Super beneficial properties of hazel that you may not know about. Simple recipes for use in traditional medicine

Common hazel (Córylus avellána) is a species of woody deciduous trees and shrubs belonging to the birch family. There are other names for this plant, namely Hazelnut, Hazelnut and Hazel. Common hazel grows as undergrowth in coniferous and broad-leaved forests, in mixed forests and, often, on their edges. Hazel is a tree or shrub, let’s figure it out and get the answer.

Hazel photo of tree and leaves

Features of hazel

Corylus avellana, as a species, combines:

• trees whose maximum height does not exceed 20 meters
• shrubs reaching a height of no more than 10 meters

What is hazel: The dense spherical or egg-shaped crown of such plants is topped with a pyramidal top. Hazel leaves are large in size, they have a round or wide oval shape, and there are serrations along the edges.

Corylus avellana blooms in spring. The flowers differ in:

• male (staminate). The stamens are located in earrings, of which up to 5 pieces can bloom from one bud. The average length of earrings is 10 cm;
• female (pistillate). The pistils and perianths of the buds are underdeveloped. A fluff of reddish stigmas emerges from them. It indicates that future flowers are hidden there. Pollination is carried out by insects and wind.

It will be possible to harvest hazelnuts when the plant reaches its eighth year of life. The hazel fruit, which has a yellow-brown tint, is located in a helmet-shaped shell. The fact of their full ripening is evidenced by the fact that the shell has acquired a brown color, as well as the dry brown cover with a silvery tint of the inner kernel of the nuts. This occurs at the end of summer - in August.

Hazelnut photo

According to the description, the trunk of common hazel is characterized by flexibility, almost even, and quite long. Its bark is gray with a brownish tint and has a smooth, but rough surface. There is one peculiarity regarding the root system. Despite the fact that it is powerful, tree hazel cannot obtain moisture from the deep layers of the soil. The reason is that the main part of the root system is located close to the surface of the earth.

What is hazel can be seen in the photo

Contraindications

The hazel plant has long been used in naturopathy, the beneficial properties and contraindications of which should be known to everyone who is going to eat nuts or use herbal remedies from this plant component.

Like any plant, it can cause an allergic reaction in the body. If some part of the plant causes rejection (for example, bark extract or nuts), you should not use medicines from other hazel components. When treating children with diathesis, external or internal use of products from this plant is undesirable.

People with hypertension should not eat too many hazelnuts; they are also contraindicated in herbal remedies made from hazel: infusions, decoctions, milk and oil.

Planting hazel in the garden

Obtaining a generous harvest involves developing and growing a scheme for placing hazelnut seedlings at the preliminary stage. It should be taken into account that when several trees are planted side by side in garden conditions, cross-pollination occurs naturally. Where do the hazel trees grow on the property and where do the hazelnuts grow? It is recommended to plant hazelnuts and hazelnuts along the boundaries of the land plot.

What time to plant

Planting Corylus avellana seedlings is allowed both in spring and autumn. But experienced gardeners advise doing this in the fall, when the soil has not yet cooled down - somewhere in early October.

Planting hazel in autumn

For planting it is necessary to select the following hazel seedlings:

• having a well-developed root system;
• on which at least 3-4 strong shoots grow. The diameter of each should be at least one to one and a half centimeters;
• There should be no leaves on the seedlings.

When several hazelnut and hazelnut bushes are planted, their distance in a row should be about 4 - 5 meters, when the row spacing is about 6 meters.

The pits are prepared a month before the planned planting date. During this period of time, the soil will not only settle, but will also have time to become sufficiently compacted. If the soil in the plot is poor, then the diameter of the holes and their depth should exceed 80 centimeters. When planting hazelnuts and hazelnuts in an area with fertile soil, the holes can be 50 centimeters deep and the same in diameter.

Before planting seedlings in the fall, you need to prepare a fertile mixture and fill the holes with it. The ingredients and consistency of the mixture are as follows:

• topsoil;
• rotted manure – 15 kg;
• 200 grams of superphosphate. If such an ingredient is not available, you can add 2 cups of completely burnt wood ash instead.

Hazel leaves in autumn photo.

This point is very important: when planting common hazel in natural conditions, its root system must be immersed for some time in a mash, the components of which are clay and manure.

A Corylus avellana seedling is placed on a small hill previously created in the center of the hole. Here a certain requirement must be met. It is formulated as follows: a hazel tree seedling, after the embedding is completed, should be positioned so that the neck of the root is about 5 centimeters above the ground level. Having filled the hole and compacted the soil, the gardener needs to drive a peg nearby and tie it up the seedling itself goes to it.

Then the newly planted hazel tree should be watered with three to five buckets of water. After letting it soak in, you will need to mulch the tree trunk circle with a layer of a mixture that includes dry peat, plant humus and sawdust. The thickness of this layer is within 3...5 centimeters.

How to plant hazel trees in spring

The procedure for planting a plant in the spring is the same. But experienced gardeners recommend digging holes for hazel seedlings the previous fall. This way, the soil in them will be saturated with sufficient moisture over the winter and will naturally become denser. In addition, the following conditions must be met:

1. in one season, at least 3 hazel and hazel bushes are planted on a personal plot. Then pollination is guaranteed;
2. It is recommended to plant different varieties;
3. During the first time after planting, it is necessary to prevent direct spring sunlight from hitting the plant. This is achieved by shading it.

Industrial production of hazelnuts

Turkey occupies the leading position in the world in the production and export of hazelnuts, where the area occupied by hazelnuts is over 400 thousand hectares. Türkiye today produces 60% and sells 70% of the world's hazelnuts. The hazelnuts that, as a rule, are sold in our stores and markets, are large and beautiful, have low oil content, only 55-60%, and with a kernel yield of only up to 50%, are not so highly valued on the world market. The real demand in the world is for a completely different hazelnut - small, close in size to hazel. The fat content in it reaches 80%, and the kernel yield is 70%; It is its rounded shape, even size and thin shiny dark brown shell that meet international standards and requirements for mechanical processing. However, recently global competition has been intensifying, especially from the United States, whose sales of hazelnuts have increased sharply in recent years and are approaching 10% of the world's total. Italy and Spain are increasing the area under hazelnut plantings, and its commercial production is also growing in England, Germany, Hungary, France, and Poland.

Hazel care

The process of caring for common hazel cannot be called labor-intensive. Hazelnut cultivation and care from proper planting. Sowing peas and oats, wolf bean (lupine) or synapis in the tree trunk will help reduce hassle. After mowing, the gardener can use them to mulch the soil.

The soil under the Corylus avellana plant can be kept weed-free and, at the same time, loose (so-called black fallow). The depth of loosening is within 4-7 centimeters. The gardener also needs to be prepared for a constant fight against root growth. There is no point in postponing such an event “for later”, since care will be easier and you can cope with newly born, weak offspring.

How to water

You need to start watering a hazel bush or walnut tree a week after these plants were planted. An insufficient amount of moisture will have a bad effect on the formation of flower buds, as well as on the subsequent ripening of hazelnut fruits. During the growing season, you need to water the soil under the hazel about 5-6 times. Water consumption for 1 adult bush should be from 6 to 8 buckets.

The frequency of watering hazelnuts is monthly. Moreover, during such a time interval it is enough to do this only once. Water should be poured into the tree trunk circle in equal portions, making sure that it is absorbed into the soil and does not form a puddle. It is advisable to loosen the soil there, either on the day when it rained or was watered, or on the next day.

Fertilizer

In the spring season, hazel is fed with phosphorus and potassium supplements. The frequency of this activity is once every two to three years. Under the hazelnut and hazelnut bush:

• superphosphate-50 grams;
• potassium salt - ranging from 20 to 30 grams;
• manure - about 3-4 kilograms

With the arrival of spring, hazel will require nitrogen fertilizers. So, having noticed that the buds are swollen, the gardener should add about 20-30 grams of carbonic acid diamide - urea - or ammonium nitrate to the soil around the tree trunk.

A shrub or hazelnut tree should be fertilized in the summer in order to simultaneously ripen the fruits. At the beginning of July, the same nitrogen fertilizing is applied. The situation is different with young plants. They need to be fertilized with organic substances - rotted manure or mature compost. For 1 Corylus avellana bush, it will be enough to apply 10 kilograms once for two to three years.

How to care for hazel when it blooms

Hazelnuts and hazelnuts begin to bloom when the air temperature reaches +12°C, that is, in mid-spring. This indicates that the plant is developing correctly.

The catkins bloom before the first foliage appears on the hazel bush or tree. Over the course of a day in dry atmospheric air, they often grow by 3 cm. After reaching a length of ten centimeters, the earrings, becoming loose, begin to scatter pollen grains. The pollination process lasts approximately 12 days. The female flowers receive pollen both from their plant and from flowers on the branches of hazel growing nearby. Taking into account this phenomenon, experienced gardeners recommend planting more than one tree or hazel shrub nearby. During flowering, the plant does not require special care.

Chemical composition

The branches contain tannins (0.85-2.54%), flavonoids; bark - essential oil, triterpenoid betulin (0.2%), tannins (2.5-10.8%); Aldehydes, essential oil (from 0.043% to 0.42%), traces of alkaloids, vitamin C (204 mg •%), carotene, tannins (7.7-11.6%), flavonoids, anthocyanins, palmitic acid were found in the leaves. acid; in flower buds - carotene; in pollen - carbohydrates, vitamins B1, B2, C, E, PP, carotene, fatty oil (50-71.50%, pH 83-97).

The fruits (nuts) of hazel consist of 58% kernel. It contains semi-drying fatty oil (50-70%, pH 101), proteins (up to 19%), carbohydrates (9.6%), mucous substances (3%), iron (4.3 mg • %) , vitamin B1, carotene; in the thin shell of the kernels there are coloring and tannins (10.7%).

Collection of medicinal raw materials

Medicinal raw materials are fruits, bark, leaves and roots. Leaves are collected in June-July, during the flowering of hazel, nuts - in August-October, bark - in early spring. Ripe fruits are dried in an oven or dryer at a temperature of 60...70°C. Dry under a canopy or in the attic. The bark is removed in early spring from branches to be cut down. Store in a wooden container for 2 years.

Hazel propagation

Hazel tree reproduces:

• dividing the bush
• cuttings
• vaccination
• offspring
• bends
• seeds

Let us briefly consider the most popular methods of propagating the Corylus avellana plant.

Reproduction by taps

This method is simple, but requires significant costs. The order of its stages is presented below.

1. Before the start of sap flow, in April or October, annual low-growing shoots are bent to the surface of the earth and placed in pre-dug furrows, the depth of which is 10-15 centimeters. The top remaining above the ground is shortened. If necessary, the branch is fixed with a wooden bracket.
2. New vertical shoots appear from the buds located on the branch, which, as they grow, must be hilled up to the middle, and the leaves located on the lower part must be removed.
3. The shoots will take root. Thus, in a year, the gardener will receive several seedlings from the allotment. Before they are planted in another place, they will need to be nursed for 1-2 years.

New bushes are obtained from vertically oriented cuttings. For this purpose, the stumps of large branches of hazel tree, which remain after the spring pruning procedure, are covered at a height of approximately 50 centimeters with a transparent film to stimulate the awakening of still dormant buds.

After making sure that the new shoots have reached 15 centimeters in length, the gardener needs to cover the water with a layer of plant humus no more than 5 centimeters thick. After waiting until the young hazelnut tree reaches a height of 35 centimeters, the film will need to be removed, and in the summer it will need to be watered. With the arrival of autumn, the cuttings are carefully dug up and divided into rooted shoots at the place of the bandage.

Reproduction by offspring

This is how tree hazel reproduces in the natural environment. The formation of the first offspring takes 1-2 years from the moment of planting. They are located at a distance of 50-100 centimeters from the trunk.

The offspring are planted - the so-called tear-offs - at two to three years of age. Using an ax, they are split off from the rhizome, then transplanted into a deep pot for growing. Such scions can be planted immediately in the permanent place provided for in the placement plan. But experienced gardeners recommend in this case to place at least 2 shoots, and even better, 3, in one previously prepared hole.

Reproduction by grafting

The best seedling for the Corylus avellana species is bear nut. The reason is that it does not produce offspring. Wild hazel can also be used.

Hazelnut is grafted:

• in the spring - in a split or by grasping the bark;
• in summer - by budding method.

For this purpose, the following actions are performed:

1. For cuttings, the apical part of the branch or the middle is harvested. Cutting is carried out in the winter season, and stored until the onset of snow. if weather conditions permit, or in the refrigerator.
2. Vaccination is carried out in April-May, that is, when the period of most active sap flow is observed.
3. The handle must be sharpened on both sides. A split is made in the rootstock and a scion is inserted into it. The area is insulated with plastic film, and open areas must be covered with garden pitch.

The ease of grafting into clefts is offset by lower survival rates compared to budding.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

Experienced gardeners recommend performing this procedure in the autumn season. It includes the following stages:

1. A young hazelnut or hazelnut bush needs to be dug up, and then several parts should be formed by cutting it. In this case, the roots should remain on each fragment. It is also necessary to ensure that their length is 10.....15 centimeters.
2. The cuts must be sprinkled with coal.
3. Fragments of hazel are planted in different holes.

Hazel trimming

A rich harvest of hazel fruits will be harvested only if it is carefully thinned out

Pruning rules

Pruning the bushes of this plant includes the following steps:

1. After planting in open ground, the seedling is shortened to 15-20 centimeters (about 6-7 buds)
2. Next year, the tops of the main shoots are cut off again to allow lateral branches to grow.
3. 3-4 years after planting, new shoots appear from the rhizome.
4. They are cut to 3-4 buds
5. The root shoots are removed.
6. Up to 8 of the most powerful shoots are left on the bush, the rest are cut off.
7. The outer branches are pulled back and secured with wire.

Another way to grow bush hazel is to install trellises. This plant is tied to them

The scheme for pruning hazel that grows like a tree looks like this:

1. On the seedling it is necessary to leave a standard of 35-40 centimeters in height and up to 7 of the strongest branches of the first order.
2. Over the next 4-6 years, every year the main shoots are cut in half at the level of the bud, which is directed outward.
3. A tree is formed, reaching a height of 2...2.5 meters.
4. Powerful side branches are cut off. There should be 3-4 buds left on them.
5. The finished tree eventually reaches a height of no more than 3 meters and bears 10 to 15 strong shoots.
6. Only old lateral and thickening branches are pruned to the ring (to the very base), while fruit branches with female and male flowers are not subjected to this procedure.

Botanical description

The plant is distinguished by a variety of species. It may look like a tree or grass forming an understory, but most hazels are deciduous shrubs with a crown of rounded, rich green leaves. In the wild, it has many stems growing directly from the rhizome. Hazel rarely grows more than three to five meters.

Hazel

Fruiting depends on the method of reproduction. If this is vegetative production, nucleoli appear already in the fourth year, and in seed production - only in the sixth or seventh year. A characteristic feature is that the leaf plates are rough to the touch, oval with a sharp tip and jagged edges.

Pests and dangerous diseases for hazel

In the countries of the Asian and European continents, entomologists have identified about 200 species of pests of hazel trees or shrubs.

Pests

Below are just the most common types of hazel pests.

Kidney mite

On the Eurasian continent, ticks are usually parasitized by two species that live in the buds of Corylus avellana - Cecidophyes vermiformis and Phytoptus avellanae.

The affected buds increase significantly in size, lose their softness, and the scales lose their characteristic shine. How they look on hazel is shown in the photo above. The kidney mite itself is so small that it is practically impossible to see it with the naked eye.

Aphid

The vital activity of this insect causes the hazel leaves and hazel leaves to curl. In addition, the development of flower buds and young shoots slows down significantly. What aphids look like on hazel leaves is shown in the photo.

Having studied the description of the beetle in ornithological reference books, we can conclude that it is an insect with a brown shell. Its maximum length is 1 centimeter. The female usually lays eggs in unripe fruits. And it is the pulp of hazelnuts that provides a nutrient medium for them. Cases have been recorded when the “appetites” of this insect led to the loss of almost half of the crop.

Nut weevil

Having studied the description of the beetle in ornithological reference books, we can conclude that it is an insect with a brown shell. Its maximum length is 1 centimeter. The female usually lays eggs in unripe fruits. And it is the pulp of hazelnuts that provides a nutrient medium for them. Cases have been recorded when the “appetites” of this insect led to the loss of almost half of the crop.

Nut - aka hazelnut - barbel

The length of this black bug is one and a half times greater than the previous individual - 1.5 cm.

The larvae of this very dangerous pest almost completely gnaw the inside of the shoots. As a result, they quickly dry out, and the color of the leaves on the hazel tree acquires a yellow tint, and their tips curl.

Walnut leaf beetle

This is the most dangerous pest for Corylus avellana leaves. However, the scope of his preferences is not limited to hazel. It also eats willow and alder foliage.

Red-leaved hazel photo

Hazel diseases

In relation to diseases, hazelnuts demonstrate greater resistance than to all pests, including those described above. Let's briefly look at the most dangerous diseases of this plant and how hazelnuts grow.

Powdery mildew

This disease develops on the leaves. Its signs are the formation of a white coating on their surface and, at the same time, the appearance of cobwebs. To minimize the likelihood of this disease occurring, the area where hazelnuts will grow must be selected according to the following criteria: it must be well ventilated and equally spacious. If the plant is severely damaged, it is recommended to treat the foliage with fungicides. You can find out what hazelnuts susceptible to powdery mildew look like by looking at the photo.

Rust

This disease is visible on the plant and leaves very well. It manifests itself in the formation of spots with a bright red tint on the hazel leaf. This disease can quickly destroy the entire plant along with the fruits.

White rot

This dangerous disease affects, no matter whether it is a tree or a hazel bush, through the soil. As a result, the root system of the plant rots.

Hazel processing

The use of fungicides is recommended against fungal diseases. The well-known copper sulfate, as well as Bordeaux mixture (mixture), are suitable.

If you notice that hazelnuts and hazel trees are occupied by insects, you will need to spread plastic film under them and try to shake off these pests onto it. When there are a lot of them, drugs such as the phosphoric acid derivative chlorophos, the insectoacaricide Acttelik and the insecticide Karbofos will help.

Plant distribution

Photos of the common hazel tree often show that it grows next to oak or coniferous trees. Its favorite habitats are deciduous, pine and spruce forests, as well as forest-steppe zones of Europe and South Asia.

In nature, hazel is found in a vast region, reaching St. Petersburg in the north and the Urals in the east. In the Caucasus, for several hundred years, this shrub, crossed with the Asia Minor variety of Pontian hazel, has been cultivated to produce hazelnuts.

The fruits of this variety are slightly larger in size than forest fruits, but contain fewer nutrients.

Types of hazel and its most common varieties

Below are the most popular types of hazel in gardening.

Common hazel (Corylus avellana)

Tree hazel (Corylus colurna). Another name is bear nut

Manchurian hazel (Corylus mandshurica)

Variegated hazel (Corylus heterophylla)

Red-leaved hazel (Corylus atropurpurea) photo

Hazelnut photo

Properties of hazel: its harm and benefits

Hazel is a shrub or plant that brings not only benefits, but also harm.

Useful qualities

The hazelnut kernel contains many substances beneficial to human health, ranging from vitamins A, E, C and PP, including amino acids and ending with the following elements of the periodic table:

• potassium
• manganese
• fluorine
• copper
• magnesium
• calcium
• iodine
• iron

Of the beneficial qualities of the hazelnut kernel, it is worth highlighting:

• has a positive effect on memory and attention;
• promotes normal functioning of the cardiovascular system;
• accelerates metabolism and strengthens the body's immune system;
• helps rehabilitation after illness;
• indicated for epilepsy, anemia, measles, rheumatism, allergies, etc.

Contraindications

The nuclei can cause exacerbation of skin diseases, for example, neurodermatitis. Hazelnuts are contraindicated if you have symptoms of psoriasis. An infusion made from hazel bark and its leaves increases a person’s blood pressure. This should be taken into account by people suffering from hypertension.

When not to use

Despite many positive qualities, they can play a negative role in a number of conditions. Contraindicated for kidney disease, except for the presence of stones in the organ, when consumption of the product is permitted.

It is not recommended to use for pyelonephritis and nephritis. Serious liver diseases are also a contraindication.

In case of acute and chronic disturbances in the functioning of the stomach and duodenum, it is also advisable to refrain from eating it, since it is quite poorly digested.

Contraindications are disorders of the gallbladder.

It is also contraindicated for people with a tendency to hypertension, as it increases blood pressure.

Even healthy people should not eat large amounts of nuts. It is recommended to eat several nuts per day. For chronic diseases, you should consult your doctor.