winter hazel

Winter hazel should be watered only when the soil is dry to a depth of 1 inch. This plant species prefers soil that is kept consistently moist but never soggy. The best way to water winter hazel is to soak the soil thoroughly once a week—but only when necessary. In hot weather, more frequent watering may be needed.

Winter hazel is a deciduous shrub that prefers a sunny location. In winter, when the leaves have dropped, it can tolerate some shade, but otherwise it should ideally receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. This can be lesser in the summer, when it is growing, as it is still able to successfully synthesize energy from dappled shade and partial sun. It will still benefit from regular direct sunlight, however, for photosynthesis. In order to bloom, winter hazel requires long days with plenty of sunshine, and should receive a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight while growing.

Winter hazel should be pruned in late winter when plants are still dormant. Pruning should focus on removing damaged or dead branches, and for shaping purposes, up to 1-third of the oldest branches can be removed. Pruning of winter hazel should generally be limited to minimal shaping to maintain the desired size and shape of the shrubs. There is no need to prune back into healthy tissues as winter hazel does not spread in width very much.