It’s better at home: a man returned from Poland to grow hazelnuts in Volyn

Many Ukrainians go to work abroad looking for a better life and income. Ivan Grushkovsky was one of those people. He went to Poland and returned to Ukraine to open a business and use gained abroad knowledge and experience, writes “Agro-Center”.

Ivan lives in Volyn, in the village of Pirvancha. He used to go work to Poland often. There, he worked on nut farms and learned how to cultivate these cultures. Upon returning to Ukraine, Ivan decided to try to grow nuts here.

“This plant does not need special care. Mowing the grass between the rows twice a year is all I have to do. Nuts aren’t potatoes. The last winter was a thaw, and not only hazelnuts but also cherries and apple unfroze. In general, hazelnut acclimated well. It doesn’t need special soil and can even be planted on sandy soils and grow well”, says the farmer.

Nowadays, Ivan has several dozen hazelnut trees of different varieties. He uses them to create new seedlings.

Creating seedlings isn’t easy. Branches must be clipped with metal staples, sprinkled with sawdust, soil, and then again with sawdust. To do this, one needs to bend the flexible branches and put them in the earth in the spring or late fall so that each can grow roots and become a seedling. There are certain requirements. One has to nourish the trees, remove all the leaves, and only then bend branches. The owner advises to do it in the spring as branches are more flexible during this time. If one does it in the autumn, 30-40 percent may not grow roots.

Ivan stresses that one will have to work really in a big garden. A farmer has to make sure the plants won’t get sick and much more. The first seedlings the man received in a year. Therefore, if one has is ready to work hard, the results will come quickly.