Growing FAQs

Growing Hazelnuts

How many years does it take for a newly planted orchard to produce a crop worth harvesting?

There are many variables, but it typically takes 4 years for an orchard to produce enough nuts to be worth mechanically harvesting. This can depend on the age of the trees you buy or the size of their caliper. Be sure to discuss this with your nursery salesman prior to purchase.

How many acres do you need to plant to make it worth the investment in equipment to harvest and grow hazelnuts?

It takes approximately 30 acres to warrant the investment in expertise and equipment.  Depending on your location, there are custom harvest operations available to growers who plant less than 30 acres.  For efficiencies sake, having less than 10 acres in one area can be more of a challenge.

What should I know when planting hazelnuts?

Talk to one of our Grower Representatives or an Agronomist with Valley Agronomics to get specifics.  It is important to have the correct soil type favorable for hazelnuts to grow.  Drainage is also a critical component as hazelnut trees do not do well in wet soil for extended periods of time..

An Agronomist can help with soil tests before planting to confirm proper pH and nutrient levels.  They can consult further with tips on nutritional needs and weed control measures as you need.

When are hazelnuts typically planted?

Orchards are typically planted in the fall or early winter months when trees are dormant. Planting during active growth periods is likely to set you back a year if the trees become stressed.

Why do some orchards have trees planted closer together than others?

Tree spacing is one of the critical variables in good orchard design. Different varieties grow into different size trees which require different spacing for optimum production. In addition, row spacing must be compatible with a grower’s equipment. There are also some orchards planted with a “double density” to get quicker return from the investment. However, after 9-10 years those orchards will be thinned to remove every other tree as the growing trees begin to crowd each other. Before planting “double density” consult with an Agronomist or Grower Representative on whether it would be advantageous or problematic for your orchard plan.

When are trees harvested?

Hazelnuts naturally fall to the ground in September and October depending on seasonality and tree variety.  The nuts are then swept into a row and picked up by machine in prep for washing and drying.

Processing and Marketing

Where does the crop go once it is harvested?

Hazelnuts are harvested into either 4’x4’x4’ wooden boxes supplied by the processor, or the grower can haul their crop in trucks or trailers of any kind to be received at one of our wash stations where it is cleaned, dried and later trucked to our processing plant to be sized and cracked and/or packaged for sales. Depending on the order, the crop could be pasteurized and roasted at our facility as well.

Where are Oregon Hazelnuts sold to?

Historically, Oregon Hazelnuts have been sold in-shell to far east countries as a traditional food consumed during the celebration of Chinese New Year. In recent years, sales have tended towards kernel products in Europe. As Oregon volume increases with newly planted acres, these market channels in Europe will stabilize and yield higher prices as Oregon becomes a larger and more consistent supplier.

Do Oregon Hazelnuts have a marketing advantage?

Hazelnuts sourced from Oregon have tons of market potential given our sustainable farming practices, high level of food safety, and technology that yields a more desirable product. As our industry shifts from an in-shell dominate market to a high-value kernel, Oregon processors face the challenge of communicating these crop quality factors to European and even domestic markets to compete with Turkish product.