You’ll be cracking your own hazelnuts in no time.
American hazelnuts (Corylus americana) are tree-like shrubs that produce an abundance of sweet, easy-to-crack nuts.
The American hazelnut is deciduous and produces unusual-looking flowers before the leaves emerge in spring.
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Both male and female flowers appear on each shrub.
Male flowers appear in elongated clusters called catkins, similar to those ofbirch trees.
The female flowers that produce the edible nuts are much less noticeable and mostly hidden by the buds.
They grow best in afull-sun locationand well-draining soil.
Three to five American hazelnut shrubs are recommended for reliable nut production.
After the shrubs are established, they should produce nuts within three years, depending on local conditions.
Dig a hole twice the size of the rootball of the plant and amend the soil for good drainage.
Position the plant in the hole to sit at the same depth as in its nursery container.
Backfill with the soil removed from the hole, watering as you go.
Press down with your hands on the soil to prevent air pockets.
The plant will produce nuts in about three years.
Sow the seeds outside covered with 1 inch of amended garden soil and spaced about 15 feet apart.
Germination takes months, but scarifying the seeds (scoring them with a file) speeds up the process.
Cover the seed bed with athick layer of mulchto protect the plants during the winter.
The seeds can also be sown in 6-inch pots and grown in a cold frame for the winter.
Wait until the seedlings are 10 inches tall to transplant them outdoors in spring.
When growing from seed, expect to wait up to seven years for nuts.
These plants grow best in relatively high humidity of 65 percent or higher.
Fertilizer
Fertilizeris rarely required for established shrubs but may help seedlings become established.
Use a slow-release granular product and follow the packaging instructions.
Pruning
American hazelnut shrubs don’t requireregular pruning.
How to Propagate American Hazelnut
American hazelnut shrubs can bepropagated by divisionandstem cuttings.
They don’t produce true-to-jot down from harvested seed.
Immediately replant the divisions in a prepared location.
This process is easier to do when the shrub is relatively small.
Cuttings:Collect 6- to 10-inchsoftwood cuttingsfrom the current season’s growth.
Remove the foliage from the bottom half of a cutting and dip it in rooting hormone powder.
Insert the cutting into the hole, being careful not to scrape off the rooting hormone.
Press the soil around the stem and mist it.
Cover the pot and stem with a clear plastic bag and put it in a warm place.
Check the pot regularly and water as needed until you see new growth, indicating the cutting has rooted.
Remove the plastic bag.
Wait until the plant is at least 10 inches tall to transplant it to its permanent location.
How to Harvest American Hazelnuts
American hazelnuts ripen over a six-week period in September and October.
Watch for the first nuts to fall to the ground and begin monitoring the shrubs for ripe nuts daily.
Ripe nuts start to turn brown while the leaves around them remain green.
Twist the nut and leaf clusters to harvest the nuts.
Don’t pick the nuts early because they won’t taste good.
Discard any nuts with cracking or holes or damage of any kind.
Frequently Asked Questions
These long-living plants regularly live more than 40 years.
They are said to produce nuts for up to 100 years.
American hazelnut is wind-pollinated so no insects or other creatures are involved.
Although both male and female flowers appear on the American hazelnut shrub, it is not self-pollinating.
You need more than one shrub (or a neighbor who has one) for pollination to occur.
