Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning
• What you need

Witch hazel is usually easy to care for when it comes to pruning. The first year or two after witch hazel is planted, a lot of pruning is usually done to set the tree to grow in the right direction in the years to come. However, after that the witch hazel can do well with very little pruning, and the tree will continue to grow year after year if you maintain the basic maintenance of the tree.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Early stages

1. 

   Determine when to prune for the first time. Some sources recommend that pruning should be done immediately after planting. Some other sources suggest that it is advisable to wait until the end of the plant's first hibernation season.
   • Pruning immediately after planting will help the plant begin to grow earlier. Basically, in the first place, you have trained the plant to focus instead of dispersing energy. Thus, at the end of the growing season, the hazel will be stronger and have better roots.
   • On the other hand, pruning right after planting also raises the risk of 'shock' if you prune too much. Witch hazel usually has strong resilience and is not easily damaged, but if the seedling you have already planted is weak, pruning it too soon after planting can be counterproductive, preventing the plant from growing. even withered.
   • As a general rule, if you are confident that the plant is healthy, you can prune it immediately after planting. If you are not sure if the plant has enough vigor, wait until winter before pruning.

2. 

   
   
   Trim half of the tree. During the first pruning, you'll need to prune most of the branch. This is an important factor in engineering trimming shaping. When large parts are pruned, hazelnuts are forced to focus on developing roots.
   • As a result, the plants will have better roots and be healthier in the long run.
   • This also stimulates the tree to develop horizontally, your hazel will become more lush instead of growing tall.

3. 

   
   
   Prune for the fruit-bearing branches the next winter. Beginning in the second hibernation season after you've planted the tree, choose 4 to 6 new healthy branches to grow, then cut off the rest. This process promotes healthier fruit trees and limits plant height.
   • In the early stages of witch hazel growth, most hazelnuts are produced from the old branches or branches that bore fruit last season. These branches are no longer healthy, so you need to stimulate the plant to develop new branches to bear fruit by cutting off old branches.
   • Choose 4-6 of the strongest branches, but you need to make sure that they are approximately equal distances from the trunk. The spacing between the branches should be wide enough that they can grow to a diameter of about 7.5-10 cm without touching each other.
   • Note that branches bearing fruit that are too close together will not be able to reach the correct size, and as a result they will not be able to support the side branches or produce many fruits during the harvest season. Such branches also often break when exposed to force or in inclement weather.
   • Eliminate any newly grown shoots or branches.
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Method 2 of 2: Next years

1. 

   
   
   Do most of the pruning during winter. Once the hazel has gone through the hibernation or third winter, you should do most of the pruning at the end of this time, as this is when the hazel is not thriving. However, you need to wait for the coldest time to start pruning.
   • Not only can you reduce the risk of 'shock' or injury in the early stages of growth, pruning in winter also makes it easier to prune because the tree has lost all its leaves, making the branches more susceptible to pruning. look more.
   • You can postpone pruning until early spring, but this should be done before the plant shows signs of new growth.

2. 

   Cut off new buds growing under the tree. A bud is a branch that grows from a tree's base or roots. The buds may look like a part of a tree, but can be identified by the characteristic that they are not growing from the main branch or trunk.
   • These buds sprout when the tree is trying to develop more branches, but because of being squeezed or jostled, the witch hazel will sprout instead of developing healthy new branches from the trunk.
   • You need to remove these shoots. If not pruned, they will drain the plant's energy, and your hazel will weaken and give less fruit.
   • Likewise, the lateral branches should also be removed if they are too close to the ground. These branches are incapable of supporting fruit and foliage, so they will only deplete the plant's nutrients if left, just like the shoots growing from the stump.

3. 

   Cut away dead and diseased branches. If a witch hazel shows signs of illness, you will need to remove the branches to prevent the disease from spreading to the entire plant. Likewise, you should also remove dead or withered branches. In addition to their ugly appearance, even more important is that the dead branches also allow pathogens to thrive as they decompose.
   • Note that if one of the main fruit-bearing branches is damaged, remove the branch; and for the next winter, choose a new bud or branch to grow fruit for the tree.

4. 

   Eliminate branches that are not growing from fruit-bearing branches. You need to cut out newly grown branches that do not come from the branches that bear the fruit chosen from the previous season if you want the tree to continue focusing on fruit production on those branches.

5. 

   Prune off the extra branches. Auxiliary branches are branches that grow from main fruit-bearing branches. However, you should not cut off all the extra branches. Instead, just prune the branches that grow at a 45 degree angle from the main branch.
   • Secondary branches that grow at a small angle from the main branch may grow too close to the trunk. This location often causes problems for the plant and produces only faint fruit, while still absorbing the plant's nutrients.
   • Branchlets that have begun to grow intertwined or twisted together should also be removed for the same reason.

6. 

   Consider cutting off a significant portion of the main branches. Usually, you will cut about one-third to one-quarter the length of the main fruit-bearing branches. This way, you can limit the size of the plant, and at the same time help the plant focus its nutrients.
   • Your ultimate goal is for hazelnuts to produce healthier, larger, and sweeter pods throughout the season.
   • You may not want to prune too much, but most hazelnuts have a strong resilience to pruning and will regrow after a significant amount of pruning.
   • If you are dealing with large witch hazel that has not been pruned for many years, you can even trim 2/3 of the length of main branches without fear of 'shock' and damage.
   • If you are wondering how much to cut off the main branches, you can consider the height of the tree for easy harvesting.You may not be able to determine the exact height of a tree when making such an estimate, but at least it is a good starting point for you to decide on a suitable tree height.

7. 

   Cut off new leaf buds during the summer. Leave about 5-6 leaves growing on new branches during the mid-summer months. After these cards have formed, you can remove new leaves as they appear.
   • This step is not particularly important if you are planting a non-edible hazel. The main purpose of this is to distribute the minimum required nutrients to the leaves of the plant. Removing excess leaves also means that you prevent the transfer of the plant's nutrients to these leaves, so the source of nutrients will focus on fruit production.

8. 

   Eliminate harmful berries in the fall. Check for hazelnuts during the fall months. If you find that you find large, unripe hazelnuts, discard them.
   • However, you can leave pea-sized pods. These fruits are young and will not in vain deplete the plant's nutrients.
   • Most hazelnuts bear fruit in the early and late summer. Thus, pods that do not begin to ripen before fall will likely never ripen.
   • As with most pruning, the goal of eliminating unripe fruit is to redistribute the nutrients to other parts of the plant for a greater benefit. This is something to do in the fall because this time the plants are storing energy and preparing to hibernate. Removing the energy-draining fruit of the plant helps the plant store more nutrients, so it will be stronger during winter.
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Advice

• Always prune the plant close to the bud or branch. If you leave the branches alone after pruning, rot microorganisms and pathogens can attack the tree through these locations. Pruning the tree close to the buds or branches will help prevent this.
• Use clean, sharp hand-cut scissors to prune smaller branches, and use scissors to cut larger trees or a saw to handle larger branches. Be sure to disinfect your tools before pruning plants, as dirty tools can spread germs.

Warning

• Wear thick gloves and protective clothing when trimming hazelnuts. Witch hazel and wax can irritate the skin.

What you need

• Hand sharp pruning scissors
• Sawing