Where Do Hazelnuts Grow Best?

Hazelnuts thrive in well-drained, loamy soil, but they can thrive in many soil types as long as the soil is well-drained. Nut production is best when cross pollination occurs with another species of the same species (see Tables 1 and 2) or with other seed grown plants of the same species.

In USDA plant hardiness zones 4 to 8, hazelnut trees, also known as filbert trees, are hardy. Choose American hazelnuts that are more cold tolerant than European varieties when growing hazelnuts in the coldest part of this range. Temperatures below 15 degrees F.

You don’t have to wait long before a hazelnut tree bears nuts for you to eat, which is another great thing about hazelnut trees. In year six or seven, hazel trees begin producing in as little as 4 years, with high yields. You can grow it as a shrub or a single stem tree.

Hazelnuts, also known as filberts and cobnuts, begin to ripen as hazel tree leaves change colour. Depending on the weather, the most ripe nuts are found in September and October. The nuts must mature to full maturity and dry out a little before being edible to humans.

Are hazelnuts easy to grow?

Hazelnuts are incredibly quick and easy to grow, they don’t take up as much space as other nut trees, and they produce sweet, delicious nuts each summer.

What soil do hazelnuts like?

The American hazelnut grows in acidic, alkaline, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, well-drained, and clay soils. It is drought-tolerant.

What climate is best for hazelnuts?

Hazelnuts are cultivated in a temperate, mainly Mediterranean climate with winter and spring rainfall, and a dry autumn. The average annual rainfall should be greater than 850mm, but supplementary irrigation should be available to maintain uniform soil moisture during the main growth stages.

Hazelnuts are deciduous, so they require a cold winter to provide a sufficient chill to prevent the flowering and vegetative buds from dormancy. This crop is best suited to a temperate climate where summers are not too hot.