Propogating corkscrew hazel

sueone Weymouth, Dorset, United Kingdom(Zone 9a) Oct 05, 2005

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can tell me the best way to propogate an Avellina contorta, Harry Lauders walking stick.

I know normal hazels are easy enough to strike cuttings, but will it work with the contorted variety too? I don't want to be cutting bits off if it's a waste of time, but would like to get some cuttings, as i have a couple of friends who'd like some.

Post #1798392

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growin Beautiful, BC(Zone 8b) Oct 05, 2005

Hi Sueone,

according to Dirr's propagation book; you could do hardwood cuttings mid-February, 6" long, 1% IBA solution, 70 F bottom heat for 4-5 weeks and then in cold-frame. Apparently this has low rates of rooting. The other method is stooling. Use a shoot of pencil thickness where it is ringed at base, smeared with 1000 - 2500 ppm IBA paste (I guess use powder and make a paste from it) and cover with soil (May). Takes until December. Probably the best way, and the way I'm familiar with, is grafting. It says tongue or cleft grafted on 1 year seedling rootstock. This has the best rate of 80-100%. It goes on to say that budded plants were more vigorous than grafted plants so maybe a bud-graft, I'd say chip. Keep in mind to place the graft high enough. I remember one cut flower grower who's grafted plants were grafted too low and in a wet field. Many of the plants rotted at the graft which was at soil/water level. He also mentioned that C. avellana tends to sucker too much for rootstock. The 15' plant I have suckers heavily with both rootstock and mixed watershoots.

Well, I hope this helps. Good Luck! Mike