Cobnut Cosford Cob A very reliable old cultivar, Corylus avellana Cosford grows well in a wide range of conditions. It produces medium-sized to large, oblong, thin-shelled, very nutritious nuts with a good, very sweet flavour which ripen in late September. It’s a vigorous, multi-stemmed bush, which should be pruned twice a year to keep it to a manageable height. With attractive, bright yellow catkins, it is an excellent pollinator for other hazels, and should therefore always be planted in a hazelnut orchard. Kentish Cob and Hall’s Giant are good pollination partners. Prunings make excellent pea-sticks and bean poles. Site: ShelteredSoil: Well-drained, slightly acid to slightly alkaline soilPosition: Crops best in full sun; tolerates light shadePick: Late SeptemberKeep: Until new yearPollination: Partially self-fertile; will crop better with a pollination partnerUses: Eating, roasting, cooking Learn more about how to choose and grow hazelnuts and other nuts in our advice section and on our resources page.