Hazelnut bushes are popular as hedge plants because their green leaves provide good privacy protection. At the same time, they produce delicious nuts in autumn. But be careful: a hazelnut hedge is not suitable for small gardens.
How do you plant a hazelnut hedge?
To plant a hazelnut hedge, dig up the ground, remove weeds and choose the right location. The best planting time is in autumn, whereby 2-3 bushes should be planted per meter. Care consists of regular pruning so that the hedge remains dense.
Preliminary considerations for a hazelnut hedge
If you plan to plant hazelnut bushes as a hedge, you need a lot of space.
Such a hedge cannot be created in small gardens. It would take up too much space and crowd out other plants from the garden.
Hazelnuts form many runners and also reproduce through the nuts. New plants must be removed regularly.
Find a suitable location
Hazelnut hedges don't do well on the neighbor's fence or directly on the street. Trouble with the neighbor is inevitable if the bushes quickly spread to the neighboring property.
Since hazelnut trees are sensitive to s alt, they should not be located on roads where s alt is spread in winter.
Preparing the soil
To plant hazelnuts as a hedge, you only need a little soil preparation.
- Dig up soil
- Removing weeds
- Improve very poor soils with some mature compost
The best planting time
It's best to plant your hazelnut hedge in autumn. Hazelnut bushes grow well almost at any time of the year, but in autumn they hardly need any care and do not need to be watered.
The correct planting distance
For a hazelnut hedge you need two to three hazelnut bushes per meter. Do not plant the bushes too densely to make pruning easier later.
Caring for the hazelnut hedge
Essentially, the hedge hardly needs any care. Only regular pruning is important so that the bushes do not become bare inside.
In the fall after harvest, cut off all older shoots close to the ground. Then young branches can grow back and the hedge remains tight.
If the hazelnut hedge has spread a lot, it needs severe pruning, which is best done in early spring. However, the bushes then don't produce as many nuts.
Tips & Tricks
Hazelnut bushes can be combined very well with other plants in the hedge. Plant the hazelnut along with elderberries or yellow privet. This not only looks pretty, but also offers the animals in the garden a good livelihood.
