Hazlenut pruning

[Chucksmum]

Does anyone know the best time for pruning Hazlenuts?
I have 3 large trees which need some attention.

[WendyS]

Probably the best time is late autumn after the trees have shed all their leaves and you've picked all the nuts (if you've been lucky enough to get any this hot summer !).

[missieb]

If only it was that easy! This is going to sound like Call My Bluff but there is a technique called 'brutting' which is used to increase the amount of fruit you get. You bend the long current year's shoots in half so that they dangle outwards. This apparently gives you more fruit.
So, if your trees are much too big in autumn completely take out one third of the branches, back to the main stem. Repeat with the rest of the old wood over the next two years. When you have reduced them to a manageable size, you can start brutting! Good luck!!!