It hides under the hazelnut-brown skin, thin and firm, waiting to be discovered. Hazelnut seeds are not just for eating. It can also be used to propagate this plant.
What makes up the seed of the hazelnut
The seed of the hazelnut sits under the nut shell. Regardless of the variety, each nut contains a seed. The seed is spherical and has a thin seed coat.
If the nut is harvested and opened too early, for example in August, the seed will be light and mild in taste. When fully ripe, which is reached between September and October, the taste is typically nutty and spicy.
Eat it or feed it…
The seed is considered extremely healthy due to its minerals and its fat content of 60%. But that's not the only reason why it's eaten with pleasure. Whether pure, roasted or baked in cakes and biscuits - the hazelnut seed is popular worldwide.
In addition to humans, animals appreciate the seeds. Squirrels, mice and birds like crows and magpies like to eat the seeds. They make excellent food for the fall and winter seasons. If you have too many hazelnuts and cannot use them, feed them to such wild animals.
It is not uncommon for the harvest to be large, but there are no seeds in the nuts. The reason: the hazelnut borer has attacked the nutrient-rich seeds. To get rid of him, you should carefully remove all the nuts that are near the plant. This prevents the larvae of this insect from becoming voracious bugs on the plant the following year…
Use it to propagate
The seed can be used to propagate the hazelnut as follows:
- either put them outdoors or in pots on the balcony in the ground
- Period: between October and November
- choose a place sheltered from the wind
- cover the seed a few centimeters with soil
- the seed needs a cold period to germinate
- in the spring the first shoots become visible
tips and tricks
In order for the cultivation from seeds to succeed, several seeds should be planted in the ground in late autumn to increase the hit rate.