Anyone had any luck with these?
http://www.badgersett.com/info.....azel1.html
We planted some in 2001 and have been disappointed by small crops and a lack of vigor. After eight years the largest plants are around 4' high.
Lon, ‘FrozenNorth’ is a new contributor from (where else) the Frozen North; as noted elsewhere:
“We live in southern MN in USDA zone 4 and will be harvesting our first substantial apple and plum crop this fall.†… “I'd like to invite anyone in zone 3 or 4 to share their fruit growing experiences with an eye towards hardiness, reliability of crop production, and fruit quality.â€
I found his link to the highbred ‘filberts’ very interesting – and his subsequent experience equally depressing. Now you tell me we can even ‘import them.’ …I’ll stop researching 
So, they’re immune to eastern filbert blight, but are (all?) carriers, or potential carriers?
I’ve not had good luck with commercial filberts; Ennis and Duchilly being my two attempts. I doubt their demise was due to blight, but they never did much in their 5 or 6 years… Yet in these “Yamhill’s†I’m surrounded by them (and grapes)!
…guess I’ll have to rely on my native ‘hazel brush’ … I’d have to agree with the estimate of their longevity being ‘forever’ – ever dug a clump out? Can’t say I’ve noticed a ‘tap-root,’ but by the time I’ve got their mass tipped – I don’t care!
…though we’ve got a pretty good crop this year … I’m sure the Stellar Jays are fully aware of it, too… Actually, if I want filberts, I’ve a neighbor growing acres of them 
I found Frozennorth's info after I posted.
I met Phil Rutter of Badgersett some years ago, He and the late Cecil Farris of Michigan are(were) two of the most active breeders of hazelnuts for the eastern U.S. Some of Cecil's selections are even being planted commercially in Michigan. If they work out, they'll make Michigan the second state, after Oregon to produce hazelnuts commercially.
Oregon had a quarantine against eastern hazelnuts for years, trying to block Eastern Filbert Blight. It got in and spread anyway, and after it was all over the state, the quarantine was lifted. Meanwhile Shawn Mehlenbacher at Oregon State U. bred and released a number of resistant varieties. Ennis isn't a resistant one, though.
Here's some information on the new varieties.
Shawn's program released three cultivars with a high level of resistance—'Lewis' (1997), 'Clark' (1999) and 'Sacajawea' (2006), and an EFB-immune cultivar 'Santiam' (2005). Trees of 'Santiam' and several OSU selections are now being propagated by tissue culture.
That means that by now trees should be available commercially. A search for Oregon hazelnut nurseries got these: http://www.oregonhazelnuts.org.....eries.html
Unfortunately there is now a new strain of EFB that's more virulent, so the Oregon Dept. of Ag. put a new quarantine into effect recently to prevent it being brought into Oregon. And yes, Badgersett's trees could easily carry it.
Here in Oregon we do have some reasonably resistant varieties available. I have Royale and it has stayed clean when other trees were hit by blight. Check the OSU website for some of the new blight resistant types, too.
As to why FrozenNorth's trees are so low in vigor, all I can say is that in cold climates many fruits and nuts are smaller in size than in warmer areas. The Badgersett nuts probably are at the edges of their survival zone in FN's locale, so the trees don't grow well.
(I am getting up on my soapbox for a minute... Trafalger Square style)
Just a gentle reminder that quarantines etc. are put on for very very good reasons. We should all be big time proponents of them. Our gov't does not do these willy nilly or without good reason.
The pacific coast of the United States is very unique partly because of our geographic isolation from 'the rest of the world'. Bugs and pests that are found virtually everywhere else are not here and big advantage for us.
Handing over that overripe banana at the Calif border with a suggestive grin, gesture or joke may get one in the pokey but not likely. 
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(/soapbox - I am done now! thx)
On another subj - plumfun is totally correct about getting 'free' stuff from the gov't and less said the better.
Lon, I saw that Royal fruiting at Corvallis last fall. That is one impressive nut bearer! I am trying to root cuttings of it taken last fall. They have been in the ground all spring, some seem to be alive still, but doubt if they actually have roots. Time will tell.
My backup plan is to make a hotbox and graft some Turkish seedlings over to it. The seedlings should be pencil diameter or better by this fall. They are in pots for ease of movement.
Riokki, thanks for understanding on the repository issue.
[quote="plumfun":323fdjzr]Lon, I saw that Royal fruiting at Corvallis last fall. That is one impressive nut bearer! I am trying to root cuttings of it taken last fall. They have been in the ground all spring, some seem to be alive still, but doubt if they actually have roots. Time will tell.
My backup plan is to make a hotbox and graft some Turkish seedlings over to it. The seedlings should be pencil diameter or better by this fall. They are in pots for ease of movement.
Riokki, thanks for understanding on the repository issue.[/quote:323fdjzr]
You could have suckers from my Royal tree, if you want. It needs some work, but there are plenty of suckers if you are willing to dig.
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