Upper Midwest Hazelnuts list of hazelnut publications . From the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative (UMHDI), Univ. of Minnesota and Wisconsin cooperating. Links to over twenty publications on an introduction to hazelnuts, breeding, agronomics, propagation, sociology and economics.
An essential guide to the Amazing Hazel from the Balkan Ecology Project. “Hazel is a multi-purpose champion of a plant that is super easy to grow, produces delicious nuts, pliable wood that can be crafted into a variety of products, provides early fodder for bees and an encouraging spectacle when flowering during the mid-winter. What more can I say…. a plant so good people started naming their daughters after it.”
Propagating Your Own Hazelnuts (pdf), by Lois Braun, University of Minnesota. A thorough 56-page document with photos, includes instructions for growing your own from seed and mound layering existing plants. Document is in Powerpoint (slideshow) display format.
Discussion of December 2019
In depth evaluation of Hazelnuts can be found at the Riverbend Hazelnuts blog .
Tim Holland
To the folks on here growing hazelnuts… what varieties are you growing?
Aaron Parker
I think planting mostly Jefferson seedlings is a reasonable place to start, but probably a good idea to plant some others for comparison/diversity. Consider these:
– Ashworth selections from Jesse Stevens
-NeoHyrids from https://mainegardendesign.com/neo-hybrid-hazels/
-Precocious from https://oikostreecrops.com/products/Precocious-hazelnut-seeds/ /…Precocious has the extra advantage of early fruiting, in my experience Jefferson grows very well in our climate but is slow to start fruiting.
Keith Morris
Jefferson is not ‘blight immune’ as claimed by OSU- they trialed in the west- not in true EFB territory. Reply · 4d
Aaron Parker
Interesting, have you had blight on Jefferson clones? Seedlings? I have had a clone in the ground for several years and seedlings for a few without blight, but that could just be good luck.
Keith Morris
I can’t confirm it was blight but Jefferson is the only hazel cultivar that didn’t survive at Willow Crossing Farm , ever.
Jesse Stevens
I have seed from Ashworth, straight American (two selections from Will Bonsall), Badgersett. Z’s Nutty Ridge sent me some seed from their top selections which were impressive, thin shelled and large kernels.
Jesse Stevens
Z’s supplies plants which might be some of the better ones out there for the northeast.
Tyler Omand
I agree with Jesse , Z’s nutty ridge send very nice plants and their genetics have been trialed and selected over decades in a cold part of upstate New York. I’ve planted seedlings and suckers of hybrid hazels from Z’s, Jesse’s plants, Buzz Ferver,Twisted Tree, St. Lawrence, Midwest Agroforestry, Oikos, Twisted Tree, and Mark Shepard
Jono Neiger
i would only add the precocious and others we’ve gotten from oikos are productive but small. i saw some large nuts at Z’s and it’s hopeful the sizes are going up.
Greg Hatt
I have about 18 3-4 year old hybrid hazel seedlings, they haven’t started producing yet but growing well, seem to be thriving here in central Maine. Got them from Akiva at Twisted tree farm, great prices, cool business.
Aaron Parker
Comparison of Maine Grown hazelnuts. -Aaron Parker
Jesse Stevens Of all the hazels I grow from a variety of sources, my selection ‘Bantam’ from Ashworth hazelbert genetics yields the most in overall weight, matures in late summer, good nut to shell weight ratio, fully hardy and disease resistant and also has wonderful fall foliage color. I have others that produce larger shells, but the nut inside isn’t much bigger, or more often are empty.
Tom Eickenberg
Precocious from Oikos Tree Crops, grown in Liberty. Great flavor. – Tom Eikenberg
Jesse Stevens, September 2019
Curing hazels, the plantings I started 9 years ago are now bearing good crops. I would like to plant more!Drying them in the husk so it comes off easily, and drying out a bit afterward so nutmeat comes out when cracked.
Hazelnuts constitute a nearly $7 billion global market that is on track to double in size over the coming decade.
The Midwest hazelnut market is well-positioned to expand dramatically as the global demand increases. A new report by the Savanna Institute identifies ten major bottlenecks to Midwest hazelnut industry development and makes recommendations to prioritize investment and research dollars. Download the full report at https://mailchi.mp/savannainstitute/hazelnutiip
Hazels grow great in Maine, as long as they are resistant to Eastern Filbert Blight. I’d love to see(and help plan/install) a large scale planting here!
David Spahr
If you know where to look there are native wild hazelnuts in many places. In the right locations they can thrive with little management.
