Hazel

Hello,

I have a couple of questions about my hazel bush, it has started producing nuts which i have been picking up as they fall to the ground, picture attached. From my research so far i understand i need to allow the nuts to dry out but i am unsure for how long or if there is an indication that the nuts are ready for eating, a few rattle in the shell and i wondered if this is a clue? I also wanted to know when is the best time to prune the bush and if there is any tips to ensure it will produce nuts again next year. I am keen to prune it right back as it has got rather big but thought this might stop it producing fruit next year?

Many thanks
Katty

 

Hi katty,
hazels can be eaten fresh as they fall from the tree or roasted. If you roast them they will preserve longer because there will be less humidity which causes deperishment of the fats.
When you pick the nuts, you will find some very light. You can discard those. Generally speaking if they are heavy is a good sign.

 

Hi Katty; Hazels don't mind being pruned at all; if it's a multi stemmed bush/tree now you could take out one in every three stems; prune right down to the ground in the winter. This way the older stems left will still produce nuts whilst the new growth shooting up from ground in the spring matures. Then the following winter do the same again, just making sure you always remove the oldest stems.

Other than that you could coppice the whole thing in the winter and it will throw up a dense thicket of new stems from the spring onwards, you may have to miss next years nuts though doing it this way.

Hope this helps a bit :thumb:

 

Thank you both