How to Prune a Hazelnut Tree

Hazelnut trees are relatively easy to care for when it comes to pruning. In the first one or two years after planting, regular pruning is necessary to shape the tree and guide its growth in the desired direction. As the tree matures, pruning becomes less frequent, but it’s still essential to maintain basic care to ensure it continues to thrive year after year.

Determine when to prune the tree for the first time. Some experts recommend pruning right after planting, while others suggest waiting until the end of the tree’s first dormant season.

• Pruning immediately after planting can encourage the tree to start growing sooner, as it helps the tree focus its energy rather than spreading it out. This early pruning can lead to a stronger and more established tree by the end of the growing season.
• However, pruning right after planting also carries the risk of shocking the tree if too much is removed. Hazelnut trees are typically hardy and resistant to damage, but if the sapling you planted is weak, pruning too early could stunt its growth or even cause it to wither.
• The general rule is, if you’re confident that the tree is healthy, you can prune it right after planting. If you’re unsure about the tree’s vitality, it’s better to wait until its dormant season before pruning.

Prune half of the tree. During the first pruning session, it’s essential to cut back the majority of the branches. This is a crucial part of the shaping pruning technique. By trimming a large section, the hazelnut tree is forced to direct its energy toward developing a strong root system.

• As a result, the tree will establish deeper roots and become healthier over time.
• This method also encourages horizontal branch growth, causing your hazelnut tree to become bushier instead of growing tall and spindly.

Prune branches that will bear fruit in the next winter. Starting in the second dormant season after planting, select 4 to 6 healthy new branches and remove the others. This encourages stronger fruit production and limits the height of the tree.

• In the early stages of hazelnut growth, most of the nuts come from older branches or branches that bore fruit the previous season. These branches are often no longer strong, so pruning them will help promote the growth of new branches for fruiting.
• Choose the 4 to 6 healthiest branches, making sure they are spaced evenly around the trunk. The distance between them should be wide enough for each branch to grow to a diameter of 7.5-10 cm without touching.
• Keep in mind that branches bearing fruit too closely together won’t reach the proper size, and as a result, they won’t be able to support secondary branches or produce many nuts during harvest. These branches are also more likely to snap under pressure or adverse weather conditions.
• Remove all new shoots or branches that have sprouted.

Perform most of the pruning during winter. After the hazelnut tree has gone through its dormant period or by its third winter, you should focus on pruning at the end of this phase, as this is when the tree is not actively growing. However, wait until the coldest part of winter has passed before starting the pruning.

• Not only will this reduce the risk of shock or damage during early growth stages, but winter pruning also makes the process easier since the tree will have shed its leaves, making the branches easier to see.
• You can delay pruning until early spring, but it should be done before the tree shows any signs of budding.

Remove new shoots sprouting from the base of the tree. Shoots are branches that grow from the base or roots of the tree. These shoots look like part of the tree, but you can identify them by the fact that they don’t sprout from the main trunk or primary branches.

• These shoots appear when the tree is trying to grow additional branches, but due to overcrowding, the hazelnut tree will produce shoots instead of developing strong new branches from the main trunk.
• These shoots must be removed. If left unpruned, they will drain the tree’s energy, causing your hazelnut tree to weaken and produce fewer nuts.
• Similarly, side branches that grow too close to the ground should also be removed. These branches cannot support fruit or foliage and will deplete the tree’s nutrients if left, just like the shoots from the base.

Remove dead or diseased branches. If any part of the hazelnut tree shows signs of disease, it’s important to remove those branches to prevent the disease from spreading to the entire tree. Similarly, dead or withered branches should be cut away. Not only do these branches look unsightly, but they also create a breeding ground for disease as they decompose.

• If one of the main fruit-bearing branches is damaged, remove it, and in the following winter, select a new shoot or branch to replace it as the fruit-bearing branch for the tree.

Remove branches that don’t originate from fruit-bearing branches. You should prune new branches that don’t come from the selected fruit-bearing branches from the previous season if you want the tree to continue directing its nutrients toward fruit production on those specific branches.

Trim unnecessary side branches. Side branches grow from the main fruit-bearing branches. However, not all side branches should be removed. Instead, only trim those that grow at an angle smaller than 45 degrees from the main branch.

• Side branches that grow at a narrow angle to the main branch can develop too close to the trunk, which often causes problems for the tree and results in weak fruit, all while still draining the tree’s nutrients.
• Side branches that start to intertwine or twist around each other should also be removed for similar reasons.

Consider cutting back a significant portion of the main branches. Typically, you will want to prune about a third to a quarter of the length of the main fruit-bearing branches. This helps to limit the size of the tree and encourages it to focus its energy on fruit production.

• The ultimate goal is for the hazelnut tree to produce healthier, larger, and sweeter nuts throughout the season.
• You may be reluctant to prune too much, but most hazelnut trees are quite resilient to pruning and will grow back even stronger after being cut back by a significant amount.
• If dealing with a large hazelnut tree that hasn’t been pruned for several years, you can even cut back two-thirds of the length of the main branches without worrying about shocking or damaging the tree.
• If unsure about how much to prune, consider the tree's height to make harvesting easier. You may not be able to determine the exact height, but this approach can serve as a good starting point for deciding the ideal tree height.

Pinch off new leaves growing during the summer. Leave about 5-6 leaves on the new branches during the mid-summer months. Once these leaves are fully formed, you can pinch off the new leaves that appear.

• This step is not crucial if you’re growing hazelnut trees that don’t produce edible nuts. The main purpose of this is to ensure the tree’s nutrients are directed toward the fruit. By removing excess leaves, you prevent the tree from channeling nutrients to those leaves, allowing the nutrients to be concentrated on fruit production.

Remove damaged fruit in the fall. Inspect the hazelnut tree during the fall months. If you find large hazelnuts that have not ripened, it's best to remove them.

• However, you can leave hazelnuts the size of a pea. These are still immature and won't drain unnecessary nutrients from the tree.
• Most hazelnut trees produce fruit in early and late summer. Therefore, fruits that haven’t started ripening by the fall are unlikely to ripen at all.
• As with most pruning tasks, the aim of removing unripe fruits is to redistribute the tree’s nutrients to other parts of the tree for greater benefit. This should be done in the fall because the tree is storing energy and preparing for dormancy. By removing the fruits that drain the tree’s energy, it can store more nutrients, making the tree stronger through the winter.