The corkscrew hazel is an excellent eye-catcher in the garden. We will show you what is important when it comes to care and how you can multiply it.
The corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana "Contorta") is a real eye-catcher. Its strongly twisted branches give the plant an extraordinarily bizarre appearance. The shrubs are ideal for an individual garden design and romantics in particular are fascinated by this special form of the conventional hazelnut. The fact that the nuts are only harvested ten years after they were planted seems to be a minor matter in view of the pretty sight.
Small description of plants
| Corkscrew Hazel (Corylus avellana 'Contorta' ) | |
|---|---|
| Growth Speed: | 20 - 50 cm a year |
| Growth: | 200 - 250 cm |
| Growth: | 150 - 200 cm |
| Root system: | Shallow roots |
| Location: | Sun to partial shade |
| Floor: | normal garden soil |
The corkscrew hazel is a special form of the common hazelnut bush. Originally it was assumed that the strongly twisted branches were the result of a spontaneous mutation. A disease of the hazelnut is now considered to be the cause.
The corkscrew hazel first caused a stir in England around 1900. The hazelnut belongs to the birch family and is widespread in Central Europe and Asia Minor. Targeted cultivation goes back a long way due to the tasty nuts.
When planting, the hobby gardener can assume that his grandchildren will also enjoy the corkscrew hazel, because the shrubs can reach an age of up to 100 years.
Growth
In old age, the plants form a spreading crown and the branches curl towards the ground. The leaves resemble the common hazelnut. The underside is lighter than the upper side of the leaf, which is also slightly hairy. The leaves differ from the common hazelnut in their wrinkled and curled appearance.
After a pretty oneYellowing in autumn, the corkscrew hazel loses its leaves and the bizarrely deformed branches determine the picture in the wintry garden. The hazelnuts are harvested in September and October. The small nuts do not come close to the usual hazelnut in terms of yield and taste.
Warning: Corkscrew hazel is often confused with corkscrew willow. However, the willow grows significantly larger and is also not related botanically to the corkscrew hazel.
Usage
Corkscrew hazels are planted as ornaments. The shrubs are particularly attractive when planted individually. Cultivation in a bucket is also possible. The plants grow moderately and are quite compact, making them also suitable for smaller gardens.
The twisted branches can be used in many ways. The corkscrew hazel is popular as a decorated Easter shrub or as a decoration that is attached to the ceiling or a lamp and can be decorated according to the season.
Plant corkscrew hazel
Find a suitable location
The botanical name of the corkscrew hazel contains a reference to the preferred location of the plant. Avella is an Italian city not far from Vesuvius. The conditions here are ideal and hazel has been planted here for a long time.
The corkscrew hazel feels most comfortable in a sunny spot. If you cannot show this, you can also plant the shrub in a partially shaded place. Even in the shade, the robust shrub will probably not die, but will probably grow much more slowly.
Select ideal substrate
The hazelnut adapts to its environment. If you want to ensure ideal soil conditions, choose a fresh and well-drained soil. A humus-rich substrate is ideal so that the plant can meet its nutrient requirements.
The corkscrew hazel does not get along with dense, wet and acidic soil. Then a so-called growth depression sets in, which can only be reversed with difficulty.
When planting, the hobby gardener should be aware that a location should be found with which the corkscrew hazel can get along well for many decades. It is worth treating the soil specifically and using a suitable test to determine the pH value of the substrate. These tests are available in garden centers for a few euros, can be used without prior knowledge and deliver reliable results.
Tip: Heavy soils can be smoothed out by adding sand or gravelmake it more permeable.
Planting corkscrew hazel - step by step
Corkscrew hazels can be divided into ungrafted and grafted plants. The ungrafted plants grow vigorously and are particularly robust. However, these plants will be difficult to find commercially.
The usual goods in the garden center consist of a grafted shrub. The common hazelnut serves as the basis. Rarely to get, but definitely a buy recommendation are grafts on the Turkish tree hazel.
The corkscrew hazel deserves a unique position in the bed. On the one hand, the root system is clearly spreading and, on the other hand, the graceful growth will only really come into its own as a solitary plant.
Planting in the bed
1. Determine the location
2. Prepare the soil
3. Water the plant
4. Dig the planting hole
5. Bring in the fertilizer
6. Plant the plant7. Close the planting hole
8. Press down on the soil
9. Water the plant well
Spring and autumn are ideal for planting the corkscrew hazel. As a rule, the corkscrew hazel is sold in bales. If you buy bare-root plants, you should plant between the beginning of October and mid-November.
The root ball is potted in a bucket of water and should be thoroughly soaked with moisture. In the meantime, the planting hole is dug. Be sure to keep at least twice the size of the root ball.
After the plant has been placed in the pit, the substrate is mixed with compost and horn shavings. This provides the corkscrew hazel with sufficient nutrients after planting.
Tip: A watering rim should be created after planting. This allows the corkscrew shrub to absorb rain and irrigation water better. For this purpose, the watering edge should fall towards the plant.
Planting in the tub
1. Select planter
2. Prepare soil
3. Water plant
4. Create drainage
5. Insert plant
6. Fill up substrate7. Water the plant
8. Fertilize the plant
The planter should not be chosen too small. Otherwise the corkscrew hazel withers away. You should assume a minimum volume of 30 liters. It is important to ensure that there are sufficient drainage holes in the bottom of the container so that the liquid does not accumulate in the bucket.
Compost-based potting soil is recommended as a substrate. Potted plants have an increased nutrient requirement and shouldbe supplied with a liquid fertilizer every 14 days during the growth phase.
An overview of the most important planting tips
| Activity | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Find location | • sunny to semi-shady • warm • airy |
| Prepare substrate | • permeable • fresh • moist |
| planting | • Unique selling • Water before planting • Dig a planting hole twice the size of the root ball |
Caring for Corkscrew Hazel
Water the corkscrew hazel correctly
After planting, the corkscrew hazel should be watered sufficiently so that it can root well. Later, the shrub is poured more sporadically. The soil can be moist, but waterlogging is not tolerated. On hot days, you can water with the hose so that the plant can absorb enough moisture.
Fertilize corkscrew hazel correctly
In the open field, it is sufficient if the corkscrew hazel is supplied with compost or a commercial multi-nutrient fertilizer in spring. Pot culture should be fertilized regularly during the growing season.
Does the corkscrew hazel need to be cut?
Regular pruning measures are not necessary. The natural growth form has its own fascination. In grafted plants, the wild shoots should be removed regularly.
Tip: Wild shoots are easy to recognize by their straight growth.
Since corkscrew hazel is very tolerant of pruning, there is no reason not to do an annual topiary at will.
An overview of the most important care tips
| Activity | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Casting | • Water moderately • The soil must not dry out • Waterlogging is not tolerated |
| Fertilize | • Compost in spring • During the growth phase, compound fertilizer • Fertilize potted plants regularly |
| Cut | • no regular pruning necessary • remove wild shoots • pruning possible in spring |
Propagating Corkscrew Hazel
In the nurseries, plants are propagated using Grafting. However, this is a matter for gardeners and will not be described in detail here. The hobby gardener has the option of propagating the plant using cuttings or offshoots.
Propagation by cuttings
A non-woody shoot about 20 centimeters long is cut for this. The incision should be made just below one eye. Two to four pairs of leaves are left on the shoot. The lower shoots are completely removed.
A flower pot is filled with a peat-sand mixture and about two-thirds of the cutting is placed in the substrate. If the cuttings are cut in autumn, they root in the warm flower window over the winter and can move outdoors in spring.
Propagation by offshoots
The long, flexible shoots of the corkscrew hazel are well suited for propagation by cuttings. A suitable branch is pulled down to the ground and buried in a trench about four inches deep.
The tip of the shoot is attached to a wooden stick so that it grows upright. The soil is poured regularly and the rooting is awaited. After a few months, the offshoot can be separated from the mother plant and cultivated as an independent plant.
Recognize and combat diseases and pests on the corkscrew hazel
The plants are robust and only rarely affected by diseases or pests.
If the soil is too nutritious, the scalewort can settle. This parasitic plant draws moisture and nutrients from the hazel.
The hobby gardener doesn't notice this for a long time. If the squama appears on the surface, it can be assumed that the parasite has been entwined around the roots for around ten years. Scaleroot can only be removed by digging up the plant.
The hazelnut borer is one of the weevils and specializes in hazelnut plants. The females lay the eggs directly in the hazelnuts. This is where the larvae develop. Infested nuts are unfit for consumption and should be removed and burned. The beetles are easy to spot and collect.
Winter corkscrew hazel
The corkscrew hazel is hardy. However, young plants can be sensitive to severe frost and should therefore be provided with winter protection from leaves, brushwood and bast mats for the first three years.
Potted plants should not be left outside during the winter months, as there is a risk that the root ball will freeze completely and the plant will then no longer be able to obtain sufficient nutrients.
Tip: Watering should not be neglected even in winter. Drought causes the greatest winter damage to theCorkscrew Hazel.