How to Grow California Hazelnut
- 1). Choose a site with well-drained soiled. California hazelnut shrubs will grow in soil that is dry or moist if it provides drainage, and they may be planted in full sunlight to partial shade.
- 2). Harvest seeds from existing hazelnut trees in August and September. Seeds are mature when the sheath around them turns brown.
- 3). Remove the brown sheath from the seed.
- 4). Fill a plastic bucket with water and soak seeds inside for 24 hours.
- 5). Remove all seeds that float to the surface of the water; they will not produce healthy shrubs.
- 6). Drain the water and place the remaining seeds in a cold tray for germination. Place the cold tray in cold storage. In winter, trays may be placed outside if temperatures are cool. Trays may also be placed in refrigeration.
- 7). Check seeds once every two weeks for signs of germination. Seeds will germinate after 90 to 180 days.
- 8). Dig up germinated seeds gently when growth is 1/4 inch long.
- 9). Plant germinated seeds in 12-inch pots filled with standard potting soil. Bury the seeds just under the surface of the soil.
- 10
Transplant seedlings from their containers to the garden after 90 days of growth. Dig plants out of the pots, keeping the roots intact, and place them directly in your pre-determined planting site. Bury the seedlings as deeply into the ground as they were buried in the pot. - 11
Fertilize seeds with well-balanced, 13-13-13 fertilizer after they have been growing for three months in their transplanted location. - 12
Water soil around the California hazelnut deeply with a garden hose every time it becomes dry to the touch. - 13
Fertilize the shrub every two to three years at the beginning of the fall season.
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