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The Rural Voice, 1997-07, Page 46Gardening Nuts to you — growing hazelnuts at home By Rhea Hamilton -Seeger Eighteen years ago we planted a pair of hazelnut trees/shrubs anticipating a ready supply of nuts for eating and baking with. We often saw the handsome clusters of green nuts peeking out from among the leaves but as they ripened they became quite scarce. Alas, our thieving flock of bluejays had other plans for the nut crop. So we left the crop to the wildlife and enjoyed their noisy pleasure over the treats. Two years ago we planted a ground cover of lily of the valley around the base to save cutting the grass there. This year it looks lovely, nicely filled in and blooming with wild abandon. But as our eyes drift upward to admire the new growth on the hazelnut tree we are met with dead branches and a minimum of leaves. So we are back to researching hazelnuts before we replace this one. Filberts and hazelnuts are of the same tree. Filberts are domestic varieties while hazelnuts are the wild ones, and considering how we have ler this one go it would be called a hazelnut. They are traditionally tall (15 foot) shrubs but can be pruned and trained to be trees. Filberts do not have any special soil requirements. They do not produce a long tap root like some other nut varieties and are therefore much easier to transplant. Fertilizer requirements are not demanding. Nitrogen is a factor. If the leaves are large and green then there is enough nitrogen. If they are small and yellow then a moderate dose of nitrogen is called for. Remember that too much of a good thing will lead to overlush growth and winter damage. Northern slopes are recommended for filberts to delay blooming and avoid late frost damage. Shelter from prevailing winds is recommended. Ongoing care includes a light pruning as a corrective measure only. The fruit appears on the lateral or terminal ups of the previous year's growth. It is recommended that you prune your nut tree as you would peach trees with the pruning kept light to avoid damage from winter winds. Once you know what your plant needs, then it takes a bit of observation to find out what is lacking in order to improve it. A closer inspection of our ailing nut shrub did not reveal any evidence of pests. There was no sign of any fungus or deformity on the leaves or bark. The leaves are of normal size and we had not noticed any yellow colouring on them during the previous year. The only disturbance has been a goldfish pond dug about eight feet from the base of the hazelnut shrub but that should not have been a problem. So we have come to the conclusion that last winter's cold north west wind may TIVAL TS AND CRAFTS July 4th, 5th & 6th, 1997 Over 180 artisans, crafters, painters, photographers and sculptors from all over Ontario and other pants of Canada corse to Godertch to display and sell their creations. There are special displays, food events, cultural events and dozens of other Tourist attractions to this picturesque and historic Port town. Court House Park aoderich Sponsored by the Womea's Shelter & Counselling Services or Huron For mon Information. please call 619-367-9156 42 THE RURAL VOICE have taken the whole side of the tree. There is a number of new shoots coming from the bottom so we have decided to prune out the dead wood and since there is active growth we are fertilizing with an all purpose fertilizer of 15-15-15. Hazelnuts are easy to propagate so we will start a couple of extra bushes. Maybe with extra nuts available we will be able to enjoy some of the nuts ourselves. We can hill up the soil to about 10 inches over the sucker growth and by spring the suckers will have developed roots and be able to be moved to another location. A second way to propagate hazelnut shrubs is to take one of the branches in the early spring when growth is most active and peg it to the ground in a trench that is five to six inches deep. The up should be pointed upwards and should continue growing. Prepare the soil first with a bit of compost or peat moss to make it porous and fertile. The portion of the branch in the bottom of the pit should be wounded or nicked with a knife halfway through the surface on the lower side. You can treat it with a bit of hormone power to encourage it to root. Secure it to the bottom of the pit with a piece of u -shaped wire or a y -branch and then backfill the trench with soil. During the summer the roots will develop and may be severed from the parent in the fall. I would recommend doing this the following spring since a harsh winter puts further stress on the young plant which has been severed in the fall. Determining what is wrong with something in your garden takes a bit of patience and, above all, a keen sense of observation. Once you have determined what the problem is the answer is not that far away. So we may have solved the problem with the hazelnut tree and are on our way to propagating a few more.0 Rhea Hamilton -Seeger raises two children, and is a skilled cook and gardener.