Hazelnut Project members?

Hi -- I was looking for a group or sub-group for hazelnut growers -- I did a forum search and got a jillion hits but all were incidental references to do with cooking/baking with them.
There is a research project called the Hazelnut Consortium devoted to expanding Hazelnut farming throughout the US -- and expanding the market to include biomass energy, cooking oil, livestock feed, besides human consumption. Arbor Day Farm has something called the Hazelnut Project of which I am a member -- anyone else?

Hello Snarly, Yes, I am interested too - I have joined the group on Arbor Day and have ordered two of their trees. I will be interested in seeing if others respond to your note.

I have three hazelnut shrubs (corylus americana, corylus avellana 'Gamma' and corylus avellana 'Yamhill') and three corylus avellana 'Rosita' trees planted here in high desert zone 4/5 last year. All survived (some barely) a week of -15F last winter. We had a cold spring this year that froze the buds, but I'm hopeful that a "normal" spring next year will produce a small crop. I'll have to look into the Hazelnut Project - thanks for the info, Snarly.

SnowlineRose, I just have two of the Corylus Americana bushes, each only a couple years old. They have not produced any nuts yet. We had a cold winter here last year also but only a couple nights when it got down to around 10 degrees. The previous four or five winters were pretty mild with temps only getting down to mid 20's. I don't know if this is cold enough as I think hazelnuts require considerable cold hours for producing abundant crops! I am looking forward to getting the two trees I have ordered from the Arbor Day Foundation.

I have two of the Arbor Day hybrid hazelnut project trees (the 3rd one died). They are 4 or 5 years old but so far no flowers. Do you know when they should flower? One is about 4 1/2 feet tall and the other about 3 feet tall. I think they are growing ok. The squirrels would eat any nuts anyhow so I'm in it for the trees.

I did order the hazels from Arbor Day Foundation when they first started the project. Two are still alive; none have borne. They are not in optimal conditions though--rocky soil, partial shade.

I ordered my corylus americana from Forest Farm, which is just over the mountains from us. It arrived in beautiful shape, at about 4 feet tall, with three nuts on it. So i'm thinking that maybe at least the americana var. shrubs don't need to be too old in order to produce.

Does anyone have any experience with the hazelnut seed strains offered by Oikos Tree Crops? I'm toying with the idea of planting some in a wild area on my property....

Pbyrley - I find that flowering of various fruit and nut trees a big mystery - at least I don't understand it! For example, I have several different citrus varieties in containers that I bring into a protected area during the winter. Some of the trees are several years old before they start producing blooms and fruit. Then again, I may take a cutting (air layered) that is only 6 to 8 inches long which starts flowering in less than a year. I wish someone could explain this for me....

I have four trees.. Only one is probably, Corylus Americana. I recieved seeds from my friend about 9 years ago.. and randomly planted them in a wooded area.. Forgot about them and then this year realized I have a "tree" about 4 foot tall..

Then two years ago , Hubby and I visited Oregon and I bought hazelnuts at a farmer's market. Planted them and got three nice trees growing now.. Don't have a clue of variety..

I've always assumed that a cutting from a dormant limb that would produce flowers/fruit the next Spring would still produce the flowers/fruit. I noticed that specifically with figs (figs are really flowers). My dog and I have enjoyed about a dozen figs from a black mission fig tree that I started last winter from a sprout I cut off below ground - it had a few little roots. For some reason, the 6 foot tall parent tree which I had protected from cold pretty well, had no figs at all this year - go figure!

My dog has gotten in the habit of running to the little fig tree and waiting for me to walk over and look for ripe figs. There has usually been only one fig a day ripe so I bite it in half and we share. Black missions are one of my favorites. Our local Lowes big box store sells them often so I guess other people like them too.

Paul

Gosh, that is such a good photo of the dog!