Growing Hazelnuts in Your Back Yard
Hazelnuts are so easy to grow because the trees are the smallest nut trees. They will grow from 6 to 20 feet in height. You can grow them in almost any soil. To get to produce at their best, grow them as tall shrubs instead of trees. You can keep them at shrub height by trimming them once a year. They also do well grown in clumps or hedges. The hazelnut is hardy to zone 3. They will take 3 to 6 years before they will begin to produce nuts.
When you plant your hazelnut trees, make sure they are 15 to 40 feet apart. The area between the trees will depend on how tall and wide you plan to let them grow. In warm areas they should be planted in the early winter. If you live in a cold area plant your hazelnuts in the early spring. If you prefer to delay the early blooming, you should plant them in a spot that is protected and has a northern exposure. To help your chestnut trees grow and thrive, mix organic matter or rotted manure and some sphagnum peat in the soil.
The trunk of your hazelnut tree will need protection from sunscald. You can wrap the trunks for this. If the foliage of your tree begins to pale, it is a sign the tree needs fertilizer. Trim the trees a bit at planting time. Be sure to cut back if there are excessive suckers. But, do not get to enthusiastic. Any wounds you give the chestnut tree will take a long time to heal. You will need at least one tree of another variety for the trees to successful pollinate.
The nuts should be gathered as they drop to the ground. Then, soak them and get rid of any that float. Next you should spread them out to dry. Once they are dry, they will keep for several weeks at room temperature and for several months in a cool and dry place. If you put them in the freezer, they will keep for over a year.
Hazelnut trees are fun to grow. They are so easy, they are a good tree to grow if you are just starting to plant nut trees in your yard. Hopefully, these tips will help you grow a bumper crop of hazelnuts in your back yard for you and your family to enjoy.
SOURCE
Editors "Better Homes and Gardens" magazine. "New Garden Book". 1990. Better Homes and Gardens Books. Des Moines, Iowa.
Published by Cheryl Dennett
In my mid 40's, college graduate, out of a job thanks to the wonderful state of the economy. I enjoy researching topics I am interested in and sharing the knowledge I have found. I have been a member of the... View profile
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2 Comments
Post a CommentThank you for reading the article. I appreciate you taking the time and effort. The incident you have referred to is a typo. I am, after all, only human. :)
Good article, but in the third to last paragraph on page one, it refers to the hazel nut as a "Chestnut tree".