How to Grow Cobnut & Hazelnut
Nut Tree
Cobnuts and hazelnuts are productive native-style shrubs, ideal for a mixed hedge, orchard edge or allotment boundary. Kentish cobnuts are selected hazels with handsome husks and excellent nuts. Grown as a multi-stemmed bush or stool, they give catkins in winter and a useful autumn harvest.
Planting & rootstocks
Hazels are commonly grown on their own roots, so select named varieties rather than relying on a dwarfing rootstock. Plant bare-root bushes between November and March, or container-grown plants in mild weather, setting several 3 to 4 m apart for a hedge or stool bed. Firm soil around the roots, water well and mulch. Train as an open-centred multi-stemmed bush, removing low shoots if a clear trunk is preferred. Protect young plants from browsing.
Pollination
Cobnuts and hazelnuts are not reliably self-fertile: plant at least two compatible named varieties nearby, preferably three, whose catkin pollen and female flowers overlap. They are wind-pollinated in late winter, not grouped like apples, so ask the RHS or a local garden centre for suitable flowering partners. Nearby wild hazel can help, but should not be the only planned pollinator.
Care & pruning
Mulch annually, water in dry spells during establishment and apply modest organic feeding where soil is poor. In summer, carry out brutting by snapping, not severing, selected soft upright shoots to direct energy into nuts. After harvest, thin out a few old stems to keep the stool open and productive. Remove suckers only if they crowd the chosen framework, and maintain airflow without hard winter pruning of young wood.
Years to bear
Named hazels commonly begin to yield 3 to 4 years after planting. Crops become more substantial from about 5 to 7 years, provided compatible pollen is present and squirrels are controlled.
Harvest
Nuts ripen from September to October, when husks yellow or brown and nuts loosen or fall. Pick from the bush before squirrels take them, then dry the nuts in a warm, airy place out of direct sun. Remove husks once they are crisp and store only sound, fully dry nuts in breathable containers.
Common problems
Squirrels are the main threat and can strip a crop while nuts are still green; exclusion cages or well-secured netting are often most effective. Aphids, leaf nibbling, nut weevils and fungal dieback occasionally occur. Gather and discard damaged nuts, prune out dead wood, encourage birds and predatory insects, keep stools open to airflow and choose healthy named stock from a reputable nursery.
Growing Cobnut & Hazelnut: frequently asked questions
How do I grow cobnut & hazelnut in the UK?
Hazels are commonly grown on their own roots, so select named varieties rather than relying on a dwarfing rootstock.
Does cobnut & hazelnut need a pollination partner?
Cobnuts and hazelnuts are not reliably self-fertile: plant at least two compatible named varieties nearby, preferably three, whose catkin pollen and female flowers overlap.
When is cobnut & hazelnut ready to harvest?
Nuts ripen from September to October, when husks yellow or brown and nuts loosen or fall.
General guidance for UK home growers. Variety and pollination needs vary; the RHS or a local garden centre can advise for your area. Page updated 18 Sep 2026.