Cathy Isom tells you a little about, and has a few great tips for, growing your own hazelnuts. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Growing your own hazelnuts is a cinch. On top of that, they produce quickly, so you don’t have to wait a decade for your first harvest.
In general, hazelnuts grow about 12-feet high and 18-feet wide, though you can control this somewhat. That means they are small enough for easy management. Because of their small size and because the nuts readily fall off the tree, no ladders or special equipment is necessary to collect your harvest.
The plants produce sweet nuts in the late summer and into fall. Hazelnuts grow readily in zones 4–9, and some can even handle zone 3 depending on the variety. They can withstand temperatures to 15 F, but anything below that during the blooming season may cause crop loss. When growing hazelnuts, they can handle a little shade, especially in hot and dry areas. They need at least 4 hours of direct sunlight a day to produce well. Hazelnut transplants are best planted in early to late winter when the plants are dormant, and heat won’t shock the tree.
I’m Cathy Isom…