Hi! This is my first time posting, and I am hoping someone will be able to help me sort out the aforementioned witch hazel?

It's a long story, but I moved to Yorkshire from Oxford in 2005, and brought with me a young corkscrew witch hazel, which I had planted up in a tub with some dwarf daffodils. I haven't managed to sort out its permanent home yet, but it has been quite happy in its pot, throwing out new branches most years, and covering itself with lovely healthy leaves each spring.

The problem is, it isn't cork screwing. All but one of the branches are straight as a dye. I upgrade its pot whenever necessary, and it really looks very happy, it just seems to want to be straight. Does anyone have any ideas that might get it to cork screw properly as it is supposed to do??

All suggestions gratefully received.

On 9 Mar, 15:37, weeble
wrote:
Hi! *This is my first time posting, and I am hoping someone will be able
to help me sort out the aforementioned witch hazel?

It's a long story, but I moved to Yorkshire from Oxford in 2005, and
brought with me a young corkscrew witch hazel, which I had planted up
in a tub with some dwarf daffodils. *I haven't managed to sort out its
permanent home yet, but it has been quite happy in its pot, throwing
out new branches most years, and covering itself with lovely healthy
leaves each spring.

The problem is, it isn't cork screwing. * All but one of the branches
are straight as a dye. *I upgrade its pot whenever necessary, and it
really looks very happy, it just seems to want to be straight. *Does
anyone have any ideas that might get it to cork screw properly as it is
supposed to do??

All suggestions gratefully received.

--
weeble

Cork screw Hazels aer grafted and I suspect that what you have are a
lot of shoots comming from below the graft.
These will be more vigorous than the grafted wood so have to be
removed.
I have one that was moved 4 times in it's first 10 years, every time
from open ground to open ground, it has been in its present home for
about 12 years now, and has always taken the move well, it jost got
heavier and bigger each time.
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries

Dave Hill writes
On 9 Mar, 15:37, weeble
wrote:
Hi! *This is my first time posting, and I am hoping someone will be able
to help me sort out the aforementioned witch hazel?

It's a long story, but I moved to Yorkshire from Oxford in 2005, and
brought with me a young corkscrew witch hazel, which I had planted up
in a tub with some dwarf daffodils. *I haven't managed to sort out its
permanent home yet, but it has been quite happy in its pot, throwing
out new branches most years, and covering itself with lovely healthy
leaves each spring.

That's not right! Nice as they are in spring when covered in catkins,
once they have leaves, they look like a heap of old dishcloths.

The problem is, it isn't cork screwing. * All but one of the branches
are straight as a dye. *I upgrade its pot whenever necessary, and it
really looks very happy, it just seems to want to be straight. *Does
anyone have any ideas that might get it to cork screw properly as it is
supposed to do??

Cork screw Hazels aer grafted and I suspect that what you have are a
lot of shoots comming from below the graft.
These will be more vigorous than the grafted wood so have to be
removed.
I have one that was moved 4 times in it's first 10 years, every time
from open ground to open ground, it has been in its present home for
about 12 years now, and has always taken the move well, it jost got
heavier and bigger each time.

Agreed with David. Cut out all the straight bits and leave only your one
and only corkscrew bit.
--
Kay

"weeble" wrote in message
...

Hi! This is my first time posting, and I am hoping someone will be able
to help me sort out the aforementioned witch hazel?

It's a long story, but I moved to Yorkshire from Oxford in 2005, and
brought with me a young corkscrew witch hazel, which I had planted up
in a tub with some dwarf daffodils. I haven't managed to sort out its
permanent home yet, but it has been quite happy in its pot, throwing
out new branches most years, and covering itself with lovely healthy
leaves each spring.

The problem is, it isn't cork screwing. All but one of the branches
are straight as a dye. I upgrade its pot whenever necessary, and it
really looks very happy, it just seems to want to be straight. Does
anyone have any ideas that might get it to cork screw properly as it is
supposed to do??

All suggestions gratefully received.



My experience with twisted Hazels is that nothing can be done to make a
'straight' shoot into a corkscrew branch. But provided you ruthlessly cut
out all the 'straight' shoots and suckers whenever they arise, only allowing
corkscrew branches to develop, you should be OK. So in your case, I'd lop
off the straight branches as near to the bole or the ground as possible,
keep on top of any straight regrowths, and hope for the best.

Thanks for the information, it is a great help. I just have one more question though, when is the best time to prune it? (Bet you'd never have guessed I am a novice gardener!)

Do you mean wych hazel, or hazel? Remove the straight stems as soon as possible as they are reversions and will take over. Use them as stakes, and until they are removed it will not corkscrew.

OP evidently has hazel (Corylus), not witch hazel (Hamamelis). Witch hazel got the common name hazel because its twigs were used for dowsing like hazel. As it happens, their leaves have a similar shape, but then so do many others. But otherwise they are neither closely related nor especially similar. The only corkscrew varieties I've come across are (true) hazel and willow.

The message
from echinosum contains these words:


beccabunga;833057 Wrote:
Do you mean wych hazel, or hazel?
OP evidently has hazel (Corylus), not witch hazel (Hamamelis). Witch
hazel got the common name hazel because its twigs were used for
dowsing like hazel. As it happens, their leaves have a similar shape,
but then so do many others. But otherwise they are neither closely
related nor especially similar. The only corkscrew varieties I've come
across are (true) hazel and willow.

Oi hev some corkscrew willers, any'un waarnt a cutting, tergither?

--
Rusty
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk

On 10 Mar, 12:03, weeble
wrote:
K;833032 Wrote:





Dave Hill writes-
On 9 Mar, 15:37, weeble
wrote:-
Hi! *This is my first time posting, and I am hoping someone will be
able
to help me sort out the aforementioned witch hazel?

It's a long story, but I moved to Yorkshire from Oxford in 2005, and
brought with me a young corkscrew witch hazel, which I had planted up
in a tub with some dwarf daffodils. *I haven't managed to sort out
its
permanent home yet, but it has been quite happy in its pot, throwing
out new branches most years, and covering itself with lovely healthy
leaves each spring.--

That's not right! Nice as they are in spring when covered in catkins,
once they have leaves, they look like a heap of old dishcloths.--

The problem is, it isn't cork screwing. * All but one of the branches
are straight as a dye. *I upgrade its pot whenever necessary, and it
really looks very happy, it just seems to want to be straight. *Does
anyone have any ideas that might get it to cork screw properly as it
is
supposed to do??--
-
*Cork screw Hazels aer grafted and I suspect that what you have are a
lot of shoots comming from below the graft.
These will be more vigorous than the grafted wood so have to be
removed.*
I have one that was moved 4 times in it's first 10 years, every time
from open ground to open ground, it has been in its present home for
about 12 years now, and has always taken the move well, it jost got
heavier and bigger each time.-

*Agreed with David. Cut out all the straight bits and leave only your
one
and only corkscrew bit.*
--
Kay

Thanks for the information, it is a great help. *I just have one more
question though, when is the best time to prune it? *(Bet you'd never
have guessed I am a novice gardener!)


SASP or sooner.
David Hill