How much does a small hazel tree sapling cost approximately, plus when it blooms and how many years until it bears fruit, and how to plant it
The hazel tree, also known as the hazelnut, is one of the world's four major dried nuts (walnut, almond, hazelnut, cashew). It is a shrub or small tree of the genus Corylus in the birch family. So how much does a hazel sapling cost approximately? When does it bloom? How many years after planting does it bear fruit? How do you plant it? According to the Jiangsu nursery stock base, hazel saplings cost 5-8 yuan, with different prices for different heights.
When does the hazel tree bloom?
Hazel trees generally bloom and bear fruit on one- to two-year-old branches that sprout from the base; older branches generally do not bloom. The flower color is purplish-red.
How many years after planting does the hazel tree bear fruit?
Hazel trees generally bear fruit in 3—5 years. They grow in thickets on shady mountain slopes at an altitude of 200-1000 m, have strong cold resistance, and prefer a humid climate. Hazel trees are distributed in China (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, etc., and cultivated in Jiangsu), Italy, Spain, the United States, Korea, Japan, eastern Siberia and the Far East of Russia, and eastern Mongolia.
How do you plant the hazel tree?
1. Establishing a hazel orchard
The hazel has monoecious flowers, that is, unisexual flowers on the same plant, blooming before the leaves. The male flowers are catkins, borne in the leaf axils on the middle and upper parts of new shoots; the female flowers are capitula, borne on the middle and upper parts of one-year-old branches or at the top of short spur clusters, and are pollinated by wind. Therefore, when establishing a hazel orchard, varieties with the same or similar flowering periods should be configured as pollinizer trees; generally 3 varieties per orchard are suitable, with a ratio of about 5-6:1.
2. Temperature
Different species of hazel have different temperature requirements. The European hazel (Corylus avellana) prefers a warm, humid climate. It is suitable for areas with an average temperature of 13-15°C, an absolute minimum of -10°C, and an extreme high of 38°C. The Ping'ou hybrid is more cold-resistant than the European hazel and is suitable for cultivation in areas with an average annual temperature of 7.5-13°C and a minimum temperature down to -30°C.
3. Light
The hazel is a light-loving plant and generally requires annual sunshine hours of more than 2100 hours; otherwise, few flower buds form and yields are low.
4. Soil
Hazel trees prefer to grow in fertile, well-aerated sandy loam. The Ping'ou hybrid in particular has high soil requirements; dry sandy soil, heavy clay soil, marshy land, saline land, and low-lying land are all unsuitable for establishing a hazel orchard. The Ping'ou hybrid requires a soil pH of 6.5-7.5, while the European hazel requires 5.5-7.
5. Propagation
Hazel branches root easily, and adventitious buds readily sprout root suckers. Therefore, saplings are usually propagated by layering or grafting. For early-spring layering, use vigorous one-year-old sprouting branches; for June layering, use current-year young shoots as material. For graft propagation, the seedlings of the common hazel (Corylus heterophylla) are mostly used as rootstock.
6. Measures to increase yield
Hazels easily drop flowers and fruit, and the rates of empty nuts and shriveled kernels are relatively high. The main measures to prevent this:
① When propagating saplings, select superior mother trees.
② When establishing the orchard, configure pollinizer trees well and supplement with artificial pollination.
③ Strengthen management to ensure adequate nutrition.