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dwarf/hybrid hazelnuts?

 
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Can anyone make some recommendations for dwarf and/or hybrid hazelnut seedling sources and varieties?

Any input is greatly appreciated!
 
pollinator
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What size do you consider to be dwarf?

Here are a few vendors that carry 6-12ft ones. The seedlings are for $2.50 each.
http://www.onegreenworld.com//index.php?cPath=2_71
http://www.burntridgenursery.com/nutTrees/index_product.asp?dept=54&parent=
 
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Location: Southern Appalachia
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Other sources:

http://www.badgersett.com/plants/orderhazels.html
https://www.grimonut.com/catalog.php?catID=61

Mark Shepard sells them but his site says they're sold out for the year, also joining the Northern Nut Grower's Association can put you in touch with lots of other sources.

peace
 
pollinator
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can't remember where from but got some cheapo hazelnut seedlings about 4 years ago and had my first crop of 6 dwarf american hazelnuts last fall..they were small nuts but sweet tasty and very easy to pick..i was floored at how quick they produced a crop and how many I got the first crop..next year looks to be a bumper crop (according to the catkins I'm seeing on them..) I love them...and they are a beautiful hedge
 
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Ok I just tried to google this, I thought hazelnuts were large shrubs and did not need to be dwarfed. Am I wrong?

BTW i love truffles, they grow on hazelnut roots...just a thought
 
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I tell you what... I'm going to stay out of this discussion, but.... The hazelnut nurseries from west of the Rockies do not have cultivars that will survive east of the rockies.... Of the two weblinks that were listed one produces the poorest quality nursery stock that has ever been grown, (but the genetics are GOOD!) and the other has nursery stock that survives but whos genetics have yet to prove themselves in any 3-rd party research plots... Forest Agriculture Enterprises LLC www.forestag.com has nursery stock that is currently in variety trials in MN, WI, MI, IA, IL, and NY. It's the only nursery east of the rockies that has a controlled-cross breeding program, and also happens to be the nursery that is totally sold out 1 year in advance already...

For more info on hazelnuts east of the rockies I recommend checking out the Hazelnut Improvement Program. http://www.midwesthazelnuts.org/about-hip.html


 
laura sharpe
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poke poke, are the a tree or large shrub?
 
S Bengi
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laura sharpe wrote:poke poke, are the a tree or large shrub?


They are not a tree, they are 12ft but they do have dwarf 6ft ones. Some people just like to have one of everything (ME) and so they will go for dwarf blueberry even though it may seem crazy to others.


I did get some west coast currant/gooseberry and they did not even survive 4 months, They got replaced from a local MASS vendor and I even got to taste 1 fruit the very 1st season I got them. They are still doing fine.
 
Brenda Groth
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Mine were "called" Dwarf American Hazelnuts, they are only about 4 years old and bearing lovely, they are around 6' tall and are spreading from suckers.

by the way, has anyone ever tried removing suckers and transplanting them, I would love to expand my stock of the same ones I have as they are bearing wonderfully and I have lots of suckers, would love to extend the hedge around the east side of my food forest enclosure

if they should be done from cuttings anyone know the best time of year to strike cuttings?
 
S Bengi
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A lot ffolks do air layering. But I would try digging up the suckers with a little roots and then transplanting in late fall.
 
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Oikos has a variety of hazelnuts, and I tend to trust them. Anybody have experience with theirs? Wanting to get a few hedges started this year and still need to get some hazelnuts established.
 
osker brown
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According to Badgersett, they have more success dividing hazels in early spring, rather than fall.

peace
 
Jp Learn
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Mark Shepard wrote:...Forest Agriculture Enterprises LLC www.forestag.com has nursery stock that is currently in variety trials in MN, WI, MI, IA, IL, and NY. It's the only nursery east of the rockies that has a controlled-cross breeding program, and also happens to be the nursery that is totally sold out 1 year in advance already...

For more info on hazelnuts east of the rockies I recommend checking out the Hazelnut Improvement Program. http://www.midwesthazelnuts.org/about-hip.html


Thanks so much for the input everyone. I'm definitely looking for something that can be grown in NY with preference being given to varieties (if such exist) that are dwarf, as the site has space restrictions.

Mark, I contacted some of the sellers listed on the midwesthazelnuts.org website. Also contacted Forest Agriculture. Thank you for the references.

By chance, are you familiar with this program:
http://www.arborday.org/programs/hazelnuts/consortium/research.cfm ?
 
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Hey Jp Learn,

One of the best sources for all manner of trees, shrubs and permaculture plants for the cool Northeast is St Lawrence Nurseries, in Pottsdam, NY. Look here for their web site and catalog: http://www.sln.potsdam.ny.us/

They really understand zones 3-5 in NY, New England, and southern Canada, and they are all about Permaculture!

Another, in northern VT is Elmore Roots: http://www.elmoreroots.com/.

These two have slightly different philosophies about establishing an edible forest. David Fried at Elmore Roots tends to recommend larger seedlings and more mature plants from his nursery beds to transplant to your site, and he doesn't generally ship live plants -- you need to go there and select/pick em up. He feels that if transplanted well, that will yield productive trees/shrubs more quickly.

St. Lawrence does ship, and tends to rely more on much smaller bare root plants. Both really understand the needs of Permies, though I believe St Lawrence understands the budget constraints a little better! The St Lawrence philosophy seems to be that bare root plants put out roots aggressively during their first two years in a new home, and thus become well established and hearty. With great soil prep and tender hands, the more mature plants from Elmore Roots might actually give your design a leg up, but in out rocky soil, and in our novice hands, we feel that the bigger specimens spend most of year one dealing with transplant stress and root damage, so instead of robust growth from a small plant --> healthy roots, you can get a weakened plant that takes longer to acclimate. In hot/dry conditions that many faced last summer, I do wonder which strategy will work best? I suspect if a larger plant is stressed during the transplanting process, it may be more vulnerable to harsh weather and have a harder time dealing with pests and diseases (?)

We planted a bunch of stuff from Elmore Roots about 4-1/2 years ago, and most are growing well, and lookin' good. One Bur Oak was battered by deer grazing, one Tamarack was damaged during an ice storm (but it doing OK), and one Plum seemed to come down with fire blight (so a real fire it did meet). One tree seemed to be weak in the first year, probably from too much root ball disturbance, or a stressful transplanting, but has recovered nicely.

We need to plant more trees and shrubs, and will most likely get most of these from St Lawrence this time, as well as cuttings and such from friends whenever we can. We've learned more about Permaculture, and now know many more people with Food Forest experience, so things are lookin' up!
 
pollinator
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I bought 4 last year from Cold Stream Farm and they did really well. Good source for Black Locust too.
 
Jp Learn
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Thanks very much for the thorough info sharing, Brad. I did recently contact St Lawrence nurseries. Had a very nice conversation with them and appreciate you sharing your personal experience with them.

Thanks as well, CJ. Much obliged.
 
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I don't know what your management techniques are planned to be for this area - but a nice feature of Hazelnuts is that you can cut them down when they get too big. They'll sprout right back.

It might be worth buying the hazelnut varieties you really want, and then coppicing in 8-10 years
 
Brad Vietje
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Great point, Tom!

Hazel wood has some interesting uses, too. Here's a link to an English fellow making really cute wooden flowers out of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWWw5HHzvFw

I'm a pretty active woodturner, but I must say, I use lathes that aren't quite so rickety as his wabi-sabi machine, but hey -- sure works well, and a fun little project to use trimmings that others might consider waste!

Have fun eating Hazel nuts! We planted 4 small "Hazelbert" plants from up at Elmore Roots, and they started producing nuts in the first year! After 4 years, we have one that's really put out a number of shoots, and the rest are a little smaller. We get a bowl of around 4-5 dozen nuts, IF we get them before the deer, squirrels and blue jays do!
 
Cj Sloane
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Sounds like you need a dog Brad!
 
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Im really happy with the ones that I bought from St Lawrence - some are almost 7 feet tall after being planted in april 2011. Make sure they are hardy enough - St lawrence works really well for colder spots obviously. Enjoy and pick them a little green so the animals dont beat you to it.
 
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