Growing zone: American zone 2 to 8. European zone 4 to 8.
Time to maturity: 2 to 3 years
Pollination needs: A cross pollinator of the same type.
Pruning/Thinning: They will eventually grow into thick hedges or trees with dense branches. Once the tree begins to make nuts you should prune back old unproductive branches every other year.
Harvest time: Early fall
Hazelnuts produce a small nut. There are two different types of hazelnuts, European and American. American hazelnuts have better cold hardiness and improved resistance to common blight and fungal diseases that can plague the trees.
Hazelnuts bloom in early spring, often before the leaves emerge from the buds. If you live in an area where spring weather can swing, causing random freezing events it is best to avoid planting hazelnuts in low lying areas. In these cases the trees should be planted on a high spot in the orchard that receives good morning light.
Most hazelnuts need cross-pollination by another tree. While you don’t need a unique variety it is best to pollinate American with American or European with European.
Long term storage options: Nuts must be thoroughly dried before being put into cold storage. So long as they are kept in a cool dry place they will stay viable for up to a year.