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Corkscrew hazel overtaken by suckers

henry23994henry23994 Posts: 1
in Problem solving
My new house has a neglected and almost unrecognisable corkscrew hazel at the front. Almost all of the growth is in suckers that now rise to about 6ft, with just one contorted stem at the bottom, maybe 1ft, no buds visible. Judging by the rest of the garden, the growth has been unchecked for 5-10 years.

If I cut the mature suckers to the ground, what are the chances of the corkscrew element returning? Is there any other way of making the tree more presentable? Thanks


Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    You need to remove tthe straight stems back to the base every year when the plant is dormant and before the sap starts rising again in mid to late January, depending on where you are.   The straight stems make good pea sticks and plant supports.

    As I understand it, twisted hazels are all clones - cuttings from an original found in a hedgerow decades ago and grafted onto a straight hazel root stock.    If you leave the straight stems to grow they will take all the energy from the twisted stems and it will revert to type.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited January 2021
    Agree ... remove all the straight growth which will be coming from below the graft, and take off any new growth from below the graft as soon as it appears. 

    I would then feed with Fish, Blood and Bone and mulch with leaf mould or good garden compost or similar.  Removing the straight growth will allow the roots to feed the corkscrew growth ... you will have to be patient ... it does grow slowly ... but it is worth the wait. Love it. Ive grown them in other gardens but don’t have one here ... yet 🤔  ... I have a birthday coming up and just the spot for it ... thanks for the reminder 😃 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    If the grafted part has died (with no buds, that sounds likely) then you basically have a Common Hazel (Corylus avellana.) There was a thread about pruning hazel:

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
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