Hazelnut pruning: how to shape it into a bush or tree

Pruning in the first 4-6 years

In the 4-5th year of life, the nut begins to bear fruit.
By this time, it is necessary to complete the formation of the hazel and hazelnut crown. For hazel trees, a standard type of tree formation is chosen. This tree is easier to care for. The compactness of the crown allows you to place several plants in a small area. The peculiarity of pruning will be that the branches will receive enough light and air. During the fruiting period, summer is used to remove powerful side shoots. They are simply broken, and when dry, removed. After such work, the buds will mature faster.

The hazelnut is left in the form of a bush if it is grown for a hedge or other decoration of the site. Leaving up to 12 shoots on the hazel, they form a lush shrub. But there will be fewer fruits on it, and their taste will be different from ordinary nuts.

Formation of a standard tree

Sometimes gardeners form a standard tree by pruning. This greatly simplifies the care of hazelnuts in the future and accelerates the onset of fruiting. The effect is not achieved in one year, but only through hard work on the appearance of hazelnuts. Such a tree is unusually beautiful, but this does not at all prevent it from blooming and bearing fruit well. Such hazelnuts shade other trees less and allow you to grow more seedlings in a smaller area.

The optimal height of standard hazelnuts is 35–40 centimeters. The crown should consist of 5-7 strong branches in the shape of a bowl. During the first 5–6 years, it is necessary to remove the conductors from the main branches, and trim the side shoots by 4–5 buds to the first bud of the crown turned outward. This allows leafy young shoots with female flowers to form.

Drying. Use your hands to break the strongest shoots 3–5 cm from the end and leave them like this until autumn. This radical method helps to form moderately strong branches and allows the wood to mature faster. Broken shoots significantly spoil the appearance of the plant, but allow you to get a good harvest of hazelnuts. In spring, trim the dried branches, taking 2-3 buds with them.
In autumn, strong lateral shoots are removed only half of the required length. In the spring, after pruning, young shoots inside the crown usually begin to grow. Before flowering begins, some of them are simply removed, leaving the strongest ones. The first few years in the crown maintain good ventilation and free penetration of light.

Sometimes gardeners form a standard tree by pruning. This greatly simplifies the care of hazelnuts in the future and accelerates the onset of fruiting. The effect is not achieved in one year, but only through hard work on the appearance of hazelnuts. Such a tree is unusually beautiful, but this does not at all prevent it from blooming and bearing fruit well. Such hazelnuts shade other trees less and allow you to grow more seedlings in a smaller area.

In the form of a tree, hazelnuts become a decoration for the garden. Some owners specifically grow it for decorative purposes. Summer residents prefer to form hazel like a standard tree. There are several reasons for this choice:

It is easy to care for such a plant.
The standard tree is compact, which means there is enough space left for planting several more walnut trees, which in turn affects the richness of the harvest.
The tree will bear fruit generously due to abundant access to sunlight and air.

Read more: Hazelnut diseases and their control powdery mildew hazel diseases and pests

Pruning begins at the end of flowering. During the first 4 years, until the moment of fruiting, the guides are shortened by half and the height of the tree is maintained to 3 m. The side branches are cut to three buds. All dry and thickening branches are removed, leaving only the lateral ones with female flowers.

After the hazel tree reaches the fruiting stage, powerful lateral growths are broken in the summer to allow light and air to reach the crown. Such shoots are called “dried” and later, in the spring, they are shortened again. In this way, better ripening of the kidneys can be ensured.

Anti-aging pruning

The common hazelnut lives a long time. But an old tree will not produce much fruit, so it is necessary to rejuvenate the hazel. From a bush that is 15-20 years old, you need to remove 1-2 branches every year, replacing them with young powerful stems.

In the fall, you can remove all the old shoots, leaving young shoots from which a new plant is formed. The process will go faster if you dry it out every year, breaking off the ends of strong shoots by 3-5 centimeters. And in the fall, the dried ends are cut off, taking 2-3 buds from a healthy branch.

The crown is rejuvenated by sanitary procedures, removing damaged, weak shoots. Hazel does not need branches inside the bush that grow incorrectly, perpendicular to other stems. Don't be afraid to cut them off.

But you can’t cut everything out. Those who grow hazel for its fruit must leave branches with female buds, which are found mainly at the ends of the branches. It is better to perform surgery on weak, damaged branches.

After the operation, the plant requires proper care. The soil around is mulched with humus to a height of 7-8 centimeters after watering. This way the hazel tree will overwinter better.

Pruning for hazel rejuvenation

If you plant correctly and choose the right place and soil for this, hazel will bear fruit for up to 90 years or longer, but at 20 years the branches of the skeletal trunks begin to dry out, which is why the yields deteriorate. It is necessary to carry out pruning for rejuvenation, in which old trunks are removed, and conditions are created for young ones to stimulate growth. Hazel is rejuvenated gradually, removing a couple of old stems every year - this can only be done in the case of an unthickened bush with the correct crown shape. At 7-8 years old you need to form 6-8 main shoots and cut out shoots, at 8-10 years old - 10-12 shoots.

They must be cut close to the ground in early spring, then covered with humus and covered with polyethylene. This is done in order to form good growth, and thus at the age of 20-25 years the plant will be completely rejuvenated. You can radically rejuvenate the hazel by removing the entire plant, leaving only the roots, and then begin to form a crown from the shoots that grow back.

To stimulate the development of shoots at the beginning of the bush, you can direct the fruit-bearing branches horizontally, so that young shoots will appear in their soil. This is done in order to quickly form a bush. Plant rejuvenation is very effective if you fertilize it with organic matter and minerals.

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Beneficial features

Hazelnuts contain many nutrients: fats, proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins. The kernels are used in the food and confectionery industries, the oil in the pharmaceutical and cosmetology industries. The calorie content of hazelnuts is higher than that of bread, milk and meat. Even the pollen from the inflorescences is used. It is the bees' first food after winter.

The nut is a dietary product for anemia and enlarged prostate gland, varicose veins and thrombophlebitis, trophic ulcers and hemorrhoids. This product is recommended for people with cardiovascular diseases. Hazelnuts are believed to bring health and happiness.

Planting hazelnuts in the fall on your own plot is possible without special conditions. All you need is desire and hard work. Hazelnuts are called the king among nuts because they are the most nutritious and healthy. Medicines based on it are used in dermatology, cosmetology, nephrology, and gastroenterology.

Annual formative pruning

The pattern of forming trimmings is different depending on what kind of crown they want to see in hazel and hazelnut:

Boat shrubs are obtained if you remove the branches that grow inside the crown. 1/3 is left at the central shoots, the rest is cut out. The branches are deflected from the side, tied to stakes. You can connect by tying 2-3 trees nearby.
An interesting vase-shaped hazel. Intertwined branches growing inward should be cut off, and the main ones should be shortened by 1 bud. Powerful side shoots should be tilted slightly to the sides.
The spherical shape is most suitable for a tree. It is created by leaving the main shoots at a height of 3-4 meters, and shortening the side shoots.
Bush species are thinned out, leaving a certain number of branches that thicken the hazel. It is enough to leave 6-8 trunks, and more - up to 12, left in warm areas. The more branches, the smaller the yield.

Planting and caring for common hazel in the Moscow region, the best varieties and cultivationRead

Before starting the operation to remove branches and shorten them, prepare a sharp instrument, the blades of which are treated with disinfectant solutions. Cut off the shoots above the bud growing outward.

To increase nut yields, half of each side shoot is removed in the fall. Strong branches are selected from the shoots that appear in the spring, and the rest are cut out. The operation will be successful if it is carried out before the hazel and hazelnuts bloom.

Crown formation

The formation of the crown must begin from the moment the seedlings are planted in open soil. The shoots of the trees are shortened and the apical buds are removed. Thanks to this, the root system of the bushes grows more intensively and they take root better in a new place. The essence of crown pruning is that it is necessary to cut out dry, weakened, non-fruit-bearing, diseased, improperly growing branches, as well as root shoots.

It can be carried out not only by experienced specialists, but also by novice gardeners, adhering to the main principles and rules. The crown of a tree can be trimmed to create different shapes (tree, bowl, bush).

Important! Hazelnuts begin to bear fruit in the fourth year of their life, so it is recommended to finish forming the crown of the plant before this time.

Trimming into tree shape

One of the most common types of pruning garden hazel is the formation of a crown in the form of a tree or bowl.

A plant created in this way has a number of advantages:

it is convenient to harvest from it;
fruits ripen faster than usual;
does not take up much space on the site;
access to sufficient light and oxygen is ensured;
plant productivity increases.

Pruning hazelnuts: 1-3) the first, second, third year after planting, in the spring months, when the plant already has foliage;
4) in the fourth year after planting in August. Trimming hazelnuts in the shape of a tree is carried out according to the following scheme:

A trunk 35–40 cm high and 6–7 of the strongest branches of the first order are left on the seedling.
Over the next 4–6 years, the main shoots are annually shortened by 1/2 at the level of the bud directed outward.
They form a tree 2–2.5 m high.
Powerful side branches are cut off, leaving 3–4 buds.
Ultimately, the finished tree consists of 10–15 strong shoots and has a maximum height of up to 3 m.
Fruit branches with male and female flowers are not pruned, but only thickening branches and old lateral ones are cut into a ring (all the way to the base).

Did you know? In forestry, common hazel is classified as a weed due to its rapid growth.

Shrub-shaped pruning

A very common form of hazel pruning is bushing, as the plant takes on a natural shape.

Its features include:

hazelnut branches grow freely in different directions (in height and to the sides);
harvesting becomes difficult;
fruits from the bushes need to be shaken off.

a - pruning a hazel bush after planting in the garden;
b - pruning of the hazel bush in subsequent years. The formation of hazelnuts in the form of a bush occurs as follows:

After planting in open ground, the seedling is shortened by 6–7 buds (15–20 cm).
The next year, the tops of the main shoots are again removed to allow lateral branches to grow.
2–3 years after planting, young shoots grow from the rhizome.
They are shortened to 3–4 buds.
The basal shoots are cut out.
6–8 of the most powerful shoots are left, the rest are cut off.
The outer branches are pulled back and secured with wire.

You can also grow hazelnuts in the form of a bush using trellises to which the plants are tied. This method helps to save more space on the site, and the nut bears fruit better and more as a result of good ventilation and lighting of the bush.

Video: shaping hazelnuts

Vase-shaped trimming

Another type of hazelnut crown shaping is pruning the plant in the shape of a vase.

Important! All cut areas on hazelnuts must be treated with garden varnish, made independently or purchased in a special store.

The distinctive qualities of this procedure are:

the tree does not take up much space;
the branches are well illuminated by the sun;
beautiful appearance.

You can form hazel in the form of a vase using the following techniques:

The seedlings are grown as shrubs.
Shoots growing inside the crown are removed.
The strongest side shoots are shortened to the outer bud.
Non-fruit-bearing, improperly growing and unnecessary branches are cut off.
The side branches are bent to the sides and secured with wire, creating the appearance of a vase with an empty middle.

How to trim hazel (hazelnut)

Pruning hazel (hazelnut) is generally typical for fruit bushes

Hazel usually begins to bear fruit at the age of five, and from this moment on, lightening the crown becomes especially important. Under favorable conditions, hazel can bear fruit for up to 150 years or more, and proper pruning plays an important role

The main technique for pruning and shaping hazel (hazelnuts) is annual thinning, since the bush grows and thickens very quickly.

When planting, the above-ground part is shortened to equalize the root and shoot systems, usually at a height of about 20 cm. Subsequently, when pruning the young hazel hazel, 6-8 well-developed shoots are left - future skeletal branches; the rest are removed as low as possible. In the southern regions, the number of skeletal branches of all ages can be increased to 12.

The video of hazelnut pruning shows how this agricultural technique is performed:

Beginning walnut growers pin their hopes on the harvest on the number of catkins - they are noticeable already in the fall, and the flowering of the hazel tree marks the beginning of the phenological spring. However, catkins are male inflorescences, they produce only pollen, and female flowers are reduced and hidden in the buds so that only the reddish stigmas of the pistil protrude from them. Due to their small size, catching pollen is not an easy task, which becomes much more difficult if the crown is dense. Hazel flowers are found on annual growths, including on short lateral branches, mainly in the upper part, so they are removed or shortened only if necessary.

Overgrown branches live on average 7-10 years, then they die and are cut out.

To have a lot of nuts, plant at least two or three bushes at a relatively small distance from each other, no more than 10-16 m. Moreover, so that the wind can carry pollen from one plant to another.

It is best if you have bushes of different varieties. It makes no sense to propagate the same specimen - the result will be the same as if you had only one hazel tree growing in your garden. That is, there will be no fruit at all or very little

Hazelnut lightening and rejuvenating “hairstyle”

Hazel pruning for the first time is carried out almost immediately after planting, in order to balance the upper part of the bush and its root system, which has been stressed and damaged after replanting.
The more the root system has decreased, the more branches need to be shortened in order to stop the blossoming of leaves. The pause should give the hazel time to grow large and well-developed roots. Usually the plant is pruned at a height of 30 cm.

Fruiting of the hazel tree begins in the fourth year of life. Before this time, the formation of the crown must be completed. During the procedure, excess shoots, damaged or weak ones that thicken the roots are cut off. Once every 15 - 20 years, rejuvenating pruning is necessary, which will restore the strength of the hazel tree and increase its fertility.

Before cutting the hazel, prepare a garden varnish to treat the cut areas. Hazelnuts can be grown in two forms: as a tree or as a bush. They are cut in different ways.

For the health and growth of the bush, it must be pruned and “lightened” annually. The shrub grows abundantly, branches quickly, and if you start it, it turns into a large green cloud, into which light and air barely get in. Such neglected plants become easy prey for pests and diseases and produce a meager and tasteless harvest. From the very first year after planting, the summer resident must thin out common hazel.

You cannot prune all the branches indiscriminately. Save women's kidneys. They form at the ends of branches. In order not to damage the buds, only obviously superfluous, damaged, diseased and weak branches are pruned from the selected stems. Lightening is carried out in order to prevent the bush from becoming overgrown, so every year all branches that prevent the sun and air from penetrating into the crown are removed.

Hazelnuts from a caring and skillful summer resident live up to 100 years and bear fruit for the same amount of time, but by the 15th–20th year the hazelnut yield begins to steadily fall due to the drying out of the branches. In order to prevent a drop in yield, old trunks are gradually cut off, allowing young trunks to express themselves. For shrubs up to 8 years old, up to 6–8 trunks are left, for a more mature tree – up to 10–12. The rest are cut off.

If you wish, you can do it differently - trim the entire ground part. The shoots will begin to form abundantly, and in the fall, several of the strongest shoots are selected from this splendor, from which new trees are formed.

Like all shrubs, hazelnuts need pruning for normal crown formation and rich harvests. Proper pruning of hazelnuts requires skill and knowledge, but even a beginner can cope with it, strictly following the recommendations of experienced gardeners.

Proper pruning of hazelnuts ensures good harvests

In dense branches of a plant, air circulation is disrupted, and the sun's rays do not reach its thicket. Because of this, the plant may become sick. The causative agents are molds that quickly multiply on unventilated shoots and fruits. Lack of sunlight inside the canopy prevents the nuts from ripening.

First trim

The first pruning of hazel is carried out in the first spring after planting, which occurs in October. Due to the short dormant period, the hazelnut awakens quite early in the spring; if it is planted late, the seedling will not take root. In the fall, it has enough time to take root before the onset of frost.

When the seedling has taken root after planting, remove:

basal shoots;
spreading lateral branches;
branches with buds directed inside the crown.

All these shoots negatively affect the growth of hazel. This is especially true for young root shoots. The seedling needs to grow and gain strength to bear fruit, and the shoots spend most of them.

Spring pruning of young hazelnuts is done to balance the above-ground and underground parts of the plant. Although the rhizome takes root in the new soil, it needs time to grow small damaged roots, which are responsible for absorbing water and nutrients from the soil.

After the first formation of the crown of common hazel, all sections are disinfected with garden varnish or a solution of potassium permanganate, otherwise fungal spores or pathogens of other diseases may get on the damaged areas of the bark.

Annual trimmings

Hazel trees must be pruned every year, otherwise the plant will grow and bear fruit poorly. The principle of subsequent trimmings is not much different from the first. The crown is thinned out for normal circulation of air masses, this stimulates the growth of young shoots with female flowers, from which the ovary and subsequently nuts are formed.

Inexperienced gardeners associate the flowering of hazel with catkins, which are male flowers.

If hazelnuts are not thinned out annually, it becomes much more difficult for pollen to reach the stigma of the female flower. Fruiting shoots are much shorter and are located deep in the crown.

In the second year, you can think about what shape to give the hazelnuts. Its natural form is a bush. It is in this form that hazel grows in nature.

After annual pruning of hazelnuts, it is necessary not only to treat the cuts with disinfectants, but also to apply fertilizers. To do this, use a pitchfork to very carefully and shallowly dig up the soil around the plant and apply organic and mineral fertilizers, as well as water it abundantly.

Hazelnut catkins - its male flowers

Sometimes gardeners form a standard tree by pruning. This greatly simplifies the care of hazelnuts in the future and accelerates the onset of fruiting.

The effect is not achieved in one year, but only through hard work on the appearance of hazelnuts. Such a tree is unusually beautiful, but this does not at all prevent it from blooming and bearing fruit well.

Read more: Aleshenkin grapes description and characteristics of the variety, cultivation and care, reviews, photos

The appearance will tell you how to prune the hazel in subsequent years. If there are young shoots bearing female flowers, they are not pruned until harvest, and the weakest ones are removed in the fall.

It is worth noting that the bulk of the ovary is formed on moderately strong branches that have had time to ripen. This is why the following manipulations are carried out:

Drying. Use your hands to break the strongest shoots 3–5 cm from the end and leave them like this until autumn. This radical method helps to form moderately strong branches and allows the wood to mature faster. Broken shoots significantly spoil the appearance of the plant, but allow you to get a good harvest of hazelnuts. In spring, trim the dried branches, taking 2-3 buds with them.
In autumn, strong lateral shoots are removed only half of the required length. In the spring, after pruning, young shoots inside the crown usually begin to grow. Before flowering begins, some of them are simply removed, leaving the strongest ones. The first few years in the crown maintain good ventilation and free penetration of light.

Such methods of forming not only a decorative, but also a fruitful form of standard hazelnuts can significantly increase the yield from one plant, and are a kind of prevention of fungal diseases.

Standard formation will increase yield and disease resistance

Bush formation

In nature, hazel grows as a bush. It is possible to preserve the natural shape of the plant on the site, but the hazelnut needs pruning even in this case. The shrub is allowed to grow freely upwards and to the sides, but they try to significantly thin out the shoots.

In the first 2 years, it is necessary to partially remove the tops of the main shoots in order to provoke the bush to grow laterally with the help of lateral shoots. But in the third year, root shoots begin to grow en masse. It is the enemy of good harvests, because it complicates the process of pollination of female flowers and disrupts air circulation in the crown.

Select 6–8 well-developed shoots that are as far apart as possible from each other, the rest are cut out at the root. Some varieties can be thinned out even more and leave only 5-6 branches. The outer shoots can be pulled back a little and secured with wire. This way the center of the bush will not be shaded and can be well ventilated.

Their tops are cut off by a third to the bud pointing outward. After pruning, a new shoot will grow from this bud, which itself bends away from the center. Trellis are pulled on both sides and the shoots are carefully tied to them.

Schemes for pruning hazelnuts in the fall will help novice gardeners correctly form a productive plant. Everyone independently chooses what shape to give the seedling, bush or standard. Thanks to regular pruning in the fall, the long-lasting garden form of hazelnut will provide fruit for several decades.

Caring for any tree or bush includes regular pruning. Hazelnut bushes, a garden form of hazel, which is pollinated by the wind, are also thinned. A good result will be if the crown is not thickened and the leaves do not interfere with the movement of pollen. Pruning hazelnuts in autumn helps:

more efficient plant development;
early entry into fruiting;
better yield;
good ripening of wood and fruits;
increasing the lifespan of the plant;
improving winter hardiness;
resistance to fungal diseases and pests.

Pruning, which is carried out in the fall, regulates the timing of the spring growing season of hazelnuts, including the beginning of flowering and the development of branches. The goals that the gardener achieves:

the formation of a sparse light crown, where sunlight and air flows freely enter;
stimulating the growth of more short fruiting branches at the tops of all shoots.

Attention! The most productive are fairly mature branches of medium growth vigor.

Caring for hazel (hazelnuts) - pruning and shaping

Pruning is the most important agrotechnical technique that allows you to regulate growth, development, fruiting, life expectancy, timing of fruiting, plant productivity, and fruit quality. Many physiological processes, such as increased winter hardiness and resistance to certain pests and diseases, depend on pruning. Using the pruning method, you can bring closer or delay the beginning of plant development in spring and the timing of flowering, and regulate the beginning and end of shoot growth.

The principle of pruning in all cases is the same - creating a light, sparse crown with maximum access to air and light, as well as stimulating and forming as many young, short, overgrowing branches with fruit buds that cover the main skeletal branches as possible.

Post-planting pruning

Its task is to restore the balance between the above-ground part of the plant and the root system, which was significantly damaged and reduced when digging out of the ground. And also provide conditions for the formation of the crown. By shortening the shoots of planted trees, they remove the apical buds, which are the first to form leaves when they bloom, and contribute to earlier evaporation and, therefore, drying out of the plant. Pruning for 6–7 days retards the growth of the aboveground part. The fewer fine roots a seedling has, the more ruthlessly the branches need to be cut. Thanks to pruning, the plants take root well and form strong roots. The more fine roots there are, the easier the bush will take root.

In technical terms, pruning consists of removing excess root shoots, dry, frozen, weak, broken, growing inward shoots that thicken the crown and periodically, approximately once every 25 years, rejuvenating the bushes. When thinning, do not leave stumps and avoid large lacerations. Coat the cut areas with garden varnish or paint over them with oil paint. Hazelnuts are grown as both bushes and trees, and therefore one of two pruning systems can be used. The first (A) belongs to the severe pruning category

A. Pruning hazelnuts into tree shape. Formation in the form of a standard tree simplifies care, brings the beginning of fruiting closer, allows you to place a larger number of fruit-bearing specimens per unit area, which ultimately gives a higher yield per unit area. Abundant nutrition, free access of light and air to the crown ensure good annual harvests for many years.

It is better to grow both hazel and hazelnuts with a trunk of 35–40 cm and 6-7 good first-order branches, giving the plant a bowl shape. Pruning is done at the late flowering stage. During the first 4-6 years, the conductors of the main branches are shortened by about half to the outward-facing bud. The height of the tree is maintained at about 2–2.5 m, shortening if necessary to a side branch at the specified height. Strong side branches are shortened to 3–4 buds. A tree that has reached its final size should consist of 10–15 branches and h = 2.5–3 m. Both male and female flowers are located on lateral branches formed in the previous year. Both of them can be located several centimeters below one-year-old wood, as well as on older wood.

Young and weak side branches that bear the majority of flowers (male and female) are not pruned, but only the thickening ones are removed and the old side branches are cut into a ring. The strongest male and female inflorescences are located on moderately strong, well-ripened shoots.

Knowing this feature, when the tree reaches fruiting age (6-7 years), in the summer (August), break strong lateral growths with your hand about half their length (up to 6-8 leaves from the base) and leave them in a drooping position. This is called “drying,” which allows light and air to penetrate deep into the crown, which promotes the ripening of fruit buds. “Dried” side shoots in early spring are usually additionally shortened by another 5–7 cm. This, of course, is a very cruel method of suppressing growth, but it is believed that it contributes to better ripening of the wood at the base of the broken branch and, in addition, improves light and air conditions . It is also argued, and probably rightly so, that after cutting out the broken parts in early spring, conditions are created for the awakening of the buds located at the base of the shoot. From these buds grow shoots of medium strength and therefore more fruitful.

Why do you need to prune hazelnuts?

Hazelnut is a wind-pollinated monoecious crop. For successful pollination, the bush must be well ventilated so that pollen can be transferred from male flowers to female ones.

Hazel pruning is necessary because:

the winter hardiness of the plant increases;
the incidence of hazel diseases is reduced, the number of pests is reduced;
accelerates the time for young plants to enter fruiting;
productivity increases;
the illumination and ventilation of the hazel tree increases;
wood aging improves;
The ripening time of nuts is reduced.

Pruning stimulates the growth of short apical shoots - it is on them that the fruits are subsequently set.

How to form a hazel (hazelnut) crown

For the hazel harvest, crown density is critical. Hazel is a wind-pollinated plant, so the crown should be openwork.

The easiest way to trim and shape a hazelnut crown is to remove all the shoots growing from the center and leave only the strong ones on the periphery of the bush. It is best to do this before flowering begins, although in this case the work of a hacksaw and pruning shears is complicated by a solid layer of snow. Young shoots that receive enough light will be covered with overgrown branches along the entire length, and not just in the upper part (you've probably observed this in nature - hazel usually grows under the forest canopy, its trunks are bare below, the entire crop is much higher than the head, and in the center bush - numerous but weak young shoots). To enhance the effect, you can trim the hazelnut as described above, and tie the shoots so that the bush takes the shape of a vase - the proportions of the “vase” depend on the variety. An alternative option is a trellis formation: wires are pulled on both sides of the bush and the branches are tied in such a way that the middle is illuminated by the sun right down to the ground. A trellis is a reasonable solution if several hazel bushes are planted in one row, but if there is a single bush, then a “vase” looks more logical and beautiful.

When to prune

The regularity of pruning and crown formation plays an important role in caring for hazel and hazelnuts. But here we need to decide on the timing of the procedure. The operation is carried out immediately after planting the hazel tree. Therefore, the first operation is scheduled for this period of time. If spring is chosen for planting, then they begin to shorten the shoot after planting in the fall.

But the best time to plant hazel will be autumn. The seedlings are planted 3-4 weeks before the first frost. Then the first pruning of the young seedling is carried out in early spring. In subsequent years, the bush is shaped and rejuvenated after it has shed its leaves.

It is necessary to study the scheme of each type of pruning so that it brings benefit to the plant and not harm.

Landing

After selecting a site and preparing the soil, a hazelnut tree is selected. Planting it in a hole half a meter deep is carried out in spring or autumn. To do this, the top layer of soil is mixed with potassium salt (50 g), superphosphate (150 g) and 2-3 buckets of humus. Fertilizers are evenly distributed in the hole.

Planting hazelnuts in autumn and spring is done like this. Place a peg in the center and plant a seedling, after dipping it in the solution. And don’t forget to put some hazelnut soil in the hole. The root collar is not covered with soil, but rather deepened by 2-3 cm to stimulate root growth and branching. The above-ground part of the plant is cut off immediately after planting at the level of the 5-6th bud. The seedling is shortened 15-20 cm above the soil surface.

The planted shrub is well watered with 3-5 buckets of water in one hole and mulched. To do this, you can use pine needles, sawdust, humus, manure - whatever is at hand. This will preserve moisture better. To prevent the bark of the seedling from rotting, the mulch should not touch the trunk. After a week, be sure to repeat watering. An unpretentious crop is hazelnut. Planting and care will not require much effort.

Trimming schemes

Under the bush

The simplest scheme. This is a natural form of growth for hazelnuts in the wild, and therefore the least traumatic. How it is produced:

After planting, the seedling is trimmed to 15 cm.
In the first 5 years, 6-7 shoots are left. Then their number can be increased to 15. Everything else is deleted in a timely manner.
The shoots are formed in the form of a bowl (or boat), i.e. the middle of the bush should be free for good heating and lighting.
Skeletal branches are broken every year in the fall and pruned in the spring.
Leading tops are trimmed by ⅓.

However, keep in mind that collecting nuts from a bush is much more difficult than from a tree.

Under the tree

Pruning is more traumatic, but it makes collecting nuts easier and looks more decorative. Initially, you need to choose one of the traditional fruit forms - cupped, leader or tiered.

The main trunk of the seedling is left. The rest of the growth is removed.
Its growth is constantly monitored.
From 7 to 12 skeletal branches are selected, the length of which is regularly shortened.
Every year, the current season's growth, thickening and fatty shoots are cut by half.

Depending on the chosen shape of the bush, each hazel pruning scheme will be different. After 8 years of life, the plant needs rejuvenating procedures, when a new shoot is left in place of the old branch removed “under the ring”.

Walnut Tree Care

After pruning, walnut trees require mandatory care. It lies in the fact that plants must be regularly watered, fertilized, loosened the soil, destroyed weeds, mulched the tree trunk area, and carried out preventive measures against diseases and pests.

These procedures allow the shrubs to adapt faster due to crown pruning, and also to obtain a large harvest of nuts.

Fertilizers

You can increase the fruiting of hazel by adding the required amount of fertilizing.

Hazelnuts need to be fertilized by alternating organic and mineral products:

in the fall, wood ash is added around the trunks;
in April, add ammonium nitrate (15–20 g/1 m²);
in early June, feed with a mixture of superphosphate (40–50 g), manure (3–4 kg), potassium sulfate (25–30 g), ammonium nitrate (40–50 g) per 1 m².

The fertilizer can not be diluted with water, but scattered dry around the bushes, loosened the soil, watered and covered with mulch.

Techniques for trimming hazel to form a skeleton

Such a tree grows freely in all directions; its branches are almost never shortened, only thinned out, which is why the tree looks fluffy and slightly sloppy. The disadvantage of this method is that it is difficult to remove nuts from such a bush.

After planting, the tree is pruned by 15 cm so that the root shoots develop more actively and the side branches grow better. Soon shoots will grow, which will then form a crown.
By the 2nd year, active formation of root shoots begins, which is cut off and used for hazelnut propagation or eliminated.
The main concern of a summer resident is to thin out the bushes. Especially lush shrubs with 12 trunks bring a very small harvest and its fruits taste noticeably different from ordinary nuts. To prevent this from happening, 6 or 8 of the shoots are selected that are strongest and well spaced from each other. The side branches of each trunk are cut to 3 buds.
If the shrub is formed in the shape of a boat, then the branches that develop inward are removed, and the central ones are shortened so that they branch more strongly. The trunks are deflected on the sides and secured with wire. As a result, the shrub is shaped like a boat. With this formation, the hazel tree takes up very little space and several more hazelnuts can be planted next to it.
To form a plant in the form of a vase - the most common form - all branches growing inward are eliminated, and the central shoots of the branches are cut to the outer bud. Always cut out excess, thickening shoots. The side stems are bent so that the bush ends up resembling a vase.

1. In the form of a vase. Every year, all branches that grow inside the bush should be removed, and the leading shoot of the branches should be cut to the outer bud. If the crown is thickened, you need to remove excess shoots inside. Some side trunks need to be bent and secured with wire. In this way, a “vase” is created, into the middle of which air and light enter.

2. In the shape of a boat. It is necessary to remove branches that grow inward and trim the leading shoots of all trunks for branching. The trunks that remain after trimming must be bent to the side and tied with wire at a height of 1.2-1.5 above the ground. Shaped bushes in the shape of a boat do not take up as much space as in the case of the first technique.

Post-planting pruning

A well-rooted hazel seedling awakens earlier than other crops. In the first year of life the following are subject to removal:

basal suckers;
side shoots;
branches on which the buds are located inside the crown.

If you do not prune after planting, the hazel will grow more slowly and bear fruit later. The operation to remove shoots is necessary in order to balance the above-ground part of the hazel tree and the root system. After pruning, the plant directs its energy to the growth and development of roots and their strengthening. The smaller the root system, the more hazel needs to be trimmed. The grown roots enhance the nutrition of the tree, increasing the crop yield.

The young seedling must be treated after the procedure. Sections - with a solution of potassium permanganate, garden varnish.

Description of the common hazel variety Contorta, planting and careRead

Some pruning secrets

Pruning is the most important part of hazelnut care. Its main goal: to increase fruiting and protect the bush from diseases.

Pruning helps protect hazelnuts from disease and increase fruiting

Hazel has a natural tendency to thicken, so pruning unnecessary shoots should be planned and regular. However, the event will not bring the desired results if you ignore other elements of hazelnut care. For a plant without feeding, growing in poor soil, sick and drying up without water, for obvious reasons it is impossible to increase the yield by pruning.

Even at the planting stage, think about what form you are going to grow hazel in, what shape of the crown you want to form and work out a plan for placing the shrubs. They should grow so as not to interfere with each other. With some types of crown, the hazel tree takes up little space and the neighboring shrub can be planted closer.

With other types, the tree will take up more space and other hazelnuts need to be placed further away. Regular removal of old trunks - 1-2 per year - will keep the yield at the same level even after the shrub reaches 20 years. There will be no decline in productivity.

How to prune hazelnuts in the fall

It is important to carry out the first pruning in the fall when planting or in the spring on an already rooted seedling. If you leave all the branches, in the spring they will bloom leaves, which the weak roots will have to feed to the detriment of their development

In hot spring, active evaporation from leaf blades also occurs, during which the root system dries out. A plant that has undergone pruning begins its growing season a week later. At this time, the root system works almost on itself and takes root easily. The main principle of pruning hazelnut seedlings in the fall is that the fewer thin roots there are, the more shoots need to be trimmed.

Proper trimming of hazelnuts

Hazelnuts are undemanding in care, but some manipulation is simply necessary for the growth of a fruitful tree. Thus, hazel trees require regular formative or rejuvenating pruning.

Hazelnuts: care, pruning

Immediately after planting the bush, it is important to carry out proper pruning, which will determine the further growth of hazelnuts and the level of its yield. Walnut leaves

Walnut leaves

Important: When pruning hazelnuts, you need to understand that the smaller the root system on the bush, the more you need to trim the above-ground part of the plant. Because the more roots a nut has, the faster it will grow

And trimming the top part of the nut will give the roots strength to grow and strengthen.

The scheme for the first pruning must be chosen depending on what you want to grow - a tree or a bush.

Pruning a tree seedling

This option greatly simplifies care in the future and speeds up the ripening of fruits. Also, with this type of pruning, you can significantly save space on your site and place more fruit-bearing trees. The ideal option would be to grow a future tree with a trunk of up to 40 cm and 6 strong branches of the first order, then the plant will gradually take on the shape of a bowl.

Pruning branches

Constantly shortening large branches to the 3rd or 4th bud will gradually turn a tree consisting of 10-15 branches and a maximum height of 3 meters. With this pruning scheme, the tree begins to bear fruit in the 6th or 7th year.

Trimming a plant to the shape of a bush

The bush form is popular among gardeners. To create a bush shape, the plant is allowed to grow almost completely free. With this method of pruning, the bush is carefully thinned out, and the length is almost left untouched.

Nuts

The main disadvantage of this scheme is the difficulty in harvesting, so you will have to wait until the fruits have completely ripened so that they can be easily shaken off. So, immediately after planting, the seedling is pruned by about 20 cm and wait for the young shoots to appear.

The video shows these two pruning schemes, and every gardener will be able to decide on the choice of the required option.

Formative pruning

Proper care after pruning is very important. After intervention, the tree is susceptible to diseases and pests. During the first time after pruning, monitor the condition of the plant and, if possible, shade it.