When to Plant Hazelnut in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
What this month normally looks like in Cool Temperate
In October the Cool Temperate zone normally runs 19°C by day and 8°C overnight, with about 67 mm of rain over 9 or 10 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -3.0°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 28 postcodes, SILO.
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This Hazelnut guide is written for the Cool Temperate zone, which takes in Melbourne, Hobart and Geelong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Jun to Aug
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6.0–6.5
A small deciduous tree or multi stemmed bush for cold winter, cool summer districts: the apple country of Victoria, Tasmania, the Granite Belt and the Adelaide Hills (Daleys, Bulleen Art and Garden, InDaily).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Cool Temperate
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun P
- Jul P
- Aug P
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
P = Planting window
Melbourne gets about 830 chill hours and Ballarat 1180, enough for most varieties (Bulleen Art and Garden). Needs about 900 mm of rain or irrigation and at least two varieties. Nuts fall over two weeks in March and April. No Australian source read gives a planting month for hazelnut, so none is listed; the trees are sold potted.
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How to Grow Hazelnut in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Well drained but moist loam, or light sandy to gravelly soil (Bulleen Art and Garden, Daleys). Shallow roots like a 100 mm compost mulch (Organic Gardener).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.0-6.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun (Bulleen Art and Garden).
- Keep away from
- Hot windy sites, Salty bore water
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Hazelnut
Recommended Varieties
- Ennis
- Butler
- Halls Giant (pollinator)
- Barcelona
Key Challenges
- Cockatoos
- Hazelnut mite
Pro Tips
- Net before nuts ripen
- Sweep nuts onto tarps
Pests and problems for Hazelnut in Cool Temperate
Harvesting Hazelnut
When ready: Nuts drop from the husks over about two weeks; a gentle shake brings more down (Bulleen Art and Garden).
How to harvest: Sweep or knock nuts onto tarps, dehusk and dry (Organic Gardener).
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Hazelnut
When do you plant hazelnut in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): not recommended
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jun to Aug
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jun to Aug
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jun to Aug
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jun to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jun to Aug
When should I plant Hazelnut in Melbourne?
Melbourne gets about 830 chill hours and Ballarat 1180, enough for most varieties (Bulleen Art and Garden). Needs about 900 mm of rain or irrigation and at least two varieties. Nuts fall over two weeks in March and April. No Australian source read gives a planting month for hazelnut, so none is listed; the trees are sold potted.
How do I know when Hazelnut are ready to harvest?
Nuts drop from the husks over about two weeks; a gentle shake brings more down (Bulleen Art and Garden).
What are the best Hazelnut varieties for Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Ennis, Butler, Halls Giant (pollinator), Barcelona.
Are hazelnut salt tolerant?
No. Hazelnut are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.