Hazelnut Smorgasbord

[Native Hunter]

Deer hunting is over for me this year, and now I'm back to doing what I love as much as hunting - transplanting trees.

I had a great crop of native Hazelnuts this year on bushes that I dug up and transplanted over the last few years. In order to expand the planting and establish great pollination, I have recently located and transplanted bushes from 6 more different locations. I now have bushes from 9 different locations transplanted to within a 30 yard circle, so pollination should be awesome.

I marked each location with a different colored ribbon to help me place bushes from different locations close to each other.

I found these two Chinese Chestnut seedlings and went ahead and moved them while I was at it.

One thing I like about planting hazelnut bushes is that I don't have to cage them. They aren't browsed. They might get rubbed a little, but as a bush will survive okay. Chinese Chestnuts are a different story. They aren't browsed here but have to be caged because of rubbing,

 

[Skelly]

Deer hunting is over for me this year, and now I'm back to doing what I love as much as hunting - transplanting trees.

I had a great crop of native Hazelnuts this year on bushes that I dug up and transplanted over the last few years. In order to expand the planting and establish great pollination, I have recently located and transplanted bushes from 6 more different locations. I now have bushes from 9 different locations transplanted to within a 30 yard circle, so pollination should be awesome.

I marked each location with a different colored ribbon to help me place bushes from different locations close to each other.

I found these two Chinese Chestnut seedlings and went ahead and moved them while I was at it.

One thing I like about planting hazelnut bushes is that I don't have to cage them. They aren't browsed. They might get rubbed a little, but as a bush will survive okay. Chinese Chestnuts are a different story. They aren't browsed here but have to be caged because of rubbing,

I like to cut hazelnuts in order to get new growth.

An older bush doesn’t get browsed but man young growth gets hammered.

 

[H20fwler]

Nice project, that's my plan also in a few years when mine get older and start suckering out. Hazelnut has to be my favorite shrub.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Those hazelnuts look really good. I wish I could plant them here. Bears would tear them right out of the ground. ( As they did with some of our elderberry. ) Do deer eat hazelnuts there ?? The nuts, I mean.

I have to agree with you Native about the planting thing. I get as gassed up for planting as hunting I think. I'm already anxious for the spring 2019 planting sessions !!

 

[sandbur]

When our northern hardwoods get over mature and die we end up with acres of hazelnut brush. No need to plant them here.


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[Native Hunter]

Those hazelnuts look really good. I wish I could plant them here. Bears would tear them right out of the ground. ( As they did with some of our elderberry. ) Do deer eat hazelnuts there ?? The nuts, I mean.

I have to agree with you Native about the planting thing. I get as gassed up for planting as hunting I think. I'm already anxious for the spring 2019 planting sessions !!

Although I haven't personally witnessed deer eating the nuts, many resources say that they do. However, I think chestnuts would be preferred, because they have softer shells and are larger. I love eating the little hazelnuts myself, and I've never had any problem with pests.

 

[Native Hunter]

When our northern hardwoods get over mature and die we end up with acres of hazelnut brush. No need to plant them here.

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On my place that would be true for blackberry briers. It's hard to find hazelnut bushes here, but there are a few around. On my place I have found 4 little groves of them and never seen any come up in the woods after logging.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Hazelnuts seem to thrive in somewhat poorer sandy soils. Plenty of that in northern areas. WI and MN are known for lots of hazelnuts in areas and are being looked at for genetic diversity to develop hybrids. The midwest ones have smaller mast and yields than the european ones but are more disease resistant. More info can be found at midwesthazelnuts.org

 

[Native Hunter]

Hazelnuts seem to thrive in somewhat poorer sandy soils. Plenty of that in northern areas. WI and MN are known for lots of hazelnuts in areas and are being looked at for genetic diversity to develop hybrids. The midwest ones have smaller mast and yields than the european ones but are more disease resistant. More info can be found at midwesthazelnuts.org

I have 4 or 5 different varieties of Europeans that were developed by OSU to be immune to EFB. These are in my yard at home. This year was the first good crop I had from them. It's ironic that the squirrels got nearly all of the ones in my yard, despite my best efforts. Yet, the squirrels didn't get the wild ones at the farm. Squirrels don't feel comfortable crossing NWSG fields, but they are very comfortable scampering across my mowed lawn.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Interesting. Assume Oregon vs Oklahoma OSU. Might have to dig around and see what they have to say. Likely not cold hardy enough for upper midwest but somewhat like grapes every region has plus and minuses on local strains. In fact think grapes and hazelnuts do well or something about terroir in poor soils.

 

[Native Hunter]

Interesting. Assume Oregon vs Oklahoma OSU. Might have to dig around and see what they have to say. Likely not cold hardy enough for upper midwest but somewhat like grapes every region has plus and minuses on local strains. In fact think grapes and hazelnuts do well or something about terroir in poor soils.

Yes, Oregon State University. The following link should get you started.

https://www.hazelnut.com/about-hazelnuts/varieties/

 

[JFK52]

I have LOTS of native hazelnut bushes on my land in the Central Sands area of the Town of Almond, Portage county Wisconsin. My bushes do indeed get browsed in the spring and summer. They like to grow on the outer edges of pines and any where else that they can get some sunlight. The deer and every other critter absolutely loves their nuts. Production of mast is not great in quantity like an oak tree, but every bit of natural food on my land is an absolute bonus. On occasion, I will mow them down and let new ones come up in their places. They come up thicker than before. Mostly I just leave them alone and give thanks that they grow so freely on my sandy soil.

 

[Tree Spud]

Native ... are you digging by hand when the shrubs are dormant? If so, when do you determine they are dormant? Any prep for transplanting?

I have some cedars i would like to transplant and just looking for any advice.

Thanks!

 

[Native Hunter]

Native ... are you digging by hand when the shrubs are dormant? If so, when do you determine they are dormant? Any prep for transplanting?

I have some cedars i would like to transplant and just looking for any advice.

Thanks!

Spud, yes I'm doing it when they are dormant. When the leaves start to yellow and the weather gets cool you can dig them, and they should do well. In my area, I would say anytime after mid November would be fine.

If your cedars are Eastern Red Cedar, I have found those to transplant easily. Even though an evergreen never really goes completely dormant, they do slow down in the winter time. Right now would be an excellent time to transplant them. Just use a long bladed shovel and get as much of a root ball as possible. When you put them in the new hole, you can use some water to settle them in, but that isn't totally necessary. If you put your cedars where they get enough sunlight, they should take off really well in a year or two.

 

[Rit]

Although I haven't personally witnessed deer eating the nuts, many resources say that they do. However, I think chestnuts would be preferred, because they have softer shells and are larger. I love eating the little hazelnuts myself, and I've never had any problem with pests.

I was thinking of planting a few hazelnuts this year. Has anyone witnessed deer eating the actual nuts? I have a 200’ section on the inside edge of switch that I was planning to plant them against.

 

[Tree Spud]

Spud, yes I'm doing it when they are dormant. When the leaves start to yellow and the weather gets cool you can dig them, and they should do well. In my area, I would say anytime after mid November would be fine.

If your cedars are Eastern Red Cedar, I have found those to transplant easily. Even though an evergreen never really goes completely dormant, they do slow down in the winter time. Right now would be an excellent time to transplant them. Just use a long bladed shovel and get as much of a root ball as possible. When you put them in the new hole, you can use some water to settle them in, but that isn't totally necessary. If you put your cedars where they get enough sunlight, they should take off really well in a year or two.

Yes they are eastern red cedar. Lots on 12"-36" high ones popping up under the oaks. Hopefully our ground frost has not moved too deep. I found the below shovel which should do well for digging out the root stock.

Root Assassin

 

[Northbound]

Thoughts on hazelnut as screening? How thick do they get without foliage?

 

[Skelly]

We have a lot here and I wouldn’t call them great for cover. They are pretty leggy without a lot of lateral branches until you get to the top of the bush.

 

[Native Hunter]

Thoughts on hazelnut as screening? How thick do they get without foliage?

Once the leaves fall, I wouldn't say they are good for screening, but that is true with a lot of shrubs.

 

[rocksnstumps]

You see hazelnuts mentioned as part of the plan for windbreaks/screens with other wildlife shrubs but not just shrubs alone. Typically either in front of or behind 3 rows of conifers. Rows go spruce, white pine, spruce. 15 ft between rows and you have about a 50 ft wide planting adding in shrubs on outer or inner edge.