Hazelnut Growing Guide: From Planting to Harvest, Step by Step

What Is the Hazelnut?

The hazelnut (Corylus avellana) belongs to the Betulaceae (birch) family and is one of Turkey’s most important agricultural crops. Roughly 70% of the world’s hazelnut production takes place in Turkey. Grown intensively along the coastal strip of the Black Sea region, hazelnut is the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of families.

The hazelnut is a shrubby plant, 3–5 metres tall, that grows as a multi-stemmed bush rather than a single-trunk tree. It is wind-pollinated, and its fruit develops inside the husk — the green outer covering. As the nut ripens, the husk turns brown and the crop becomes ready to pick.

Hazelnut Growing Regions

In Turkey, hazelnut growing is concentrated along the Black Sea coastal strip. The regions and their characteristics:

Eastern Black Sea

• Ordu: Turkey’s largest hazelnut-producing province. The Tombul, Palaz and Çakıldak varieties are widespread here.
• Giresun: The homeland of the round Tombul hazelnut, known in the trade as “Giresun Quality”. The highest-grade nuts in the country come from here.
• Trabzon: Production is especially heavy in the Akçaabat and Vakfıkebir districts.

Western Black Sea

• Düzce: The largest producer in the western part of the growing belt.
• Sakarya: The Hendek and Akyazı districts stand out.
• Bolu, Zonguldak, Bartın: Smaller-scale production.

The Hazelnut Care Calendar

A hazelnut orchard needs active management twelve months a year. Every season brings its own set of jobs:

Winter (January – February)

The winter months are the pruning season. Beginning once the leaves have fallen, pruning is one of the most decisive operations in the hazelnut year.

• Pruning: Dead wood, diseased branches and branches crowding the centre of the bush are removed
• Sucker removal: Unwanted shoots rising from the base of the stool are cleared away
• Winter fertilizer: Farmyard manure plus phosphorus and potassium fertilizer are applied
• Big bud mite control: Swollen buds are picked off by hand and destroyed

For details see our January care guide and our February care guide.

Spring (March – May)

Spring is the period when fertilization and pest control intensify.

• First nitrogen dressing: Ammonium sulfate applied in March
• Planting young stock: The last chance to plant (end of March)
• Powdery mildew control: Spraying begins from April onwards
• Nut weevil control: May–June is the critical spraying window
• Second nitrogen dressing: Urea applied in May–June

Summer (June – August)

Through the summer months, irrigation, pest monitoring and harvest come to the fore.

• Irrigation: June–July is the critical watering period. Drip irrigation can lift yields by as much as 40%
• Brown marmorated stink bug: Monitoring from July onwards
• Leaf analysis: Leaf samples are taken in July
• Harvest: Begins from mid-August
• Threshing and drying: Husk removal and drying after picking

Autumn (September – November)

Autumn is the season for post-harvest care and preparing for next year.

• Finishing a late harvest: Early September
• Soil analysis: September–October is the ideal time
• Start of pruning: From October onwards
• Liming: pH correction in November
• Fertilizer planning: Based on the soil analysis results

Pruning

Pruning is one of the most important operations affecting hazelnut yield directly. Done correctly, it can raise yield by 20–30%. For a full treatment see our hazelnut pruning guide.

When to Prune

• Best window: November – February (after leaf fall)
• Avoid: Sub-zero conditions, and the start of spring sap flow

Types of Pruning

1. Formative pruning: Applied to young bushes (0–5 years) to shape the plant
2. Production pruning: A thinning cut on mature bushes (5+ years) that opens the plant to air and light
3. Rejuvenation pruning: Radical renewal in old orchards whose yield has fallen away

Basic Rules

• Never remove more than 30% of the bush in a single season
• Disinfect your cutting tools between bushes
• Apply wound sealant to large cuts
• Always clear the basal suckers

For comprehensive information on pruning types, techniques and the mistakes growers make most often, see our hazelnut pruning guide.

Fertilization

In a hazelnut orchard, getting fertilization right feeds straight through into yield and quality. Your fertilizer plan must always be built on soil analysis results. For the annual fertilizer calendar and rates, see our fertilization programme guide; for how to get an analysis done, see our soil analysis guide.

The Annual Fertilization Programme

Period	Fertilizer type	Rate (per decare)	Purpose
November–February	Farmyard manure	2–3 tonnes (once every 3–4 years)	Organic matter
November–February	Phosphorus + Potassium	Per analysis result	Root development
March	Ammonium sulfate	20–25 kg	First nitrogen
May–June	Urea	10–15 kg	Second nitrogen
May–July	Foliar fertilizer	At label rate	Micronutrients
November	Lime	Per analysis result	pH correction

Pests and Their Control

Dozens of pest species occur in hazelnut orchards. The most important ones, and when to deal with them, are summarised below. For detailed control guides, see our hazelnut nut weevil guide and our spraying calendar, which covers every major pest.

The Most Common Pests

Pest	Active period	Threat level	Control
Hazelnut nut weevil (Balaninus)	May–June	High	Chemical spraying
Green stink bug	April–July	High	Traps + spraying
Brown marmorated stink bug	April–October	High	Monitoring + spraying
Big bud mite	January–May	High	Mechanical + chemical
Fall webworm	June + August	Moderate	Traps + spraying
Twig borer	March–June	Moderate	Chemical

The Spraying Calendar

Sprays are applied against different pests throughout the year, and correct timing decides whether control succeeds or fails. Unnecessary spraying is both expensive and damaging to the environment — spray only when it is needed, and at the correct rate.

Diseases

The most common hazelnut diseases and how they are treated:

Powdery Mildew

A fungal disease that appears as a white, dusty coating on the leaves. It is active between April and July and is controlled with sulfur-based products. For symptoms, control methods and information on the new mildew species, see our powdery mildew guide.

The New Powdery Mildew (Erysiphe corylacearum)

An invasive fungal species present in Turkey since 2013. It is more aggressive than the traditional mildew and stays active from June through October.

Bacterial Blight

A bacterial disease that produces a scorched appearance on leaves and shoots. It is treated with copper-based products.

The Harvest

The hazelnut harvest generally falls between mid-August and early September. For a full account of harvest timing, methods and post-harvest handling, see our hazelnut harvest guide.

Signs of Ripeness

• The husk (green outer covering) turns brown
• The nuts loosen inside the husk
• The nuts drop easily from the bush

Harvesting Methods

1. Picking off the ground: The traditional method, and still the most widespread
2. Shaking from the bush: By hand or with a mechanical shaker
3. Machine harvesting: Sweeper or suction-type machines in large orchards

After the Harvest

• Threshing: Removing the husk with a huller
• Drying: Bringing moisture content down to 6% in the sun or in a drier
• Storage: In a dry, well-ventilated space, below 6% moisture

The Hazelnut Economy

Hazelnut is one of Turkey’s most important agricultural export commodities.

Market Structure

• TMO (the Turkish Grain Board): Sets a floor price each year
• The open market: Prices may form above or below the TMO level
• Exports: Most of the crop is exported to Europe, especially to Germany and Italy

What Moves the Price

• The size of the annual crop
• The world market and competing countries (Italy, the USA, Azerbaijan)
• The exchange rate
• Weather conditions and natural disasters

Labour and the Workforce

Hazelnut farming is a labour-intensive business. Large numbers of seasonal workers are needed, above all during the harvest.

Harvest-Season Labour

• Picking: Takes 15–25 days, depending on the size of the orchard
• Number of workers: 2–3 workers per day per dönüm
• Payment types: Daily wage, payment by the kilogram, or a fixed price for the whole job

The Difficulty of Finding Workers

Rural depopulation has made hazelnut labour steadily harder to find in recent years. Alongside the traditional approach — word of mouth through personal networks — digital platforms are increasingly being used to match workers with growers.

In Summary

Hazelnut growing rewards good information and good timing with high yields. Use the material in this guide as your reference point and you will manage your orchard more productively.

Remember:

• Do not miss the pruning window (November–February)
• Get a soil analysis done
• Watch your timing in pest control
• Prepare for harvest well in advance

For more depth, see our topic-specific guides: pruning guide, harvest guide, fertilization programme, soil analysis, hazelnut nut weevil, powdery mildew and spraying calendar. Our monthly care calendar lets you follow every job specific to the month you are in.

📚 Hazelnut Research Institute