I have a corlyus contorta that does not contort. Why is this? When i first bought it, it was all corky, then all the branches off it grew straight up. I cut them back after two years. Not is is back again, shooting straight up. Is it my soil?
"Harry Lauders Walking Stick', the contorted hazel, is usually a grafted shrub. The contorted hazel is grafted onto a root stock which is a normal hazel. As happens with grafted roses, there is a tendency to shoot from the root stock. If these shoots are not pruned back, the straight form will take over. It does sound as though this may be your problem. Check out the souce of those straight shoots. If they come from the ground or very base, prune them out. With any luck you will find this will increase the vigour of the higher branches which should be the contorted form! Harry lauder was a Scottish comedian who was popualar in the early years of the 20th century.. a wee man with knobbly knees and a knobbly walking stick..and a good voice! I hope you can restore the knobbles to your hazel!
