In the form of a shrub, it will grow 8 to 12 feet tall. In the shape of a shrub, the hazelnut allows you to easily pick walnuts by hand and plant them without worries in the environment to control erosion or as a hedge. If you choose to grow it as a single-stemmed tree, it will grow 14 to 16 feet tall and about the same width. Hazel trees (Corylus avellana) grow only 10 to 20 feet (3-6 m).
You can let them grow naturally as a shrub or prune them to be shaped like a small tree. Either way, they're an attractive addition to the home landscape. Let's learn more about growing hazelnuts. Remains of hazelnuts have been found in stone-aged archaeological sites from Northern Europe to China.
The tree is believed to have spread all over the world during the Ice Age. The European tree arrived in North America in the 19th century during the horticultural boom. It later became an important tree for the production of nuts. But it would be remiss not to mention that hazelnuts are a staple food in Turkey, where 60 to 70% of the world's hazelnuts are produced.
The flowers bloom on the tree in early spring, either in male yellow clusters or in small red female flowers. Cross-pollination between male and female flowers helps produce nuts in higher volumes. Most varieties are self-fertile and self-pollinate on the same plant. Hazelnuts are formed as a result of pollination by female flowers and ripen within 40 days after pollination.
They form inside a shell and are ready in early fall. The roots of these trees are long, branched taproots. Gardeners in the United States may want to skip attempts to grow European hazelnuts or hazelnuts due to their high incidence of Eastern algae blight. Those with less space would do well to stick with the American hazelnut instead of the Filbert due to spacing problems.
The first crops are also not produced until the tree is established, after about 5 years. Full crops occur around age 9, when up to 25 pounds of edible nuts can be harvested from a single tree. Hazelnut wood is especially useful for those who like to make fences, furniture and trellises. The oil is used in beauty products, and the twigs can be used as animal feed.
It is a great source of pollen for bees in early spring. A lot can be done with this little tree. And it hosts lichens and fungi that have developed a symbiotic relationship with the tree over time. Plant your nut tree in late winter when it's still dormant.
Remember that planting just one tree can reduce the amount of nuts you harvest over the long term. Planting in the summer heat will shake tree roots. Select a site for your hazelnut trees that are 15 to 20 feet apart. If you're planting steaks, stay on the wider side of that range.
They need a sunny area with well-drained soil. Dig a hole that is deep enough for the root ball and twice as wide. Moisten the roots of the tree thoroughly. Then plant the roots in the hole, letting the top be level with the soil line.
Return the soil to the hole, tamping it as you go to eliminate air pockets. Add two gallons of water when the well is 75% full. Then cover with the remaining soil, piling it up at the base, leaving a couple of inches between the trunk and surrounding soil. The stratification of the mounds helps promote good drainage.
With a good base for your plant, you won't have to do much to harvest your own nuts in time. So, let's look at the basic principles of that base. In the hottest months, they thrive at 85 degrees. They don't appreciate hot, dry conditions for long periods of time.
The same goes for icy areas. Colder temperatures below the ideal range will kill female flowers before they can be pollinated. They will drop flowers in very hot situations without adequate protection and humidity. Mulch and mulch will keep the soil warm in a cold snap.
Adequate moisture and shade will help grow trees in warmer regions. Water your hazelnuts in the morning with a gallon of water every few weeks. Do this with drip irrigation or a soaker hose, ideally. Otherwise, gentle watering through a watering can at the base of the tree works well.
Increase that amount every two weeks during the period of fruitful growth. If it rains frequently, there is no need to add additional irrigation. Prune regularly to promote bushy growth. Remove any shoots that may sprout from the base of the plant.
In commercial production, hazelnuts are pruned in winter to promote branching in the growing season. It is at this time that the hazel tree has no leaves due to its deciduous nature. Remember that female flowers form nuts in this multi-stemmed shrub that is self-fertile, so leave the branches from last year's growth to allow the female parts to grow. Male increases are growing from the current year's growth.
Remove branches that cross each other and also those that grow toward the trunk. If you remove the longer branches of the American hazelnut, you can turn them into trellises, furniture or baskets. We'll talk more about harvesting native nuts from the tree in the harvesting section below. They automatically fall off the tree when they are ripe.
To propagate the saplings, remove the plant from the ground with the root intact. Then transplant the main stem to another area of the garden in a warm place. Crush soil around the base and you'll have a new American hazel tree in a couple of weeks. Do this in late fall or early spring.
Once the fruit is first formed, hazelnuts ripen and are ready in 4 to 6 weeks. The harvest time is generally from late summer to early fall. You'll know it's time to harvest when the paper-like shells turn yellow. Remove them from the tree by hand or drop them to the ground and harvest your crop there.
Alternatively, you can pick them up early to scare away squirrels and grouse. Then let them dry in onion bags in a dark, warm room with good air circulation. Keep in mind that they will have about a third of the lifespan if you pick them up soon. For ripe or immature hazelnuts, dry them in a single layer on a rack indoors for several days.
Let's talk about crop loss, pests and diseases that can affect hazelnuts. Keeping a close eye on them will help you in the long run. Filberts don't like strong winds or excessive heat or cold. In hot conditions, provide shade and water to keep roots cool.
A windbreak is necessary to avoid the winds. A cold wave will not damage the tree, but the prolonged cold will cause damage to male growths and the subsequent loss of the crop. Frosted mulch and fabric can help in an extended period of cold weather. Hazel can also suffer from crown problems if the shoots are not removed as they appear.
This will also divert nutrients to the saplings rather than to the main plant. Remove them and give them as a gift to your friends who also want to grow these beautiful walnuts. Overwatering can weaken the plant and provide optimal conditions for fungal and bacterial diseases to thrive. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings and don't water more than every few weeks in the regular season.
The Filbert worm is the larva of the acorn moth. It loves to feed on hazelnuts and sinks into the shell to reach the tasty pulp of the nut. As you consume the nut, you make way for bacterial and fungal invasions that infect the tree. Look for small holes in the fruit to determine if they are in your tree.
Encouraging bats through a bat house in a tall structure in the area can keep moths at bay. Keep the grass around the cutlets cut to prevent the larvae from overwintering. . Treatment options include bacillus thuringiensis, neem oil, kaolin clay, pyrethrin and spinosad.
Filbert's weevils are cute, but they also hide in hazelnuts with their long, thin trunk. They will also feed on flowers and leaves. Look for small holes in fruits, leaves and flowers to determine if they are present or not. Weevil larvae tend to overwinter on the shadier side of the soil, around the base of the algae.
Immediately remove all traces of nuts as soon as possible after they fall in order to control them culturally. Also, keep an eye on local oaks, as the fin weevil can also be a pest for oak trees (and their acorns). Currently, there is no insecticide that is consistently effective against these weevils. Root rot is a fungal condition that occurs in hazelnuts when the soil has been wet for too long.
Resistant varieties are less likely to be susceptible to disease. However, affected plants will show discoloration and leaf fall, as well as fungal growth on the trunk of the plant. Ensuring that the tree has good drainage around it will prevent most forms of root rot. Some types of root rot can be prevented with a biological fungicide that uses microbial life to eliminate the causes of fungi.
Once the roots start to rot, you're likely to lose the tree and you should consider removing it. Eastern fin blight is a fungal disease caused by the pathogen Anisogramma anomalae. It causes cankers in the branches of the upper part of the plant, which spread and cause wilting and regressive death of the branches. As soon as a canker appears, remove the affected branch and place two feet below the affected area.
Eliminate all growing volunteers to prevent the spread. While there are no fungicides that completely eliminate the disease, copper fungicides have been used quite well as a form of prevention. Still, resistant varieties are the best mode of control. Bacterial blight also causes regressive branch death, but initially involves necrosis rather than canker sores.
The inner tissue of the branches will rot due to a reddish lesion that can eventually cause cancers in other parts of the tree. Water properly and provide soil that drains well to prevent blight. Copper bactericides applied as a spray after harvest and before autumn rains twice a year can also control it. Bacterial canker causes bud sprouting and wilted spring growth.
The dead leaves remain and cankers form at the base in a light gray color. Remove affected branches as soon as symptoms occur. Then, spray a copper fungicide or Bordeaux mixture after harvest and before fall rains twice a year. The hazelnut mosaic virus occurs as bands in the veins of the trunk and leaves.
It will reduce the yield of hazelnuts. If you notice any of these symptoms, consult your local agricultural extension office to determine the best course of action for this highly infectious disease. Mosaic viruses currently have no treatment and are usually spread by insect vectors. When you buy through the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
As an Amazon partner, we win with eligible purchases. The American Hazelnut Filbert adapts well to a variety of soil pH. It's best to try to achieve a slightly acidic pH or close to pH 7, but avoid alkaline soils above that level, or adjust it with sulfur and maintain acidity with sulfate-containing amendments. If your harvest is destined for the local wildlife community, rest assured that American hazelnut is a favorite on the menu.
Although there are many varieties of hazelnuts, these three are the most common in North America. Whether roasted, ground into flour, converted into butter, or eaten directly in shell, hazelnuts are a healthy addition to countless main courses, candies, cereals and beverages. The American Hazelnut Filbert, due to its rooting and growth habit, is not suitable for container cultivation. The hazel tree is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub, reaching up to 15 feet and extending between 5 and 10 feet.
Used in baking, spreads and in desserts combined with chocolate, the buttery flavor of American hazelnut is second to none. The best way to keep them away from hazelnuts is to harvest them early and let them ripen as suggested in the harvesting section. The American hazelnut 'Filbert', although it is called a tree, grows more like a shrub whose size is easily manageable with pruning. Hazelnuts need little or no pruning when grown as shrubs, other than the removal of sprouts that emerge from the roots.
While growing these nut trees in pots isn't the best option, those with space can plant the trees in an area with enough feet in the middle. .
