Nuts are a valuable component of our diet. Although they are fatty and caloric, they are rich in minerals and vitamins, and the unsaturated fats they contain are he althy.In the Polish climate, however, we have few opportunities to grow nuts . These are mainly hazelnuts and walnuts. And for those who cannot fit a large walnut tree or hazelnut bush in their garden, they can choose one-year-old peanuts. Seewhat nuts can be grown in Polandand how to get started!
In Poland we can grow hazelnuts, walnuts and peanuts
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Growing hazelnuts in Poland
In our climate, hazelis cultivated very well, the fruits of which are hazelnuts. It is not surprising since it is our native shrub, found in deciduous and mixed forests. However, in home gardens and allotments, noble varieties of hazel are planted, which bear much better fruit, producing larger and tastier nuts.
Hazel grows up to 3-5 m in height, and it needs a sunny place with fertile, humus and moderately moist soil. The best time to plant hazelnut shrubs is in the fall.Amateur hazel varietiesare recommended for plots and home gardens, such as: Cosford, Catalan, Syrena, Warsaw red, Giant from Halle. I do not like the last variety, although it produces large and tasty nuts, because it ripens late, only in October, so we collect nuts that are usually wet and require drying.From the earlier varieties of hazel, nuts are harvested from the second half of August to the end of September, and if harvested on sunny and dry days, the nuts will store well.
When deciding to grow hazel , it is worth knowing that most of its varieties are foreign-pollinated plants. This means that in order for them to bear fruit well, i.e. to bear a lot of nuts, you need to plant at least two different varieties next to each other so that they pollinate each other. If we do not have enough space in the garden to plant at least two hazel bushes, self-pollinating varieties can help us. Of the above-mentioned amateur hazel varieties it will be Cosford, and other self-pollinating varieties are: Apolda, Daviana, Pasiasty.
Walnut cultivation in Poland
Walnut is a large tree, growing up to several meters in height in garden cultivation. Therefore,walnut cultivation in the gardencan only be afforded by people who have quite a lot of space on the plot.This tree copes well with the Polish climate, requires sunny positions, fertile soil, preferably calcareous and moderately moist.
For planting in gardens, it is worth choosing varieties of walnutthat bear fruit They start to fructify early (even from the second year after planting), produce large nuts with a not too thick shell, are frost-resistant and rarely suffer from diseases. Suchvarieties of walnut, perfect for growing ingardens, include: Albi, Dodo, Leopold, Resovia, Sajfendorski, Silesia, Targo. The latter, however, although highly frost-resistant, is often affected by anthracnose.
Growing peanuts in Poland
If a large walnut, or even a smaller hazelnut bush, will not fit in our garden, we may be tempted togrow peanuts , also known as peanuts or peanuts. The proper name of the plant that produces these peanuts is groundnut. Its name comes from the fact that the flower stalk, after flowering, lengthens and goes underground, where fruits, i.e. peanuts, ripen at a depth of 5-8 cm.This phenomenon is quite interesting and worth observing on a garden plot. Unfortunately, theunderground orzacha has a tropical originand in our climate, although it will bloom, it will not always be able to produce nuts. The best chances are in the south of Poland.
Peanuts are sownin April on the seedbed. Before sowing, the seeds must be peeled from their shells and soaked in water for 24 hours. The seedlings are planted on the flower beds from May 15, when the risk of frost has passed. The plant requires good sunlight and a fertile and well-drained soil. Harvesting should be possible with the arrival of autumn. The signal for harvesting is yellowing and withering of peanut leaves.
