straight contorta

I planted a corylus in my garden 3 years ago and it is thriving, but I have noticed that at least half of the new shoots are straight, so half of the plant is twisted and half is straight. Can anyone tell me if this is usual and if I can do anything about it. Thanks in advance.

Re: straight contorta

Reply from Kathy C

Hi, Rebecca,
Some contorted Corylus sold on the market are plants that have been grafted onto a non-contorting rootstock so what the plant is doing is reverting back to the genetic characteristics of that rootstock. you should prune out the straight bits. Typically, this corylus needs only light pruning when dormant. However, it can handle a harder prune in this case but it will probably look lopsided for some time.
Kathy C

Re: Re: straight contorta

Reply from rebecca wingar

Hi Kathy, thanks for the reply. Is it likely that all new growth will be straight?