broken hazelnut tree! Please help...

hazelnut

Question: My beloved little ( 1 foot tall, I raised from a seedling ) hazelnut tree has been chopped down by, what I'm guessing, was a sociopathic squirrel. After I stopped crying I noticed there was a little bit of green left at the stump. Is it possible my tree will survive? Can I replant the broken limbs and hope for something there? I would love some help because I know nothing of growing trees but would really love this little guy to survive.

hazelnut

Oh and I live in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The tree is currently inside as are all it's sad little pieces. Sorry I can't post pictures but there is little to see. A miniature stump with a tiny green leaf.

Eric Frei

Strike it like cuttings using rooting powder.

With the stump, snip it off clean and on a slight angle, keep up the moisture (water), apply seaweed style solution and maybe it will shoot.

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Eden Keeper

I'd suspect a rabbit since squirrels would dig up any remaining part of the seed the first year, but at a foot tall it sounds like it may be the second year or later from seed, which improves the chances of survival since the root system would be stronger. Hazelnuts especially the shrubby types are better at resprouting than rooting, and if it has a well developed root system it may grow even faster than before. The cut twigs can be given a chance at rooting although the success rate is reportedly low. Typically this involves a good rooting media that is kept moist, but not too wet, and having at least one node below the soil line and only one leaf above the soil for each piece of twig. Generally the fresher the material the better while timing relative to the wood hardening is not a variable that can controlled in this instance, but at least any new growth from the stump will have time to harden before winter. If this was a grafted hazelnut (cultivars with either crooked twigs or purple leaves are possible examples) there is a chance that it was cut below the graft and all that will resprout is the rootstock. I seem to recall there being restrictions on importing hazelnuts to the adjacent parts of the USA (OR and WA), which is not unusual to prevent the introduction of any diseases, since commercial production is concentrated in this area.

hazelnut

Thank you both! I have high hopes for my little tree. After a few days the small green shoot from the stump is quite green and alive. I have been keeping the soil quite damp and the whole operation has been moved inside my apartment.

As for the rabbit I would totally agree with you if I didn't live on the third floor of an apartment building. So strange.

Another question; is it ok to keep the tree inside, especially for the winter? It was already in a pot, needless to say. I'm worried the creature will return to "finish the job".

Thanks again!
Denise

hazelnut

....Also, for interest's sake, the tree was originally weeded by my mom when still sprouting out of it's seed ( courtesy also of squirrels, I think ). I rescued it from being composted and planted it in a pot. It was then also nearly killed again by my mom when she put it in a shed for the winter ( she thought the tree was dead because it lost it's one leaf for the winter ). So the tree has been through much more than any tree I have ever know in it's young life. If anything could live through that it would be this tree!

Brent Ferris

It should be ok to winter inside, as long as it is not reintroduced to the outside until after frost in the spring. The only real problem with this scheme, is that the leaves may fall off since it is away from the UV light, and may fall off again when it is re-exposed to UV light. Using "black" lights as one of the light sources thru the winter can minimize this effect. Personally I would put it out in the garden or balcony again and surround it with some 1/4" mesh or hardware cloth for protection. And if overwintering it on the balcony, protect the pot with foam to minimize freezing of the roots. I know Vancouver doesn't usually get long, deep frozen periods -- but it is hard to predict the weather, especially winter weather,.

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