OSU Extension: Do Your Homework Before Starting Hazelnuts

Oregon farmers looking at switching to hazelnuts should keep more than a few things in mind.  Erica Chernoh is with Oregon State University Extension in Lane County, and she recently told Pacific Nut Producer Magazine it’s very important that growers do their homework to learn about the industry before planting any hazelnut trees.

“We do see a lot of transition from people doing grass seed into hazelnuts. A lot of those grass seeds can grow well on a heavy clay soil. Hazelnuts, not so much. So growers do need to consider that whether or not they need to improve drainage in their land before putting some trees in the ground.”

Chernoh added it’s also important for potential hazelnut growers to know the varieties.

"There's a lot of different varieties out there, so OSU has a hazelnut breeding day, usually in September. That's a great way to go out to Corvallis, kind of to see those trees, what they look like at full maturity, know which ones can be selled kernel versus in shell. You know, those are the types of things you want to be considering.” 

To learn more, or to watch that entire interview, check out Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

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