First enjoy the bloom - then cut back - that's how it works
In March and April we are thrilled by the corkscrew hazelnut with its distinctive kitten flowers. Immediately afterwards, the time window for the shape and maintenance cut opens. Please select an appointment with overcast, frost-free weather. The following instructions explain the professional cut:
- Cut back branches that are too long by up to two thirds
- Cut off branches that are steeply upward, growing inward and rubbing against each other
- Cut dead wood and poor shoots at the base
also read
- Which location does the corkscrew hazel prefer?
- How to properly care for the corkscrew hazel
- Are the nuts of a corkscrew hazel edible?
The aim of the topiary is a compact, densely leafed shrub that is flooded by sunlight. In this way, you effectively prevent balding from the inside out. You encourage lush branching on your corkscrew hazelnut if you place the scissors a few millimeters above an outwardly facing leaf knot. This can be seen as a slight bump under the bark.
Young twigs get the hang of it
The less pronounced the degree of lignification, the more prominently the branches twist. You should therefore combine the annual pruning with continuous rejuvenation. To do this, shorten 2 to 4 of the strongest and oldest branches down to 15 cm. Since a corkscrew hazelnut diligently sprouts out of the old wood, you preserve youthful vitality and effectively prevent intensive lignification.
Prune wildlings promptly
If you have purchased your corkscrew hazelnut as a refined high stem, wildlings can sprout from the rootstock. These can be clearly identified by their dead straight growth. Since these uninvited guests strive to overgrow the noble crown, they must give way. Therefore, cut wildlings without delay, even during the year, as soon as you discover the shoots.
Better to tear off instead of cutting back
There is enormous vigor in a wildling. As long as a small piece of tissue remains on the game underlay after cutting back, growth continues unabated. Do not remove these branches with scissors, but tear them off with a brave jerk.
Tips
With its twisted branches, the corkscrew hazel decorates your home as a vase decoration all year round. When the male catkins flourish on the twisted branches in February / March, the wood tops every bouquet in terms of charismatic expressiveness.
