If you have chestnut trees...

[Native Hunter]

...you might want to check this week if you want any for yourself. The early droppers are letting a few fall. I picked these up under one early tree in the road I drive at the edge of the planting. I can get all I want in the road and the deer can have the ones out in the weeds. Best wishes.

 

[chickenlittle]

That is a good reminder. They should be dropping soon on the farm in PA. There are 3 trees at a park by me in NY that won't start dropping for 2-3 more weeks. I try to visit those in the morning to pick up before what dropped overnight before the squirrels or other people get them.

 

[Native Hunter]

I went back to that tree today and picked up nearly a gallon bag of nuts. I checked about 10 trees and only 2 of them were dropping.

Look at second pic below. These two trees are side by side. The one on the right is the one dropping and the one on the left hasn't dropped a single nut yet.

 

[j-bird]

I have my first ones this year.....what am I looking for to be able to get to them before the deer? Last weekend or so the burrs where still green and entirely closed... I would like to collect these first few for planting.

 

[Native Hunter]

I have my first ones this year.....what am I looking for to be able to get to them before the deer? Last weekend or so the burrs where still green and entirely closed... I would like to collect these first few for planting.

That's the way most of mine still look too. Just keep an eye on them, and you will know when the time is right. When you see the burs starting to open some like my earlier picture, you can go ahead and jerk them off the tree.

Trees are different. Some trees will open the burs on the tree and let the nuts fall out. Others will have the cracked burs fall to the ground with the nuts still in. Most trees do some of both.

A little tip - when a but cracks open it is super easy to open it on the ground with the toes of your boots. I don't use gloves at all. Watch a couple of Elvis dance videos and you will have the technique down in no time.

 

[j-bird]

That's the way most of mine still look too. Just keep an eye on them, and you will know when the time is right. When you see the burs starting to open some like my earlier picture, you can go ahead and jerk them off the tree.

Trees are different. Some trees will open the burs on the tree and let the nuts fall out. Others will have the cracked burs fall to the ground with the nuts still in. Most trees do some of both.

A little tip - when a but cracks open it is super easy to open it on the ground with the toes of your boots. I don't use gloves at all. Watch a couple of Elvis dance videos and you will have the technique down in no time.

OK - I'll keep the Elvis moves in mind! Something I think will be interesting on my place will be how long it takes deer to take to eating them...... NOBODY that I am aware of in my area has chestnuts and they have been long gone from a native perspective for a long time. I can't get the deer to really eat brassica because of the other foods available so I think it will be interesting to see how that goes when the time comes.....

 

[Native Hunter]

OK - I'll keep the Elvis moves in mind! Something I think will be interesting on my place will be how long it takes deer to take to eating them...... NOBODY that I am aware of in my area has chestnuts and they have been long gone from a native perspective for a long time. I can't get the deer to really eat brassica because of the other foods available so I think it will be interesting to see how that goes when the time comes.....

No chestnuts around here either, but when mine started falling the deer took to them quickly.

As for brassicas - put out Diakon Radish and leave off the turnips. You should see a big difference.

 

[j-bird]

I went out and checked mine today - my burrs are turning brown...... is that a good thing? They where not opening yet.

I was just using the brassica as a reference- tried radish and still little use.

 

[Native Hunter]

Yes, the burs will start turning brown when the nuts are getting toward maturity.

 

[j-bird]

I tried to post a pic - but it don't go thru on the previous post.... Thanks for the feedback native!

 

[H20fwler]

I think I might get a few nuts from my Dunstan's this year, Saturday a few of the pods looked big enough to actually be making nuts...I am going to watch for them to start to split and try and beat the squirrels to them.

 

[Native Hunter]

Jay, unless it is an optical illusion on my part, that bur looks small. If that's the case, you may have only one nut inside or none got pollinated. I have one tree at home that did this.

It's also common with young trees for this to happen, so no worries for the future if you have good pollinators nearby.

 

[j-bird]

Jay, unless it is an optical illusion on my part, that bur looks small. If that's the case, you may have only one nut inside or none got pollinated. I have one tree at home that did this.

It's also common with young trees for this to happen, so no worries for the future if you have good pollinators nearby.

Not sure if it's the same one or not, but this is an earlier pic (8/23) and they are all about the same size, but a little bigger now.

I'm not sure what "big" is for a chestnut bur. They seem to be growing and I have 3 of them in a row about 25 feet apart from each other in this location and these burs seem to be growing so I'll be pissed if i don't get at least one nut out of them! I actually have burs like this on 2 of the 3 trees. I'm not expecting multiple seeds in a bur, but I better get at least one! They a certainly larger than a single buckeye for reference and the outer portion of the spines is about the size of a fresh green walnut (husk and all).

 

[Native Hunter]

This is the third gallon bag of nuts I've picked up under an early dropping tree hanging over my road.

So far I haven't moved out of a 15 foot circle. The tree next to it is loaded as well and hasn't dropped a single nut yet. Good sized nuts this year too. I think having them close to each other helps with pollination.

 

[ats002]

Not sure if it's the same one or not, but this is an earlier pic (8/23) and they are all about the same size, but a little bigger now.
View attachment 14964
I'm not sure what "big" is for a chestnut bur. They seem to be growing and I have 3 of them in a row about 25 feet apart from each other in this location and these burs seem to be growing so I'll be pissed if i don't get at least one nut out of them! I actually have burs like this on 2 of the 3 trees. I'm not expecting multiple seeds in a bur, but I better get at least one! They a certainly larger than a single buckeye for reference and the outer portion of the spines is about the size of a fresh green walnut (husk and all).

That's a good size bur! You should be fine!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Friend of mine has a few chestnuts trees in his yard. He text me the other day and said they were dropping like crazy. He dropped off a zip lock full and I was surprised at how small they were. Early droppers and small. Thought a handful of these trees be a great addition to the farm.
Whats your thoughts on these tiny chestnuts NH? You have any varieties like this? Kinda reminds me of an American chestnut as far as nut size goes. I have not personally seen the trees but my buddy sent me pics and they are fully mature. They are as wide as they are tall. So I assume some variety of chinese????

 

[Native Hunter]

Friend of mine has a few chestnuts trees in his yard. He text me the other day and said they were dropping like crazy. He dropped off a zip lock full and I was surprised at how small they were. Early droppers and small. Thought a handful of these trees be a great addition to the farm.
Whats your thoughts on these tiny chestnuts NH? You have any varieties like this? Kinda reminds me of an American chestnut as far as nut size goes. I have not personally seen the trees but my buddy sent me pics and they are fully mature. They are as wide as they are tall. So I assume some variety of chinese????
View attachment 15047
View attachment 15048

Jordan, I do see nut size vary a lot from tree to tree. I've had some Chinese nuts before that were about that size, but most are somewhere between the big ones I showed and the ones you showed. In fact, today I noticed another tree near the one I'm getting nuts from that just started dropping a few. They were much smaller than the ones I had been getting.

The size won't affect the taste that much, and the deer won't care about the size either. They are all good mast....

PS: I picked up another gallon bag today. That's about all I need to eat myself. The deer get the rest....

 

[ts_13]

Those look great! I cannot wait until mine are that size. Looks good man!

 

[Native Hunter]

Those look great! I cannot wait until mine are that size. Looks good man!

Thanks. I said I wasn't going to pick up any more this year, but I picked up two more gallons today. A different tree started dropping in my road and this one just made it too easy. Almost all of the nut were already out of the burs.

I still have some trees that haven't dropped a single nut yet so far but loaded. I'm going to try and watch them closer this year and see what the dropping dates are for the latest trees. I'm also freezing some nuts to see how that works out.

 

[ts_13]

I am going to try to graft these this year. I had a guy show me how he does it. If you have some late droppers we can give it a try!