SELECTION OF A PLOT FOR HAZELNUT GROWING
Hazel as a species is not a great soil picker, so it can be successfully grown on almost all types of soil. However, it gives the best results on deep and loose soils. Hazelnuts are best suited to sandy-clay soils and humus-carbonate soils. Hazel does not tolerate shallow, poor, dry and acidic soils. Lands with high groundwater levels as well as those where surface waters are retained for a long time are not suitable for hazelnut cultivation.
After selecting the plot, it would be desirable to do a chemical analysis of the herb. Chemical soil analysis is generally free for registered farms and is done by agricultural expert services in your municipality.
For hazelnut production plantations, the optimal granulometric (mechanical) composition of the soil would be: 15-20% clay, 20-30% fine sand, 15-20% colloid and 30-50% coarse sand.
The optimal chemical composition of the soil for the formation of hazelnut plantations would be (per 100 grams of air-dry sample): humus 3%, mineral nitrogen 0.12-0.22%, easily digestible phosphorus (P2O5) 6-8 mg. , easily digestible potassium (K2O) 8-12 mg., easily digestible magnesium (MgO) 80-120 mg. Up to 5% calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
Hazelnuts can thrive on soils of different pH values of 5-9 pH, but neutral soils with a pH reaction of 6.8-7.3 pH are most suitable for it. If you have deviations from these values, you should start correcting the pH value of the soil. For extremely acidic soils with a pH value below 5 pH, calcification of herbs should be done. It is performed by applying 2/3 during deep plowing to a depth of 40-50 cm and the remaining 1/3 during surface preparation of the soil before planting or immediately after planting. Correction of pH values of extremely alkaline (base) soils over 9 pH is performed by acidification of the acid reaction with mineral fertilizer. In case of lack of optimal% humus, soil humization is approached. There are several ways to increase% humus. The simplest and cheapest way is to plow large amounts of harvest residues a few years before planting, as well as sowing certain plant species and plowing them in the year before planting. It is best to plow 50t of manure per hectare.
PLOT PREPARATION
For good reception of seedlings and good progress of the future plantation, basic preparation of the plot of the future plantation is necessary. To raise a perennial plantation, it is necessary to make a trench (deep plowing) deeper than 50 cm if there are appropriate conditions and deeper. Depths greater than 60 cm are necessary for raising seedlings with seedlings grafted on bear hazel.
A good alternative to rigging is undermining, which should be done at a depth of more than 60 cm. It is important to note that deep plowing as well as undermining should be done for autumn planting in early spring and for spring planting in early autumn. This is important for the reason that the soil would settle and shred enough by the time of planting.
Digging holes or drilling with a drill on a lawn (not a plowed or undermined plot) should be avoided and applied only on extremely steep plots where it is not possible to access with machinery. The big disadvantage of this approach to planting is the so-called effect (cups), where the planted seedling does not have enough fine soil for root development, there is not enough root ventilation and due to rainy years the root is exposed to large amounts of water, which can lead to poor seedling and later weaker progress of received seedlings.
