Grafting - don't nurseries usually do that? Yes, but even an inveterate hobby gardener can do that. Refining the hazelnut is not difficult. But what are the advantages of this procedure and what is the best way to do it?
Benefits of grafting the hazelnut
Anyone who has ever grown the hazelnut from seed will probably have recognized that the new plant is not genetically identical to the mother plant. The sown hazelnut has different properties. Perhaps the nuts are much smaller and less tasty, or the plant being grown is more susceptible to disease.
Grafting the hazelnut, for example grafting the hazel onto the tree hazel, prevents this. It has the following advantages, among others:
- no stick rashes
- Hazelnut tree instead of a hazelnut bush
- Fruit setting in the first year after planting (otherwise wait at least three years)
- Nuts have the quality of that of the mother plant
A recommended method: copulation
What do you need to refine the hazelnut? On the one hand space and steady hands and on the other hand tools and materials such as a suitable underlay, a scion, tree wax, (12.96€) raffia and a sharp knife.
The best time to start grafting is between December and March. Spring is considered the ideal time of year to refine hazelnuts. However, make sure that the temperatures do not fall below -5 °C.
And so it goes step by step:
- Cut diagonally through scion and rootstock
- Rootstock and scion should have the same diameter to fit well together
- Bark layers should overlap
- Connect with a bast base and scions and spread with tree wax
- with the onset of the vegetation phase: regularly remove new shoots from the underlay - done!
tips and tricks
Before you plant the graft of hazelnut, you should think carefully about the choice of location. Once planted, a hazelnut bush is difficult to remove.