Hazelnut trees have a production lifespan of more than 80 years. How many acres do you need to plant to make it worth investing in equipment for harvesting and growing hazelnuts? A ripe hazelnut tree can produce up to 25 pounds of nuts in a single year. The total yield from hazelnut production is 2,800 marketable pounds per acre. Commercial crop yields begin in the third year and full production is reached in the twelfth year.
An orchard can remain productive for about 40 to 50 years if it is well managed and kept disease free. When hazelnuts change from green to brown and abscission begins, it's the best time to harvest. A food forest of 75 hazelnut plants can produce up to 1 ton of dry wood. Symptoms: yellowing of the leaves, which occurs in the form of rings, lines, spots or bands in the veins; young trees may show a reduction in new growth and a reduction in yield if the disease occurs together with the virus and infected plants have no external symptoms.
Many people also choose to plant in what is called “double density” by planting twice as many hazelnuts in each row. Hazelnut is crushed to produce an oil used in paints, cosmetics and hair products, which is combined with other oils to make oils used in salad dressings, massage oils, skin care products and aromatherapy oils. In general, the spacing of hazelnut trees is very variable in different countries, since they depend on soil fertility, rainfall and the vigour of the variety. In moderate climates, hazelnuts produce a satisfactory harvest with a minimum temperature of -10 °C.
Hazelnuts are primarily resistant to pests and diseases; therefore, weeds are the most important thing to consider. One good thing about hazelnuts is that they can be shaped like trees, depending on your preferences and the space available. Hazelnuts have several varieties, some are the result of the crossing of genetic breeds and others are an evolution of the traditional species. Management: diseased areas of a tree should be pruned by making cuts between 0.6 and 0.9 m below the affected area; avoid planting hazelnuts in waterlogged or poorly draining soils; watering hazel trees to reduce water stress during the first 3 years after planting can greatly reduce mortality; the application of copper-based bactericides is recommended to control the disease.
When the weather becomes very dry and hot, create a shelter and install an irrigation plant to prevent the hazelnut from drying out or dying. When you want to start commercial hazelnut cultivation, you should prepare a perfect hazelnut growing business plan. The right time to plant hazelnuts is in autumn because the root system has significant activity during the winter season. Growing hazelnuts is easy and most people have discovered the nutritional and health benefits of this tree.
Irrigation is the best method for establishing large trees quickly and uses excessively dry conditions to fill the production stage. The buds do not break in spring and the new crops wither and die; the leaves become chlorotic and die; the dead leaves remain attached to the hazel tree once the leaves fall from the tree in autumn; cankers form in the bark and are visible as light gray areas. Management: prune branches and twigs with cankers whenever possible; cuts should be made between 0.6 and 0.9 m below the canker; pruning residues should be destroyed; destroy any voluntary hazel tree from abandoned orchards.
