Preface

To create shade, obtain medicinal tinctures and decoctions, prepare delicious dishes - chestnut is suitable for all this, both edible and decorative, planting and caring for which will not seem particularly difficult to you.

There are 10 species of this crop, which also include their hybrids, and the various varieties were bred only from individual representatives of this group, since this is a very slow-growing tree. By the way, one should not confuse the common or noble chestnut from the Beech family, the fruits of which are edible, with the horse chestnut, since the latter belongs to a completely different Sapindaceae family. However, we will consider planting most species, since, one way or another, they can be useful.

Chestnut tree in a summer cottage

For example, horse chestnut, being completely inedible, is of considerable value as a medicinal plant, and for this reason alone it is worth planting it on your site. Also, this crop is of considerable interest to gardeners, as a source of shade, thanks to its lush crown, chestnut is very good for beautifying an area. By the way, an adult tree can have such a wide crown that it will cover tens of square meters with its shadow; this must be taken into account when planting.

Representatives of this subfamily live up to 500 years or more. Such a long-liver is known as the Chestnut of a Hundred Horses, under which about 300 years ago, according to legend, a detachment of 100 knights along with their horses took shelter from the rain - this tree is more than 2000 years old. Slow growth is also evidenced by the maturation period; this crop begins to bear fruit approximately 25 years after planting. But the plant begins to cast a dense shadow from its wide leaves after just a few years.

So, before buying seedlings, you need to know what exactly you are going to root on your site. In particular, will it be an edible crop or an ornamental one with medicinal properties. Therefore, next we will look at the existing species of chestnut from the Beech family, and we will talk about plants similar to it, including the name, separately. As previously mentioned, there are 10 main types of noble or, otherwise, real chestnut. By the way, the listed names are tied to only one species – the seed species, Castanea sativa.

Chestnut seedling

It was this plant that became the ancestor of many varieties: Azerbaijani Large- and Small-fruited, French Buryu de Lillyak, as well as Lyon and Neapolitan. And these are just the most common ones. Of the European varieties, Lyon and Neapolitan are considered the most popular, since their nuts are the largest and reach from 20 to 50 grams, and for elite plantings up to 60 grams. Also, many varieties were bred from such species known to gardeners as American (aka Jagged) and Gorodchaty (aka Japanese), but they are widespread within the areas near which selection was carried out.

In general, the American chestnut is considered a very hardy, winter-hardy plant; it grows quite quickly, adding up to 1 meter per year, although over time the growth slows down, reaching 35 meters, and by the age of 80 the tree must be cut down. In other words, this species is not long-lived, but its fruits are edible, and the harvest can be obtained quite quickly after the seedlings take root. Japanese chestnut grows on the islands of Japan, where about 100 varieties have been bred, as well as in some regions of China, reaches 15 meters in height and produces large nuts that are popular all over the world.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the Softest chestnut, also known as Chinese, its fruiting begins already 5–7 years after planting, which makes this species very popular among gardeners. The height of the tree reaches 20 meters, and it is usually not picky about soils, since Chinese chestnut originally grew in mountainous areas with rocky calcined soil. The fruits of this species have excellent taste and are popular in many countries. Henry's chestnut also grows in China, which has recently begun to be grown in England, since it does not require special care.

This plant is tall, reaches 35 meters, the crown is very spreading. But the fruits are not large in size; each shell often contains 1 nut about 1.5 centimeters in diameter. Another Chinese species that grows in the highlands is the Sego chestnut; it has been cultivated in the central regions and partially in the eastern provinces. In fact, it is just a tall shrub up to 5 meters, or less often a tree with several trunks and spreading stems, about 10 meters high. The nuts of this tree are also not large in size; there are from 3 to 5 pieces in the shell, measuring within 1.5 centimeters in diameter.

Another species that does not differ in great height is the Low-growing chestnut, often used to produce hybrids such as Castanea × neglecta, obtained from a cross with the Jagged species, and Castanea × fleetii, from a cross with the Japanese. The elongated fruits of this tree are quite large; each shell usually contains 1 nut, about 2.5 centimeters long and 1.5 centimeters in diameter.

Let's start with perhaps the most famous, namely, the horse chestnut Aesculus or “stomach,” which has nothing to do with beech trees. Moreover, if all the plants that we talked about above have edible fruits that can be fried, stewed and used in confectionery, then the nuts of the decorative acorn can only be used for medicinal purposes. The fruits are located in green spiky shells one at a time. In principle, you can eat such nuts; they are not poisonous, but they have a rather noticeable astringent bitter taste.

Aesculus horse chestnut flowers

Because of this, the kernels are usually used only as feed for cattle, and animals are accustomed to such a diet for quite a long time. But the nutritional value of horse chestnut fruits is comparable to wheat. Chestnut is not suitable as a main food for livestock, only as an additive, for example, in the form of flour. But the Australian chestnut, which is actually called Castanospermum australe, that is, Chestnut-spermum, should not be eaten at all, even by livestock. The fact is that the fruits of this plant, like the shells of the pods, are very poisonous. Yes, nuts, very similar to chestnuts, appear and ripen in peculiar, very large pods. The tree is considered an indoor tree, although it sometimes grows up to 3 meters if the freedom of the roots is not limited in any way.

Its decorative effect is associated with very large bright red flowers, the size of which reaches 4 centimeters in length alone. There is another ornamental tree whose crown is similar to the leaves of the real Castanea sativa - this is the Red Chestnut, a hybrid whose parent form was Horse. This plant has very large inflorescences, up to 20 centimeters in size. And another tree can be confused with Castanea due to its appearance. This is a Guinea chestnut, with the same branched leaves, but belonging to the Malvaceae family.

What is noteworthy is that of the 45 species of this plant, 3 have edible fruits, the very large shells of which, up to 25 centimeters in length, contain seeds that are vaguely reminiscent of chestnut nuts in appearance and taste. Many lovers of indoor trees are very familiar with the Guinea chestnut, which is also called Pachira; it is grown in large pots, twisting the trunks branching above the trunk into a tight braid. The plant is moisture-loving and needs constant care. Pachira's closest relative is the baobab.

First of all, let's remember that almost all species from the Beech family grow very strongly, since they live for 100 years or more. As a result, the crown of such a tree will cover a very large area. And, if you plant several plants next to each other, they will eventually begin to interfere with each other and fight for space, both with branches and the root system, which is very shallow and develops mainly horizontally.

Planted chestnut seedlings

Therefore, it is better to maintain the distance between plantings within the range of 15 to 30 meters, depending on the spreading nature of the species, however, some low-growing species require a gap of only 3 meters. You can grow a chestnut either from a nut or from a ready-made seedling; grafting a cutting onto a relatively mature tree up to 5 years is often used.. For sowing, take only nuts that have fallen from the branches, undamaged by caterpillars and insect larvae. After carefully removing the broken spiky shell, place the seed in its hard, woody shell in water until the shell swells and becomes soft.

Half of the nut should be above the surface of the water; it is best to soak the seeds in a shallow bath, placing gauze on the bottom. Change the liquid regularly so that it does not stagnate for a long time. Chestnuts will germinate in 2 weeks, after which they can be placed in pots or boxes with a substrate, which is a mixture of humus, fertile soil and sand in proportions of 1:2:1. When the sprout rises and produces 3-4 leaves, it can be transplanted into open ground and careful care for the future tree can begin. If the tap root of a sprout is shortened by a third during planting, the entire root system will begin to powerfully develop in breadth, which will have a positive effect on the viability of the plant.

To plant a seedling, you need to dig a hole with sides of 50 centimeters and approximately the same depth in the spring, in mid-May. Pebbles are poured onto the bottom to create drainage, and then the substrate described above is used to produce shoots. You can add a little, up to 500 grams, of dolomite flour to the backfill if the acidity of the soil is too high. In general, you need to fill the hole halfway. Next, we lay a complex mixture (potassium-nitrogen-phosphorus) and place the roots of the seedling in the remaining hole so that the neck is above the ground level of the site. You need to fill it with soil that was extracted from the deep layer, as, however, this is always done when planting any type of tree. We do the same with the finished seedling.

Natural Castanea, as well as species similar to it, including Horse Chestnut, have a great need for moisture because their roots do not go deep into the ground. As a result, without watering, this crop will simply dry out, and this is especially true for young trees. At least 1 bucket of water should be poured into the surrounding circle of the seedling every day during the dry months. If it rains frequently in your area, no special care is required, just make sure that the soil does not dry out in clear weather. Immediately after planting the trees, they need to be watered little by little for the first week so that the soil is constantly moist. During each season, you need to loosen the soil 3-4 times, providing access to the roots of oxygen and water. At the same time, as the tree matures, it is recommended to expand the trunk circle, since the roots will grow far to the sides.

Be sure to mulch the soil above the roots after each loosening, using peat or sawdust; this will maintain soil aeration for a long time and prevent moisture from evaporating too quickly after watering.

Nitroammofoska for feeding chestnuts

Like other fruit crops, all types of edible chestnut require mandatory annual soil fertilization and regular fertilizing. So, every autumn, during the pre-winter loosening of the soil, be sure to add nitroammophoska, which is enough for only 15 grams for each bucket of water. Accordingly, at least 10 liters need to be poured under each barrel, 15 is possible, but no more. In the spring, you need to provide the chestnut with organic matter, for which you should mix 1 kilogram of water and 15 grams of urea for each bucket of water, after which this solution should be poured into the circle around the trunk. For each next tree, repeat the operation.

The softest chestnut

The softest chestnut is widespread in China, Vietnam and Korea. The culture easily takes root in Western Europe and North America.

Description and photo of the softest chestnut

The variety belongs to the Beech family. The height of the specimen reaches 25 m. Life expectancy is up to 500 years. The tree has a spreading dense crown and oval dark green leaves with white down on the back side.

Source: Depositphotos

The fruits of the softest chestnut are surrounded by a plush with soft spines

An adult specimen casts a dense shadow, within which other representatives of the flora do not take root. This property is used to create alleys in park areas.

Before flowering, silky buds form on the branches. Pyramid-shaped inflorescences decorate the site during May, June and half of July. Mature seeds are round, brown-red, with an elongated nose. They ripen in groups of 2-3 pieces.

The tree begins to bear fruit at 6-8 years of age. The ripe plus is 5.5 cm in diameter, surrounded by soft, blunt spines.

The species grows in small forest populations. Conditions for accommodation:

• • mountainous terrain up to 2500 m above sea level;

• • soils containing sand and clay, acidic in composition and enriched with calcium;

• • shaded areas;

• • absence of wet or dry areas;

• • moderate proportion of lime in the soil.

The plant is sensitive to the degree of humidity in the environment. Resistant to pests and diseases. Reproduces by shoots or seeds. A grafting method is possible.

Gastronomic qualities of chestnut fruit

The softest chestnut tree is large-fruited. The taste characteristics of chestnuts are valued in cooking. The nut is creamy or yellowish, with a dense consistency. They are eaten fried, baked, boiled, pickled or raw. Before thermal manipulation, the peel is cut so that it does not burst. Raw peeled nuts are served with vegetables, meat and desserts. They are combined with sauces, added to baked goods and pastilles, soufflés, and ice cream.

Store nuts in cool conditions to avoid brittleness, drying out and loss of glossy shine.

Flower nectar is also endowed with beneficial properties. Bees make honey from it. Wood is famous for its strength and lightness. It is malleable and durable.

The material is made from:

• • souvenirs;

• • doors;

• • pieces of furniture;

• • turning products.

The plant is used to decorate gardens, planted in parks, alleys, and decorate streets and boulevards. Foliage absorbs dust and harmful gases.

Roasted chestnuts are the hallmark of the bustling oriental anthill called Istanbul. But nothing prevents you from turning the edible chestnut into your culinary trump card. Buying the appropriate product in our country, of course, is very difficult. But instead of running around the shops, you can always plant an edible chestnut in your garden plot and harvest from the tree every year.

Planting chestnut

The main advantage of edible chestnut for domestic gardeners is that it is not at all afraid of frost. The tree is capable of growing in megacities and near highways. That is, even where atmospheric pollution reaches a very high level. When choosing a place for a seedling, keep in mind: the diameter of the bed must be at least 300 cm. Otherwise, the plant will be too crowded. This will lead to poor flowering and low fruiting. But you want to feed all your family and friends with homemade chestnuts!

The edible chestnut and its equine namesake are not brothers or even relatives. You will be surprised, but these types of trees belong to different families. The first is to the Bukov family. And the second, with which alleys and parks in Russian cities are planted, goes to the Konsko-Kashtanovy family. When starting to grow edible chestnuts at your dacha, you need to understand this difference.

Planting chestnut seedlings

The ideal soil for edible chestnut is leached loamy chernozem. If you decide to propagate the plant with seedlings, give preference to planting material aged one to two years. Younger seedlings take root less well in open ground.

Landing algorithm

1. We form planting holes 50 cm deep each. The shape of the pit should be square with a width and length similar to the depth.
2. The soil that we took out of the hole is mixed with humus and river sand as follows: we take one part of the indicated additives for two parts of the soil.
3. Add half a kilo of dolomite flour to each portion of soil.
4. As an additive we use 0.5 kg of slaked lime
5. We mix river sand with sea pebbles and place it on the bottom of the planting hole, thus forming a drainage 0.15 m high.
6. Add a small amount of prepared soil over the drainage to form an intermediate layer of about 5-7 cm.
7. We water the drainage and primary soil layer from a watering can.
8. We place the seedling in the hole and fill it with the prepared substrate, lightly slapping the soil on top to compact the contents of the earthen hole.
9. We form a mound above the tree, which is 10 cm above the ground line.
10. We install a special support next to the seedling and attach the young tree to it in order to protect it from the negative effects of atmospheric phenomena.
11. We water the young plant generously from a watering can with well-warmed water in the sun.

Before planting, in the process of preparing the soil substrate, it is worth adding complex fertilizer based on nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus to the soil at the rate of 0.2 kg per hole.

Planting chestnut seeds in autumn

Chestnut seeds are called nuts. They can be planted both in the autumn and in the spring - after nature awakens from hibernation. Please note that chestnut nuts easily turn into sprouts without human intervention.

Landing algorithm

1. In the autumn, we collect chestnuts and stratify them: we pack them in a canvas bag and put them on the refrigerator door for two weeks. If this is not possible, mix the nuts with river sand in a cardboard box without a lid and send it to the basement for two weeks.
2. After two weeks, we form rows in the open ground.
3. We water them generously with water from a watering can.
4. We deepen the planting material 5 cm into the ground, maintaining a distance of 15-20 cm from each other.
5. We sprinkle the planting material with fallen leaves (and not with soil, as many people think!).
6. With the arrival of spring, we discover that the nuts have overwintered well and sprouted green shoots.
7. We thin out the resulting seedlings, removing weak representatives and leaving strong and strong specimens.

Scientifically, chestnut is the fruit of the acorn or horse chestnut. The first one is poisonous. The second one is inedible. The fruits of the edible chestnut are correctly called nuts.

Planting chestnut seeds in spring

Nuts stored in the fall for spring planting also need to be stratified. The best way is to mix them with sand and place them in a cardboard box in the bottom compartment of the refrigerator, away from the freezer. The nuts should stay in this form all winter. The subsequent algorithm of actions is described below.

Landing algorithm

1. We form grooves.
2. Water them generously.
3. Place the nuts at a distance of 15 cm from each other.
4. Sprinkle with earth.
5. A year later, we observe how yesterday’s chestnut tree turns into a 30-centimeter tree.

In order for the nut to be completely ready for planting in open ground, it must be placed in water at room temperature a week before planting. This will allow the shell to swell and the embryo inside to finally form.

Basics of care

The edible chestnut does not require particularly painstaking care. The rules that a gardener needs to follow can be summarized in several points.

1. Water as needed, but not more than three times per season.
2. Loosening and aerating the soil with garden tools - immediately after watering (hence, also no more than three times a season).
3. Mulch around the trunk once a year. The process is carried out in the fall. Sawdust or peat are used as mulch. It is also permissible to use fallen leaves, which will serve just as well. The height of the mulch should be at least 10 cm and no more than 15 cm.
4. In the name of a lush and beautiful crown, at the beginning of spring, the upper branches of the chestnut are shortened by ¼ using garden shears or secateurs.

Fertilizer is applied to the tree only once every 12 months. To do this, mix 20 g of ammonium nitrate, a kilogram of manure, 15 g of urea and 20 g of fertilizer with potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus in a 15-liter bucket of water and apply it under the tree.

Varieties of edible chestnut

There are about three dozen varieties of edible chestnut, the nuts of which can actually be eaten. We will tell you only about the most popular varieties, one of which you can plant in your dacha or near your house for culinary purposes.

Seeding chestnut

• Max Height: 35 m
• Features of nuts: large, enclosed in a fluffy shell

The second name for the edible seed nut is European. This representative of the flora is capable of growing in one place for up to five centuries. This means that the tree you planted will see not only your great-grandchildren, but also more distant descendants. The large lanceolate leaves of this plant reach 30 cm in length. The crown is beautiful, lush, and shaped like an egg.

Chestnut fruits contain a huge amount of nutrients. Therefore, it is not surprising that 40% of the world’s nut harvest is eaten by residents of the Middle Kingdom.

Chinese softest chestnut

• Max Height: 15 m
• Features of nuts: very tasty

Chinese soft chestnut nuts are a pure delicacy. They, like Piedmontese truffles, are famous for their excellent taste characteristics. The leaves of this chestnut are of the fine-toothed type. The branches are located quite widely, which is why the adult tree grows spreading and voluminous. The reverse side of the plant's foliage is covered with fine whitish hair. The inflorescences of a representative of the flora are located vertically relative to the ground and can be not only white, but also pink, yellowish and others.

Chinese chestnut has a higher caloric content of nuts than its European “brother”. 100 g of Chinese chestnut fruit contains 224 kcal.

Japanese chestnut

• Max Height: 15 m
• Features of nuts: the largest of its kind (up to 80 g)

The second name for chestnut is crenate. The plant has an intensive development schedule and begins to bear fruit at the age of two to four years. The nuts of the crenate chestnut differ from the fruits of its fellows in their large size and are considered the largest among all edible chestnut varieties. This type of edible nut grows in Japan and Korea, but is cultivated in many other parts of the world.

The vitamin and mineral composition of edible chestnut nuts is similar to brown rice.

According to archaeologists and historians, people have been eating edible chestnuts since ancient times. Chestnut boxes in ash were discovered during excavations in different parts of Eurasia. This makes it possible to assume that in those distant times, edible chestnuts grew almost throughout the continent. The current situation is fundamentally different from the past state of affairs. However, you and I have something more valuable - the opportunity to grow a chestnut with our own hands in order to enjoy what has ripened under the sensitive guidance of a person.

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Sown chestnuts, unlike their inedible counterparts, are suitable for consumption. They have excellent taste, have beneficial properties, and are high in calories.

Edible chestnuts can be large-fruited or small-fruited. In total, there are more than 30 species of trees belonging to the Chestnut family in the world. The most famous of them:

• Japanese;
• Chinese softest;
• European crops.

Types of Edible Chestnuts

Japanese or crenate

Japanese chestnut classified as a member of the Beech family. It has long elliptical and sharp-toothed leaves. It grows quite quickly and reaches a height of 15 m. Fruiting begins 3.5-4 years after planting.

Crenate type of chestnuts frost-resistant, but demanding on soil and air moisture. The tree easily tolerates temperatures down to -20˚C and is not afraid of pests and diseases.

There are more than 100 edible large-fruited varieties cultivated in Japan for more than 1000 years. Among them Kinseki, Shimokatsugi, Chobei, Small-fruited, Large-fruited, Oval, Triangular, pubescent, Naked, Ordinary.

This species is eaten raw and cooked.

Chinese softest

This species belongs to the Beech family. It grows in Vietnam, Korea, China, and is widespread in North America and Western Europe. In Russia Chinese chestnut cultivated in the southern part of the country and the North Caucasus.

The tree reaches a height of 20 m. The crown is wide and spreading. The leaves are oblong, oval, up to 22 cm in length. The beginning of fruiting is 5-8 years after planting. Fruit Chinese chestnut contain protein, starch, fats.

Chinese softest sensitive to drought. A young plant requires frequent, regular watering. With age, the roots of the chestnut go deeper into the soil, and the tree, producing water on its own, ceases to need such careful care. The ideal soil is sandy with a high humus content. Propagated by seeds. About 300 cultivated varieties are known Chinese chestnut, tasty and large-fruited.

Chinese chestnut baked, fried, boiled and eaten raw.

European seeding

European chestnut grows up to 35 m. This species is characterized by a regular ovoid crown, long large leaves and lush, spike-shaped inflorescences. A long-lived tree can stand for more than 500 years.

In the middle zone, this species is widespread in Western Transcaucasia, Dagestan, Moldova, Crimea, and Ukraine. Its homeland is the Mediterranean. Seeded chestnuts love light and moisture. Sensitive to temperatures, cannot tolerate drought or frost.

Reproduces European chestnut seeds. Grows quickly. Prefers loose, sandy, moist soil. Fruiting begins 3-15 years after planting. The average harvest weight from one tree is 100-200 kg.

Popular varieties:

• Large-fruited– grows in Azerbaijan, weight – 7-12 kg;
• Small-fruited– grown in Azerbaijan, weight – 4-6 kg;
• Neapolitan– average fetal weight – 20 kg, maximum volume – 60 kg, most often found in Italy and France;
• Lyonsky- large sweet fruits. Grown in Italy, Spain, south and central France;
• Bourou de Lillac– not picky about soil, but sensitive to cold. Grows in France. Produces large and sweet fruits.

The fruits of the plant are boiled, smoked, fried, baked and consumed raw. Nuts seed chestnut rich in fiber, lactic, malic and citric acid, sugar, proteins and carbohydrates.

Having decided to acquire an edible chestnut, remember, when purchasing seeds or seedlings, do not confuse the noble varieties with their close relative, the horse chestnut, the fruits of which can even be poisonous.

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Edible (noble) chestnut is a rather heat-loving crop. It grows in Southern Europe, the Caucasus or the Black Sea coast.

Grow an edible chestnut in the middle zone it is possible, but it is important to comply with certain conditions.

Optimal conditions for cultivation

Edible types of chestnut need an abundance of sunlight, so the ideal place for planting them would be the southern areas of the garden, reliably protected from the wind. This crop prefers slightly acidic sandy soils or sandy loams. Optimal acidity 6-6.5 pH. Heavy alkaline soil, with excess or stagnant moisture, is destructive for edible chestnut.

Ideal temperature conditions for tree growth and fruiting: up to 35°C in summer, short-term frosts down to -15°C in winter. Acclimatized seed chestnut varieties able to withstand temperatures down to -28°C.

Types of edible chestnut

In the middle zone, the following types of edible chestnut are grown:

• American or toothed (Castanea dentata);
• Japanese (Crenata);
• Sowing (Sativa);
• Chinese (Mollisima).

American chestnut has good frost resistance; it can tolerate frosts down to -27°C. This species is characterized by fast and intense growth, up to 1 m per season.

In comparison with the Jagged (American), the Sowing chestnut is more common and produces large and very tasty fruits, but significantly loses in frost resistance. The temperature drop to -18°C is critical for the Sowing chestnut.

Japanese chestnut is characterized by low growth (height 10-15 m). It can tolerate frosts down to -25°C, as well as severe drought. Its fruits are very tasty and tender, but quite small.

Chinese chestnut is prolific and produces fine, sweet, medium-sized fruits. It tolerates winter temperatures well down to -20°C and is resistant to many diseases that are detrimental to other types of edible chestnut.

All these types of noble chestnut can be successfully grown in the middle climate zone. But it is worth noting that even acclimatized plants still “freeze” in particularly harsh winters, and, as a result, the flowering and fruiting of such damaged trees is significantly reduced.

Features of care

Adult chestnut tree does not require the constant presence of moisture, so it is watered only during particularly dry summer periods. But young seedlings should be watered abundantly and regularly as the soil dries out. This care will allow young chestnuts to develop a strong root system in a shorter period of time.

The soil around the tree is hilled up 1-2 times per season, and with the advent of cold weather, mulch is added to the tree trunk circle with a layer of 13-15 cm. For these purposes, fallen leaves (needles) or peat are used. It is better to avoid traditional sawdust, as they excessively acidify the soil.

Pruning edible chestnut produced in early spring, before the tree buds wake up. To form a lush and spreading crown, the upper branches of the plant are shortened by 1/3 of the length. Also remove branches that grow incorrectly (inside the crown) and have frozen over the winter.

Fertilize an adult noble chestnut Once a year, after spring pruning. Ammonium nitrate (25 g), mullein (900 g), urea (10-12 g), complex mineral fertilizers (nitrogen/potassium/phosphorus, 20-25 g) are diluted in 15 liters of water.

For deeper penetration of fertilizing into the soil, small wells 30-40 cm deep are made in the tree trunk circle. It is in them that fertilizers are applied.

Growing edible chestnut in the middle zone it is, of course, a troublesome matter. But it’s worth it, because in response to your care, the tree will delight you with delicious fruits every year.

It is known that edible chestnut grows well in the North Caucasus. My wife's younger brother repeatedly sent us edible chestnuts in the fall, which he had collected with his own hands.

Since Chestnut can withstand frosts down to 32 degrees, there is hope, in my opinion, for its cultivation up to the latitude of St. Petersburg.

I advise lovers of beauty and a healthy lifestyle to pay attention to chestnut. Chestnut is a wonderful decorator of our gardens and an excellent healer for our souls and bodies.

Why do I say this? Yes, because direct contact with chestnut may well charge you with energy for the whole day, and its fruits are extremely beneficial for health.

The tasty nuts of edible chestnut species are used to prepare many different dishes, and the inedible fruits of horse chestnut have been used in folk medicine since ancient times.

Edible chestnut

To begin with, let us clarify that trees beautifully blooming with candles in parks and on city streets are usually not the chestnut tree discussed in this article, but horse chestnut with inedible (but medicinal) fruits.

Despite some similarities with the edible chestnut, these trees belong to different species and even families. The chestnut is a member of the Beech family, and the horse chestnut is a member of the Horse-chestnut family. In the future we will talk about edible chestnut.

The height of chestnut varies from 1 to 35 m, depending on the type and variety. The chestnut blossoms very beautifully. Its pyramidal inflorescences will decorate your garden from late May to mid-July.

Chestnut nuts

Chestnut fruits are enclosed in cozy shells protected by thorns. During the ripening period, the shells open and give us delicious fruits. Each shell contains from 1 to 3 nuts.

Chestnuts bloom and bear fruit beautifully in gardens and parks in southern and central Russia. They are considered “solar trees” because they “absorb” the energy of the sun and prefer open, sunny places.

Chestnut trees are bright individualists. No matter how hard you try, nothing will grow under them, because the chestnut creates a very thick shadow, and its powerful surface roots do not allow other crops to develop successfully.

But this disadvantage can easily be turned into an advantage. You can install garden benches under the chestnut tree, where on hot summer days it will be pleasant to hide from the scorching rays of the sun.

Planting chestnut

When planting chestnuts, keep in mind that for each seedling you should allocate a space of at least 3 m in diameter (or even more). Only in this case will an adult tree delight you with a spreading crown, abundant flowering and good fruiting.

Chestnut prefers loamy leached chernozem. It is unpretentious to winds, air pollution and is quite frost-resistant.

Planting chestnut seedlings

It is most convenient to plant chestnuts with 1-2 year old seedlings. To do this, prepare square holes measuring 50x50x50 cm.

Mix the earth removed from the holes with humus and sand in the ratio: 2:1:1 and add 0.5 kg of dolomite flour and slaked lime; pour 200 g of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer into each hole.

Place a drainage layer (pebbles or crushed stone mixed with sand) 10-15 cm high at the bottom of the holes. Then lightly sprinkle the drainage layer with soil substrate, thoroughly pour water into the hole, place the seedling in it and carefully fill the hole with soil, slightly compacting it with your hands.

Raise the planting mound 15-20 cm above the soil level, because it is necessary to take into account soil subsidence.

When planting large chestnuts, place the root collar of the seedling 8-10 cm above the level of the planting mound. Saplings of low- and medium-sized chestnut varieties do not need to be inflated.

Secure the seedlings to a support to avoid damage during strong winds. After planting, you need to water the plant generously with warm water.

Planting chestnut seeds in autumn

Chestnut seeds (nuts) germinate well in open ground even without our intervention, so planting chestnut seeds will not be difficult.

To do this, collect fallen nuts in the fall and carry out the stratification procedure (keeping them in the cold). To do this, place the chestnut nuts in an open box, cover with sand and place in the refrigerator or basement for 10-12 days.

Optimal temperature for stratification: + 5-6 °C. Then you can place the seeds in open ground.

Pre-prepare and thoroughly water the grooves in the place where you plan to plant chestnuts and deepen them by 5-6 cm.

Place nut seeds in the grooves at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other, then cover them with fallen leaves (no need to bury them). That's it - the chestnut seeds are ready for wintering, and in the spring you will see green shoots, then all you have to do is thin out the seedlings, leaving the strongest plants.

Planting chestnut seeds in spring

Fruits that fall in the fall should be covered with sand and stored all winter at a temperature of + 5-6 ° C, and before spring planting in open ground, place them in warm water for 5 days, then the shell of the fruit will swell and an embryo will form inside.

Then plant chestnut seeds in your favorite place in the country. With such cultivation, one-year-old chestnuts will grow by 20-25 cm within a year, and at the age of five they will grow up to 3 m in height.

Chestnut care

The soil around the chestnut tree needs to be loosened 2-3 times per season and the plant watered as needed. In autumn, the circle around the trunk is mulched to 10-12 cm with fallen leaves, peat or sawdust.

And if you want to see a lush, spreading crown of your chestnuts, in early spring give the growing trees a shortening pruning: trim the upper branches of the plant by ¼ of the length.

Chestnuts should be fertilized once a year - in early spring. To do this, in a 15-liter bucket, dilute ammonium nitrate - 20 g, mullein (fresh manure) - 1 kg, 20 g of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer and 15 g of urea.

Types of Edible Chestnuts

In nature, there are just over 30 species of chestnut trees and shrubs. Here are several types of chestnut trees whose fruits are eaten.

European chestnut

Chestnut sowing is a noble, slender tree up to 35 m high with a regular ovoid crown. The leaves are large, lanceolate, 25-30 cm long. The inflorescences are lush, spike-shaped, light yellow in color.

The nuts are large, edible, enclosed in a round fluffy cocoon. Chestnut is a long-liver; under favorable conditions, it can live in one place for up to 500 years, and in natural conditions – even longer.

Chinese chestnut is the softest

Chinese chestnut is a beautiful tree up to 15 m high, with spreading branches and finely toothed leaves with whitish pubescence below.

The fluffy, horizontally standing inflorescences come in a variety of colors, depending on the variety. Chinese chestnut nuts are famous for their unsurpassed taste and are widely used in food.

Japanese chestnut or crenate

Originally from Japan, China and Korea. It grows quickly and begins to bear fruit early - 2-4 years after planting. The fruits are the largest among edible chestnuts, up to 6 cm in diameter and up to 80 g in weight. More than 100 varieties with tasty and large nuts have been bred in Japan.

Among gardeners and gardeners, horse chestnut is valued more for its decorative qualities than edible chestnut. Its luxurious crown, strewn with lush candlesticks of inflorescences, is simply breathtaking and you want to admire this magnificent creation of nature again and again.

Unfortunately, there is no clear information about the frost resistance of different types of edible chestnuts - you will have to look for additional information and experiment with planting different types.

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Continuation here…

Edible chestnut.
The chestnut is a tall, beautiful tree, but few people know that the edible chestnut blooms differently than the inedible one and is shorter in height. The flowers of the edible chestnut look more like nut flowers, such pod-like inflorescences. Many people like the taste of edible chestnuts raw rather than roasted. Sometimes they are confused with horse chestnuts, but horse chestnuts are incredibly bitter in taste, you won’t eat them, they are considered poisonous.
Various dishes are prepared from edibles, as well as from nuts: soufflés and desserts, and they are used to stuff confectionery products. The fruits have a lot of fiber and little fat, and a lot of minerals and tannins.
If during the winter the chestnut fruits have dried out, become excessively dry, then it is useless to germinate them; nothing will grow. Normal seed storage in winter is achieved through a process called stratification. This is placing the fruits in damp sand and in the refrigerator for a long time.
In the Moscow region, with proper care, you can grow edible fruits of different varieties. The tree will need additional protection in winter, well-drained, rich soil and a specific level of moisture.
The most common types of edible chestnuts grown in Russia:
Japanese chestnut;
Chinese chestnut is the softest;
European chestnut.

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