Watering the hazelnut tree

• Hazelnut tree origin
• Hazelnut tree care and location
• Pruning hazelnut trees
• Fertilizing hazelnut trees
• Watering the hazelnut tree

Hazelnut tree origin

The hazelnut tree (Corylus avellana) belongs to the birch family and originates from the Black Sea coast of Turkey. It has been used as a food crop for thousands of years. Over time, it migrated to Europe via Greece and Italy and is now widespread throughout the world.

The Celts dedicated the hazelnut to the White Goddess, who is a symbol of fertility and love, and for the Romans the hazelnut branch symbolized peace.

The hazelnut is a deciduous tree that also grows as a shrub, and there are around 20 species. Before the hazelnut tree sprouts, its flowers appear as early as February. The hazelnut is dioecious, meaning it has both male and female flowers. The male flowers form in the previous autumn and appear first. They are greenish-yellow and 8 to 10 cm long. They always occur in pairs or fours and hang from the shoots. The red female flowers are bud-like and small and inconspicuous. 
The light to medium green leaves of the hazelnut are round to egg-shaped. They have serrated leaf edges and are covered with small hairs. They are 7 to 13 cm long and 6 to 10 cm wide.
In natural medicine, the leaves were once used as a tea to treat many ailments and are rich in nutrients. In the kitchen, they can be used like vine leaves and go well with hearty game dishes.

Three to five years after planting, the trees bear fruit. They are initially yellowish and turn brown as they ripen.

The nuts are ripe in September to October and are surrounded by a hard nutshell. They contain a lot of protein, valuable oils and numerous aromatic substances.

Hazelnut tree care and location

Hazelnuts are very undemanding but prefer a bright and sunny spot. They particularly like deep, humus-rich and moderately moist soil. Hazelnut trees have shallow roots and, in addition to a taproot, they also form strong lateral roots. The root system is highly branched and lies close to the surface. The root system is densest at a depth of between 30 and 40 cm and reaches a maximum depth of 4 m.

Pruning hazelnut trees

Hazelnut trees can be pruned, but it's not absolutely necessary. To ensure good yields, hazelnut trees are pruned in the fall after harvest. This involves removing old and overly densely packed shoots. 

Fertilizing hazelnut trees

When planting hazelnuts, it is advisable to add compost. Otherwise, they are undemanding and it is sufficient to add compost every two years. fertilizeApplying a layer of mulch in the spring helps to retain moisture in the soil and reduce weed growth.

Watering the hazelnut tree

Rising temperatures and increasing drought have a serious impact on the environment and put trees under stress. Depending on the location and the climate, watering may be necessary more frequently than in previous years. Hazelnut trees have an above-average water requirement. They should be watered regularly during dry periods and on days with full sun so that the soil never dries out completely. Otherwise there is a risk that the fine roots will die. The rule applies as with most trees: it is better to water a large amount once than several times in small amounts. When watering with a garden hose, a lot of water seeps away or evaporates before it reaches the roots.
Watering with baumbad Premium watering bagsTwo holes in the bottom of the bags release water evenly to the tree over a period of hours. The drip irrigation allows the roots close to the ground to absorb the water. The soil remains evenly moist and the increasingly important resource of water is saved, as it does not seep into the soil unnecessarily without reaching the roots of the tree.
Filling a watering bag provides young trees with sufficient water. For existing trees with a larger trunk diameter, two or three watering bags can be zipped together to water them.