[FatDan]

LEG I'm assuming you have tree's producing nuts so in your opinion do deer really seem to prefer them over an acorn. I have a lot of oaks on my place that didn't produce this year. I do plan to plant some more oaks but I want to try to put some chestnuts in the ground too. I can't imagine my oaks aren't going to produce at some point because there huge mature trees. I know the new oaks I plant will be a long time off from producing acorns but I here chestnuts I could have nuts in around 5 years.

 

[FatDan]

I saw the MDC Seedling thread and it got me thinking... I've got a lot of those trees already on my property, and have planted a lot of seedlings from MDC, but I've always wanted to grow chestnuts. I've read a lot of good things about them, but am not really wanting to drop a huge pile of cash to order trees. Anyone here grow them? Tried a search but that function isn't working on my phone for this site...

I did come across a 51 page thread on the QDMA forum with a lot of info on growing them from seed. Seed cost is pretty reasonable, and I have the room to do it. I think I might order some and give it a whirl.

I can't find this 51 page thread you speak of can you post a link when you get a chance?

 

[letemgrow]

LEG I'm assuming you have tree's producing nuts so in your opinion do deer really seem to prefer them over an acorn. I have a lot of oaks on my place that didn't produce this year. I do plan to plant some more oaks but I want to try to put some chestnuts in the ground too. I can't imagine my oaks aren't going to produce at some point because there huge mature trees. I know the new oaks I plant will be a long time off from producing acorns but I here chestnuts I could have nuts in around 5 years.

I had some that were flowering, but the drought smoked those trees and I never got a chestnut seed yet. Chestnuts can fruit by year 4 on an ideal site and proper care. Chestnuts flower in June so they are not hit by the frosts like an oak is. They will produce most all years. They do not like alkaline soils so be careful there.

 

[letemgrow]

LEG- do you grow AC strictly? Is it due to your ACS affiliation- don't want other species to cross-pollinate?

I'm not big on the hype for branded products. You won't find the advertised plot stuff at my place- just a good way to spend more money. Is there a good reason to not plant dunstans? I don't see where I can go wrong with $6 per lb though...

For $6 per lb, i'd plant Dunstans also and you cannot go wrong there. I cannot plant anything else according to the ACCF paperwork since they are working with 100% American Chestnuts. I prefer those sky scraper American Chestnut trees anyways over the orchard type Dunstans (that is what they turn into for the most part).

I'd never buy the potted trees for $25 or whatever they sell for at wal-mart, waste of money if you are hoping for the American growth form as that is hit or miss...usually miss and you end up with a chinese looking tree.

Now, when they go on clearance, they are worth it at wally world and other places IMO.

 

[gurgalunas]

Here is the QDMA thread. I went thru a 6 pack and fully charged ipad battery one night and only got to page 30. Good info for growing out from the nut to potted tree. I haven't found info on direct sowing other than what LEG wrote early in this thread though.

http://www.qdma.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46975

 

[UrbanHunter]

Might as well tell the story for those who don't know.
Chestnut Blight came into the US in the early 1900's. The native trees had no natural resistance, and virtually ALL the native chestnuts succumbed.
In some areas, like the Appalachians, the chestnuts comprised some 25% of the tree stands. That means more than 25% of the mast. It was devastating. Chestnut is a beautiful wood, and was the primary wood for many cabins, barns, and furniture items in many Eastern areas. Many fine antiques are dated by knowing what chestnut wood looks like under stain.

The trees became enormous. They were long-lived.

 

[UrbanHunter]

The chinkapins of the Ozarks (also called chinquapins) are closely related to the chestnuts. They are somewhat resistant to the fungus.
They are NOT the same as the chinkapin oak, which is so called because its leaf resembles the chinkapin.

 

[letemgrow]

They really were the redwoods of the east!!

 

[letemgrow]

Made the mountains look snow capped too from all the blooms!!

 

[FatDan]

I want some of those big ones

 

[letemgrow]

I want some of those big ones

Yeah me too!! Problem is, it would take an ideal chestnut site to get them that big.

Guess if you have some 3-5' diameter northern reds somewhere, that would be the place to plant the chestnuts to get huge.

 

[FatDan]

I guess I can just keep wanting. So I've been reading the qdma planting chestnut formum and let me see if I got this right. When my dunstans nuts get here. I need to put them in a zip lock bag with some damp peat moss, and put them in the fridg. In a couple of months I should see them start to sprout a root. When that happens I should put them in one of those grow trays with the suggested soil and keep them inside next to a window until may or so and then transplant them to there final growing spot. Does this sound about right. Also I'm a little confused about soaking them in water before I put them in the fridg.

 

[letemgrow]

I just put them in the fridge in damp peat, then wait till I plant them outside in trays or the ground come spring. It's to time consuming for me to mess with them in the house anymore.

Best option is fall planting, tubing and being done with it

You have the jist of it tho for planting indoors.

 

[letemgrow]

Squirrels also pound them if they r not protected. Had squirrels get 100 walnuts in a day out of my rootmakers trays. Saw a squirrel running down the street with a walnut in April, wondered where he got one that time of year...then I checked my trays an found out

 

[FatDan]

Is it to late to plant them outside right now when I get them? My plan isn't as much to grow them inside. I have a screened in back deck that should do the trick on the rodent problem. My plan is to put them in the fridg. then in the spring I was going to put about half of them in the trays on the back deck all summer and transplant them next fall. The other half will come right out of the fridg. and go right in the ground. I was planning on trying it that way to see which one worked better for me. Do I need to soak them in water before I put them in the fridg. and does this plan seem to be ok.

 

[letemgrow]

If the grounds not froze, plant when u get them if u want.

 

[FatDan]

When planting them outside or inside for that matter how deep do you plant them and does it matter what side of the nut points up or down

 

[letemgrow]

When planting them outside or inside for that matter how deep do you plant them and does it matter what side of the nut points up or down

Plant on side, in containers or out in the ground. The nut's half shows when I plant in pots. In the ground, I plant them 1" deep roughly.

 

[gurgalunas]

I think I'm doing about the same thing as FatDan. Plan to plant half directly after receiving in the ground. Other half I'll grow like in the QDMA thread.

I'm planting some persimmon seed this fall too. Very poor success with the MDC persimmons. Guess they just don't transplant well.

 

[UrbanHunter]

gurgalunas- I think MDC may have a problem in their growing beds with persimmon. I lost 100% of mine a coupla years back. That's almost hard to do.