When I think of the crops I’m eager to grow, my mind rarely goes to nuts. But when I spotted the last of the season’s cobnuts at the greengrocer’s, it occurred to me that this could be one to consider. The nuts that come from the hazel – a tree that grows in many a woodland and also my front garden – have been foraged for millennia and cultivated versions have existed since Roman times.
It’s the cultivated varieties you want to plant for a decent crop of cobnuts, as wild hazel produces smaller yields. This is a tree that prefers mild conditions, hence their connection to Kent, where they were grown abundantly during the Victorian era (one of the most popular varieties is called the Kentish cob.) They prefer a sunny spot, in free-draining earth – a challenge for me with my clay soil – in a sheltered position where they’ll be protected from frosts that would affect pollination.
