Hazelnuts offer a rewarding experience for home gardeners, allowing them to expand their plant collection, preserve specific varieties, or replicate desirable traits by creating new plants from existing ones. This process bypasses the need to purchase new stock, providing a sustainable way to increase your hazelnut yield. Understanding the various methods of propagation can help you select the most suitable approach for your gardening goals and available resources.
Propagating Hazelnuts from Seed
Propagating hazelnuts from seed is a natural method, though it requires patience and results in genetic variation. Seeds are collected in the fall after they mature and fall from the tree. Before planting, hazelnut seeds require a period of cold, moist stratification to break dormancy, mimicking natural winter conditions. This process involves soaking the nuts for 12 to 24 hours, then placing them in a plastic bag with damp peat moss or sand in a refrigerator at temperatures between 34°F and 41°F for three to four months.
After stratification, seeds can be planted in pots or directly in a seedbed, about 2-3 cm deep. Germination occurs in late spring or early summer when temperatures are above 50°F. Protecting planted seeds from rodents with wire mesh or netting is important, as they are a preferred food source.
Propagating Hazelnuts from Cuttings
Propagating hazelnuts from cuttings can be a more challenging method, with varying success rates depending on the type of cutting used. Hardwood cuttings are taken from dormant, mature wood, typically in late fall after leaf drop or in winter. These cuttings should be about 6-8 inches long and pencil-diameter, with leaves removed, and can benefit from a rooting hormone application. Hardwood cuttings often have low rooting percentages.
Softwood cuttings, taken from new, flexible growth in late spring or early summer, can also be attempted. Both types of cuttings root best with consistent moisture, high humidity, and bottom heat maintained at 75-80°F. Root development for softwood cuttings may begin within 2-8 weeks, while hardwood cuttings can take 6-8 weeks for new leaves to emerge, signaling successful rooting. This method is often more suited for nursery environments with mist or fog systems due to the specific environmental controls needed.
Propagating Hazelnuts by Layering
Layering is a reliable method for hazelnut propagation, as it encourages roots to form on a stem while it remains attached to the parent plant. Simple layering involves bending a low-growing, flexible branch to the ground. A section of the branch, 12-18 inches from the tip, is buried approximately 6 inches deep in the soil after the bark has been nicked or scraped to encourage rooting.
The buried section can be pinned down to ensure good contact with the soil, and applying rooting hormone to the wounded area enhances success. This process is best initiated in spring, allowing roots to develop over the growing season. The new, rooted plant can then be separated from the parent plant in late autumn or the following spring when it is dormant.
Another effective layering technique is mound layering, also known as stooling. This method begins by cutting back the parent hazelnut plant to the ground in winter, stimulating vigorous new shoots to emerge in spring. When these new shoots are pencil-thick in early summer, their bases are girdled with a wire or lightly scraped, and rooting hormone can be applied. Soil, sawdust, or a similar rooting medium is then mounded 9-12 inches high around the base of these shoots, covering the girdled sections and requiring consistent moisture throughout the growing season to promote root formation. Rooted shoots can be harvested in the fall after dormancy or the following spring.
Propagating Hazelnuts by Sucker Division
Propagating hazelnuts by sucker division is one of the simplest and most successful methods for home gardeners. Hazelnuts naturally produce suckers, which are shoots that grow from the base of the plant or from its root system. These suckers develop their own root systems while still attached to the parent plant, making them ideal candidates for division.
The best time to divide suckers is during the plant’s dormant season, either in early spring before new growth begins or in late fall after leaves have dropped. Select healthy, established suckers that appear vigorous and have a discernible root system. Use a sharp spade or other digging tool to sever the sucker from the main plant, ensuring that a portion of its roots is included. The newly separated sucker can then be planted directly into its new location.
Caring for New Hazelnut Plants
Once hazelnut plants have been propagated, proper care is important for their establishment and growth. New plants require consistent moisture, particularly during their first year, to help establish a strong root system. While regular watering is beneficial, it is important to avoid waterlogging, as hazelnuts prefer well-drained soil.
Hazelnut plants thrive in full sun, meaning at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, though they can tolerate partial shade. Placing a layer of mulch around the base of young plants helps retain soil moisture, regulate soil temperature, and suppress weed growth. Vigilance against common pests and diseases is important during this vulnerable stage. If plants were started in containers or a nursery bed, transplant them to their permanent location when they are well-rooted and have reached a suitable size.