing preparations are optimally suited. They also contribute to the uniform ripening of fruits. Once every 2-3 years, fertilizing with organic fertilizers is carried out.

Loosening and mulching

Approximately 4-5 times per season, it is necessary to loosen the near-stem circle, especially after wetting. So a dense crust will not form on the soil surface, and the air mixture will have unhindered access to the root system. However, it is not necessary to dig the ground or loosen the soil deeply so as not to harm the roots. The optimal depth of loosening the soil layer under the tree is 5-7 cm.

The mulching procedure can be carried out immediately after planting a large Purpurea hazel seedling. Suitable peat, hay or straw. A layer of mulch, as a rule, is made 10-15 cm. Thanks to this procedure, moisture is retained in the soil longer, and this also prevents the active growth of weeds.

Trimming and shaping

Proper care of purple hazelnuts involves regular pruning. The first procedure is carried out immediately after planting, to align the aerial part with the root system. Further, as it grows, the turn of crown formation comes. Large hazel Purpurea can be represented as a tree or a bush.

The formation of hazelnuts in the form of a stamp tree simplifies care, stimulates earlier fruiting, and allows you to make the maximum planting of plants in one area. For this, two trees are planted side by side. After 3-4 years, one hazel is removed, the weaker one. On the second, large one, the entire lateral growth is cut off at a level of 30-40 cm from the ground. Sections are disinfected with garden pitch.

On the main trunk, 5-7 branches of the first order or two tiers of 3 skeletal shoots are left. The distance between the tiers should be kept 20-25 cm. The skeletal bowls, as a rule, are 5 cm apart from each other. The second tier is formed from the side shoots. At the age of 4-5 years, the large Purpurea hazel is shortened with guide branches, so the growth of the tree is controlled. The optimal height is 2-3 m.

The shrub form of the large Purpurea hazel is formed faster and easier. The main thing is to maintain the main 8-10 shoots on the bush. At the same time, do not forget that new growths are added every year. From the 8th year of life, they begin to remove 1-2 old branches every 12 months, replacing them with young basal offspring.

Remove dry, diseased, broken, malformed branches. Thus, thinning out the bush and providing full access to light. Every few years, a more radical anti-aging pruning is carried out. As a result of which, the entire aerial part is removed under the root.

Preparation for winter

Young large-fruited hazelnuts can freeze slightly in severe winters. As a result, male inflorescences (earrings), which are more susceptible to cold, die. Therefore, experienced gardeners recommend bending down the lower shoots in the fall. From above, press down with a load, cover with agrofibre, and in winter throw snow. With the advent of heat, the load is removed, the branches of the large Purpurea hazel restore their former shape.

Dry leaves left over from autumn help the roots not to freeze in winter.

Harvest

In August-September, they begin to collect nuts. The main features are:

• shedding of fruits;
• disclosure of the hard shell;
• dark brown color.

When harvesting, a manual method of picking nuts from branches is used. They also coward the tree and collect fruits from the ground. In any case, the collection of special difficulties does not cause. Next, the hazelnuts are dried, the top layer of the peel is removed. After that, still moist nuts are scattered in a room with a temperature of + 18-20 ° C for drying. As a result, the moisture content of the fruit should be in the range of 10-12%.

Reproduction

Large hazel Purpurea is propagated in several ways.

1. Seeds. Seed material needs stratification. Germination is stimulated by the alternating influence of heat and cold. Therefore, the seeds are left in warm water for two days. After they are in a warm place for 2 weeks. After they are transferred to the cold. Nuts stay there for up to 4 months. As a rule, seeds give different offspring, not quite similar to the mother plant. Fruiting seedlings occurs after 5 years.
2. The division of the bush. The shoot is carefully separated from the root with a shovel. The shoot, together with a clod of earth, is transplanted to a new place. On the trunk of the large Purpurea hazel, small cuts are made for the rapid appearance of root offspring.
3. To obtain a large number of seedlings, they resort to reproduction by layering. The first harvest is formed in the sixth year.
4. New varieties are obtained by cleft grafting. Budding and copulation do not take root.

Diseases and pests of Purpurea hazel

Large hazel Purpurea is little susceptible to diseases and pests. However, if unusual symptoms appear, you should be on the lookout.

1. Gray rot. A fungal disease from which the tree suffers greatly, the fruits rot. If measures are not taken in time, the hazel may die.
2. Nectar Another fungal disease that manifests itself in the form of orange-red spots on the trunk.
3. Nut weevil. The bug is 10 mm in size. Its females lay larvae in unripe fruits. If measures are not taken in time, up to 50% of the crop is lost.
4. Aphid. It feeds on the juice of the plant, which later leads to death. The fruits of the diseased bear nut do not ripen.
5. The Mite. A small insect that spends the winter hiding in the buds of a nut. There he lays his eggs. And in the spring, the affected buds dry up.
6. Nut leaf beetle. A pest that eats hazel leaves.

Copper-containing preparations help to cope with fungal infections: HOM, Abiga-Peak, as well as colloidal sulfur. In addition, the affected areas of the large Purpurea hazel are removed and burned. Pest control involves treating wood with insecticides: Intivira, Karbofos, Fufanon.

Conclusion

Large hazel is a useful and valuable nut that grows everywhere in the wild. If desired, this variety can be grown in a summer cottage. In addition to delicious fruits, the tree will be a real decoration of the garden. It easily coexists next to other large fruit crops and plants.