Contorted filbert ( Corylus avellana " Contorta " ) is distinguish for its strange , distorted stems , which are easiest to see in wintertime when the branches are bare ; in spring , 2- to 3 - inch - foresighted yellow - brown manlike flowers , called ament , appear . In its preferred full- or partial - sun , well - drained sites , this large bush or small tree requires small aid , but it sometimes suffers from a fungous disease call eastern filbert blight . Contorted filbert grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8 , usually achieve about 8 feet tall and wide .
Step 1
contort filbert tolerates a reach of mature sites . An unfussy shrub , contorted filbert grows in backbone , loam andclay soils , and tolerates acid and slightly alkaline grime , but does n’t tolerate exposure to Strategic Arms Limitation Talks , such as on coastal sites or runoff from roads that are salt in icy term in winter . contort Corylus avellana grandis wo n’t grow in full refinement , but partial subtlety conditions are fine . Grow wring filbert next to a pack of cards , patio , course or water feature , where the turn stem can be appreciated in wintertime , and arise it out of the range of other shrubs and trees , so that the base are n’t mixed in with other branches . Space contorted filbert plant 36 to 60 inch apart . There ’s no need to fertilize this shrub when growing it in the ground .
Watering Needs
Young distort filbert plants need regular tearing , but watering is reduced as the plants mature . Water wring filbert regularly during the first year , use 10 gal of water for every 1 inch of the trunk ’s diam at knee summit at each watering . Water the tree three times a calendar month in ironical weather while the tree diagram is in leaf . Spray the water equally over the ground within the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s drip line , using a soft spray adherence on a garden hose . you may bump out the amount of prison term your hose takes to supply 10 gallons of water by clock how long it takes to fill a 5 - gal bucketful and doubling the fourth dimension . circulate a 2 - inch level of leaf mold , shred bark or other mulch around the tree to economise soil moisture , but leave behind a gap around the trunk to avoid advance rot . Established distort hazel trees tolerate drought but gain from watering when the dry land is wry to a depth of 3 inches .
Step 2
Pruning Contorted Filbert
Suckers that appear on a distort cobnut should be pruned , and you’re able to also improve the bush ’s appearance by form it . Suckers are shoots that turn from roots , and chump that seem on contorted hazel plant grow straight , not twisted . If they ’re leave to grow and get , they can master the plant . desexualize your pruning shear by wiping the blade with a textile soaked in rub alcohol , and prune suckers as faithful to the ground as possible whenever they seem . To open up out the center of a contorted hazel and influence the tree diagram , prune stagnant , damaged , ford and congested base , cutting where they unite the relaxation of the tree diagram . This is easiest to do when the branches are bare . Sterilize your pruning shears again when you ’ve finished .
Controlling Filbert Blight
Few pests or disease cause long - lasting damage to contorted filbert , but easterly filbert blight causes serious harm . A disease cause by the fungus Anisogramma anomala , eastern filbert blight causes swollen , ill-shapen and check barque , and finally spreads over the whole Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , killing it . Examine wring filbert shrubs regularly for signs of the disease , and prune involve stems 5 or 6 inches below the pathological area , using sterilized pruning shears . Sterilize the shear between each cut and after use . If the disease reaches the trunk there is no therapeutic and the tree should be drudge up and put away of . Eastern filbert blight go on in most places contorted filbert grows , admit western areas of the United States .
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