Hazelnut Orchard Establishment in Greece
In a 2023 report on contract orchards in northern Greece, the cultivars promoted were three, among them 'Tonda di Giffoni' and 'Tonda Romana'. Greek guides also list older cultivars of Turkish origin such as 'Extra Giaghli', 'Sivri Giaghli' and 'Palaz'. A university professor wrote in 2023 that, in Greek cultivar evaluations (place and years not given), 'Tonda di Giffoni' was more productive trained as a tree, 'Sivri Giaghli', 'Tombul Giaghli' and 'Palaz' had a kernel share of 54 to 55%, and 'Extra Giaghli' had low productivity.
Hazelnut is self-sterile, and a 2015 Greek guide gives one pollinizer tree to eight of the main cultivar; Oregon State University's (OSU) standard layout, every third tree in every third row, makes about 11% of the trees pollinizers. An Orestiada grower reported that female flowers opened before the male ones in 2023, while in 2024 bloom coincided and pollination was much better. A 2025 report from Thrace, citing agronomists and the literature, said frost is a concern for hazelnut only in the first ten days of April.
A 2018 Greek guide gives 5 × 6 m spacing for trees and 7 × 8 m for bushes, and a 2015 guide notes that grafting on non-suckering Turkish hazel (Corylus colurna) gives single-stem trees. In Thrace the first nuts came in the third year at Xanthi, and an Orestiada grower expects full production in the ninth year. In the mechanized system this guide follows, nuts are swept and picked up from the ground, so OSU advises making the floor as smooth as possible at least a year before the first commercial harvest.
Practical Tips for Hazelnut Orchard Establishment
Plant a compatible pollinizer: hazelnut is self-sterile, and a 2015 Greek guide gives one pollinizer tree to eight of the main cultivar.
Plant three pollinizer cultivars, early, mid and late, as Oregon State University advises: at Orestiada, male and female bloom coincided in 2024 but not in 2023.
For single-stem orchards, consider cultivars that suit tree training: in Greek evaluations reported in 2023, 'Tonda di Giffoni' was more productive as a tree.
Plan single-stem trees if you intend to mechanize: a 2015 Greek guide notes that grafting on non-suckering Turkish hazel gives single-stem plants.
Choose deep, fertile, well-drained soils of pH 5.5 to 7.0 and avoid heavy clay, as a Greek cultivation guide advises.
Smooth and firm the orchard floor at least a year before the first commercial harvest, as Oregon State University advises, so sweepers can work up to the trunks.
Recommended Establishment Stages
Hazelnut Orchard Care & Maintenance in Greece
A 2023 report on contract orchards in northern Greece says the trees must be irrigated from April to September, and in 2022 an agronomist of the company buying the Xanthi crop said it wanted to train growers in the correct use of fertigation. In late March 2025 a report from Thrace said the lack of rain meant the aquifer was not being recharged and fields would need early irrigation. Summers are dry: at Thessaloniki, August averaged 20.4 mm of rain in 1959 to 1997 (Hellenic National Meteorological Service, via WMO).
Bacterial canker (Pseudomonas avellanae) was first described in Greece in 1979, and a 2026 paper notes severe damage reported in northern Greece, citing work from 1987. EPPO lists the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) as present in Greece, first found in Athens in 2011; no source found reports its damage to hazelnut in Greece. A 2022 review lists the hazelnut weevil (Curculio nucum) as recorded in Greece.
In Thrace, pruning and weed control had been done by late March 2025, and a 2023 report says the contract orchards in northern Greece are intercropped with clover, which also enriches the soil. In single-stem orchards planted for machines, the ID DAVID ECOFEED spreads solid manure, the ID DAVID LAT&GO string mower controls weeds without herbicides, the Mañez Lozano Narrow Twister S6 sprays tall, dense canopies and the ID DAVID V1 disc pruner makes vertical and horizontal cuts.
Recommended Orchard Care & Maintenance Stages
Practical Tips for Hazelnut Orchard Care & Maintenance
Irrigate from April to September, as the contract orchards in northern Greece do (2023), and start early after a dry spring.
Remove suckers at least twice a year, in autumn and in late May or early June, as Türkiye's Hazelnut Research Institute advises.
Check for hazelnut weevils, recorded in Greece, when over half of the main cultivars' nuts reach lentil size, as Türkiye's Institute advises.
Monitor for the brown marmorated stink bug: Oregon State University reports that its feeding can cause empty kernels early and shriveled or corked kernels later.
Keep a cover such as clover between rows, as the contract orchards in northern Greece do, and flail-mow it before nut drop, as Oregon State University describes.
Control weeds without herbicides with a string mower such as the ID DAVID LAT&GO, and keep the orchard floor level for harvest.
Hazelnut Harvesting in Greece
At Orestiada the 2023 harvest began after 20 August, and the 2024 harvest was expected much earlier after an early spring; in 2024 growers there needed no hired hands. A report of 24 October 2026 placed the harvest in late September, yet a second pass was under way, with a third to follow. Greek guides describe hand gathering after natural drop or pole-beating, or shakers and suction machines. In single-stem orchards planted for machines, mechanized harvesting can bring the crop in on time, with less risk of nuts deteriorating while they wait.
In the mechanized system this guide follows, as in Oregon, the trees are not shaken: OSU explains that the thin-barked, shallow-rooted trees would be damaged. The nuts drop onto a leveled, flail-mowed floor, then are swept and picked up in several passes. Rain rises in autumn: at Thessaloniki, September and October averaged 27.4 and 40.8 mm on 5.9 and 8.7 days in 1959 to 1997 (Hellenic National Meteorological Service, via WMO).
Flory harvesting machinery is available in Greece through OVE Europe for single-stem orchards planted for machines. The Flory 34 Series Sweeper sweeps the nuts into windrows and the 860 Harvester picks them up; the smaller 490 suits hazelnuts in OVE's experience, and Flory lists a mud brush as standard for hazelnuts on the 860. The 1500 Conveyor Cart receives the nuts, the ST14 Shuttle carries them and the 4840 Field Elevator loads trailers for the processing site.
Hazelnut Harvest Workflow (Recommended Equipment)
Practical Tips for Hazelnut Harvesting
Level, smooth and flail-mow the orchard floor before nut drop, as Oregon State University describes, so the sweeper can work right up to the trunks.
Plan for several harvest passes: a report from Orestiada on 24 October 2026 said a second pass was under way, with a third to follow.
Expect timing to shift with spring weather: at Orestiada the 2024 harvest was expected much earlier than in 2023 after an early spring.
Gather fallen nuts before autumn rain where possible: British Columbia's hazelnut guide warns that a crop harvested wet causes storage problems.
Keep bins of harvested nuts out of the rain until drying: Oregon State University notes that nuts in bins left in the rain before drying can turn moldy.
Check tractor power before choosing a harvester: Flory gives 85 HP as the minimum for the 860, and for the 490 in hazelnuts.
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Hazelnut Post-Harvest Handling & Processing in Greece
A 2025 report said the company holding the growers' contracts, based in Xanthi, had brought in the first washer-dryer for the Thrace crop and expected the first cracker by the end of that season; in 2026 the Orestiada crop was collected in Xanthi. A 2023 report on contract orchards in northern Greece says the nuts can be stored under roof for up to a year and are used both as table nuts and by the chocolate industry.
In British Columbia's guide, nuts are husked, cleaned, washed, sanitized and dried to 5 to 8% moisture within 24 hours of harvest. Türkiye's Hazelnut Research Institute advises that dried nuts hold no more than 12% moisture in shell and 6% as kernels, and the Codex code of practice for tree nuts advises storage below 70% relative humidity and at 0 to 10 °C, both where possible.
As an EU member, Greece applies Regulation (EU) 2023/915: 5.0 µg/kg of aflatoxin B1 and 10.0 µg/kg in total for hazelnuts for the final consumer or used as an ingredient, and 8.0 and 15.0 µg/kg for nuts to be sorted first. Jessee, whose processing lines OVE Europe supplies, builds drying, in-shell cleaning and sizing, and shelling systems, and it established product lines for hazelnuts in the 1980s.
For general information only. Information may become outdated and does not replace site-specific professional advice. Consult a qualified agronomist and confirm equipment suitability with OVE before acting.
Practical Tips for Hazelnut Post-Harvest Handling & Processing
Dry hazelnuts promptly after harvest: in British Columbia's guide they are dried to 5 to 8% moisture within 24 hours.
Never leave husk-on nuts in thick layers or heaps: Türkiye's Hazelnut Research Institute warns that they heat up and rot.
Where possible, dry nuts in a dryer rather than in the sun: the Codex code warns that sun-dried nuts face a greater risk of fungal contamination.
Store dried nuts under roof: a 2023 report on contract orchards in northern Greece says they keep for up to a year.
Size nuts into narrow grades before cracking: Türkiye's Institute advises 10 to 20 sizes at 0.5 mm steps to reduce kernel damage.
Test lots for aflatoxins: in the EU, hazelnuts for the final consumer or used as an ingredient must not exceed 5.0 µg/kg of B1 and 10.0 µg/kg in total.
Recommended Post-Harvest Handling & Processing Stages
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