Hazelnut Planting Tips

[Teeder]

I have a good 100 or so hazelnuts that I hope to start in pots in a couple of weeks. They've been in the fridge since fall, so should be stratified. How critical is it that the shells crack open, if at all? So far, I don't see any that have opened.
I was going to start them in the same deep pots that I use for acorns. Any other tips?
Thanks

 

[Hoytvectrix]

They need longer cold stratification than oaks or chestnuts. It varies with variety, but they should take between 45-60 days. Some take much longer than that. I prefer long fiber sphagnum moss for the media and use ziplocs that are cracked open. I would not take them out of cold storage until the nuts are opening up. You typically get a few weeks after that point before they start sending out a radicle, so you have time to stagger them if you want. Taking them out too early before the open up normally fails for me.

I would leave some in cold stratification that do and do not open up. Sometimes you can direct seed those in the field or in pots on your patio once the threat of frost is gone. Those later planted ones can often catch up to the others grown indoors.

 

[Teeder]

Ok. I'll just leave them in the fridge then.