How to grow Hazelnut

Corylus avellana · common hazel, hazel, cobnut

A shrub or small tree, usually 3–8 m tall, grown for its hazelnuts. Its catkins release pollen on the wind in late winter, long before the leaves, and the nuts drop from mid-September to October.

Quick facts

Type	Fruit tree
Family	Betulaceae
Light	Full sun
Soil pH	6.5–7.5
Frost	tolerates light frost
Sowing to harvest	1095 days
Where it grows	Open ground

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Harvest from September to October (northern hemisphere).

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	—	—
Flowering	—	—	balanced (NPK), at the start of the stage
Fruiting	every 7 days	—	—
Harvest	every 7 days	—	—
Winter rest	—	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Full sun or light shade, in a sheltered spot away from frost pockets.

Soil

Light, sandy, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5–7.5; it dislikes clay.

Care

Plant between November and March, while dormant, and mulch young plants to keep in moisture. Water in dry spells in spring and summer, and give a balanced fertiliser every year in late winter. Winter-prune while the catkins shed pollen; in August break and leave hanging the long side shoots (brutting) to encourage female flowers. Pick when the husks turn yellow in late September and dry the nuts in an airy place.

How to tell it is ripe

The husks begin to turn yellow.
Ripe nuts fall out of their husks to the ground.
Shake a branch lightly: ripe nuts drop.
Gather fallen nuts often, before the autumn rains, and dry them in shallow layers in an airy place, turning them regularly.

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.