Nut heart-shaped: description and features of cultivation

Nut heart-shaped - a unique deciduous tree with a chic spreading crown, belonging to the Orekhov family. In the wild, this plant, which is a native of Japan, is considered to be endangered, therefore it is very valued and listed in the Red Book.

External features of a heart-shaped nut

The height of the nut in natural conditions reaches 15 meters, in cultural cultivation - 9-10 meters. The bark is light gray, shoots are pubescent, sticky, brownish, with large (about 2 cm) apical buds. Leaf branches are large, about 1 meter long, each consisting of 11-15 oblong-oval leaves, which are pubescent along veins from the lower side.

The tree is characterized by an average growth rate. Flowering occurs in May-June (simultaneously with the opening of leaves); Female pistil flowers collected in a brush of 8-12 pieces are characterized by pink-red long stigmas, male flowers are long earrings (about 20 cm). The plant is fairly winter-hardy and can grow in a severe frosty climate. Also, the heart-shaped nut is resistant to diseases and pests.

Fruiting starts 6-8 years after planting. The fruits are collected in bunches of 8-12 pieces, the outer shells are green, cordate, about 5 cm long, about 4 cm wide. The size of nuts, characterized by a heart-shaped shape and sharp thin spout - is small, only 3-4 cm in length and About 3 cm wide with a weight of 5-6 grams. There are no internal partitions, the outer surface of a thin shell (about 1.6 mm in thickness) is smooth. The fruit easily splits in half and in this form is very similar to a medallion. The core is sweet, large in size, it can easily be extracted from the shell.

The most delicious of nuts

Nut heart-shaped is considered the most delicious among the other species, characterized by high fat content (much higher than that of walnut) and a reduced content of tannins, which does not cause a sore throat. A tree at the age of 20 is capable of yielding about 110 kg of a quality crop, which makes this crop promising for industrial production; According to rough estimates from 1 hectare it is possible to get from 2.5 to 7.5 tons of fruits. Maturation occurs in September; Ripe nuts are cleaned from the pericarp (outer layer) and stored in a dry, cool place.

Nut heart-shaped: planting and care

The tree is thermophilic, it feels best from the eastern or the western side, in the southern part of the summer it is necessary to have a shade. Propagates both by seedlings and seeds sown for winter or spring, after passing through stratification (in mid-January). To do this, plant seeds should be placed in a bag of sand and left until the spring in the refrigerator. They should be sown to a depth of 5-6 cm, preferably immediately to a permanent growth site, since the seedlings of the heart-shaped nut do not tolerate the transplant.

Young shoots appear in the middle of summer (June-July). First, a white long root is cut from the "nose" of the nut, which begins to grow actively. Then a green stem with two leaves appears, while the nuts and cotyledons themselves remain in the soil.

In the period of active growth, a young heart-shaped nut, the cultivation of which does not present any complexity, should be watered abundantly, without overmoistening the soil. In late autumn, it is necessary to prune damaged shoots.

The value of a heart-shaped nut

The plant is very decorative and looks beautiful in the park areas. Has the property of forming hybrids with other species; Thus, the derivative of the gray walnut is Lancaster nut.

Nut heart-shaped has a valuable ability to purify the vapors of acetylene and gasoline air, so this plant is reasonably planted in contaminated areas. In European countries, the wood of the heart-shaped nut is used in furniture production.

For better dusting and increasing yields, it is recommended to plant several trees in a single site (at a distance of at least 10 meters). The first 3 years after planting, the young plant needs shelter for the winter; Further, when the tree gets stronger, the need for this procedure is eliminated.

Nut heart-shaped is rich in the content of nutrients that can have a positive effect on human health. The constant use of its fruits normalizes the work of the cardiovascular system, significantly lowers cholesterol and prevents the onset of atherosclerosis. Nut heart-shaped has the ability to purify the kidneys, liver and blood vessels, restore the reproductive function of the body and increase vision. Therefore, the regular use of such a valuable fruit to everyone will only benefit.