Analyzing Your Space In Garden

Plant care
Apply a bulky organic mulch to a depth of 7.5cm (3in) in mid spring, to help young trees establish, and keep these trees well watered during dry spells. Mature trees don't require extra irrigation.

Apart from regular pruning to encourage new, nut- bearing wood, cobnuts and filberts can be left to their own devices. Yields will be increased, however, if a top-dressing of general-purpose fertilizer is applied in early spring,
Nuts will develop on established plants along the length of one-year-old wood and on fruiting spurs. To encourage the production of new, more floriferous growth on established trees, remove older, thicker stems; these can be used for hurdles or plant supports. Do this in late winter when the trees are flowering, because in the process their pollen is likely to be dislodged from the male flowers and transferred to the females on the remaining stems.

In late summer, break some of the new shoots in half and leave hanging on the tree; this encourages flower buds to form in autumn. In winter, shorten these "brutted" stems to 10-12cm (4-5in).

At harvest time

Harvest cobnuts and filberts just as the nuts and husks begin to turn yellow in late summer. If left on the tree after that they will often be stolen by squirrels, yet if picked too early the unripe nuts will shrivel in storage. Once harvested, lay the nuts out on a rack in a sunny, dry spot for two weeks until the husks turn brown and papery. At this point pick over the nuts and discard any showing signs of nut weevil attack , or any other evidence of damage. Place the remaining nuts on slatted trays or in net bags and store them in a cool, dry, rodent- free building until needed.

Pests and diseases
Cobnuts and filberts are generally free of major diseases but three pests can cause serious problems.

Nut weevil The grubs feed inside cobnuts and filberts. Round exit holes may be seen in the shells. There is no pesticide available.
Hazel big bud mite Widespread, but rarely has a damaging impact on the plant so it can be tolerated.

Squirrels are very agile mammals and so are difficult to control. The best advice is to pick the nuts as soon as they are ready.
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