Hazelnut from seed

[crowskee]

Can someone explain to me how to go about growing hazelnuts from seed? I have a native hazelnut bush at the edge of my driveway and I would like to grow some from the nuts on the bush.
This past year I grew apple and pear trees from seeds by storing the seeds in a zipper bag, wrapped in a moist papertowel in the fridge from Oct to Jan. Then grew them on this shelf with lights on a timer until warm weather.

Is this the same method i would use on the hazelnuts? Also the nuts on the bush aren't quite brown yet, do I need to harvest them now or wait until they turn brown?

 

[scott44]

I'd wait until they start dropping or come off the bush really easy, I do a float test on them to see if they are good the ones that float are pitched and the ones that sink are kept. The way I've stored them in a ziplock bag with damp peat moss not really wet just damp and kept them in the fridge. I try to check them if I remember every month or so to see if I need to add some water and if they have mold. I usually have quite a few so the moldy ones I pitch but I've heard of people washing them off with a mild solution of bleach water and putting them back in the fridge, I have never done this. I start mine in RM-18's and then tranfer them to 1 gal RM pots when they go outside.

These are acorns but I use the same method for hazels.

 

[crowskee]

I'd wait until they start dropping or come off the bush really easy, I do a float test on them to see if they are good the ones that float are pitched and the ones that sink are kept. The way I've stored them in a ziplock bag with damp peat moss not really wet just damp and kept them in the fridge. I try to check them if I remember every month or so to see if I need to add some water and if they have mold. I usually have quite a few so the moldy ones I pitch but I've heard of people washing them off with a mild solution of bleach water and putting them back in the fridge, I have never done this. I start mine in RM-18's and then tranfer them to 1 gal RM pots when they go outside.

These are acorns but I use the same method for hazels.

Thanks Scott.

 

[H20fwler]

I haven't done any from seed, mostly because about as soon as they hit the ground something eats them quick.
I have started using this way to get them going that Native posted up.

http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?t...elnuts-via-ground-layering.12011/#post-221889

 

[crowskee]

I haven't done any from seed, mostly because about as soon as they hit the ground something eats them quick.
I have started using this way to get them going that Native posted up.

http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?t...elnuts-via-ground-layering.12011/#post-221889

I would layer them but I plan on planting them at my property an hour away. Never tried that method of layering but I have been air layering pears for the past couple years. My success with air layering has not been the greatest. Out of around 25 air layers I have produced 1 single pear tree but let me tell you that tree is in its second year and growing like crazy. This is the roots on the air layer and the tree at year 2.

 

[H20fwler]

I would layer them but I plan on planting them at my property an hour away. Never tried that method of layering but I have been air layering pears for the past couple years. My success with air layering has not been the greatest. Out of around 25 air layers I have produced 1 single pear tree but let me tell you that tree is in its second year and growing like crazy. This is the roots on the air layer and the tree at year 2.View attachment 32216View attachment 32217

I've never seen it done with pears, that is pretty cool.
Hazelnuts are extremely forgiving, if you would cut and move them while dormant with wet towel around roots you should be fine for days. Transplanting the suckers works great with them too.

 

[crowskee]

Would hazelnuts grow from cuttings?