Dunstan chestnut seeds source?

[yoderjac]

If they are the actual Dunstan variety grafted from the original tree they will not pollinate each other. If they are Dunstan brand trees started from seed at Chestnut Hill, they will. I'm assuming that walmart is selling the later. This is equivalent those of us who are buying chestnuts from Dunstan trees from Chestnut ridge and growing seedlings from them. Any chestnut grown from seed is genetically unique and not genetically precluded from pollinating other chestnuts. If you take any chestnut, take clones from it, and graft them to other seedlings. Those seedlings will be genetically identical and can't pollinate each other.

O hope I made that more clear not less clear. Most other varieties of chestnut are true varieties clonally propagated. Dunstan is unique in that it was originally a variety but is also a trade name. Also, I believe genetic incompatibility is not the only thing that can preclude pollination. I believe there can also be timing issues with some varieties. I'm only working with Dunstan and Chinese from nuts, so I'm not fresh on the topic. I'm trying to remember from some of the digging I did before I started with chestnuts. I believe I recall seeing a variety pollination chart for some varieties like apples.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[asmith]

Thanks. Mine have been in the ground 3.5 years. Hoping to get nuts next year or so, but drought down here has hurt the biggest ones. I hope they survive.

 

[wbpdeer]

Dunstans from Pike County nursery are a great source. One point I want to make - be sure to tell them you are growing seedlings from them and they aren't for consumption. People can treat chestnuts by putting them in hot water to kill any weevils but that can make them not viable for growing seedlings. The heat treatment can kill the germination.

I got a pound from them and they did very well but I was clear I was growing seedlings - germination was important to me.

Hey Jack - what is the shelf life of the mold story? Ha Ha

 

[yoderjac]

Dunstans from Pike County nursery are a great source. One point I want to make - be sure to tell them you are growing seedlings from them and they aren't for consumption. People can treat chestnuts by putting them in hot water to kill any weevils but that can make them not viable for growing seedlings. The heat treatment can kill the germination.

I got a pound from them and they did very well but I was clear I was growing seedlings - germination was important to me.

Hey Jack - what is the shelf life of the mold story? Ha Ha

Wayne,

The story is not intended as a bad reflection on you, in fact quite the opposite. It was a real eye opener for me. It was your first year of collection and you were so gracious providing nuts to myself and many, many others. I had consternated over what I was doing to cause or relieve mold issue. The example you provided me showed that exposure to mold at the source can override just about anything one does and there is really no way to detect if visibly when you receive nuts. While I think there are best practices for collection and storage prior to sending nuts to end users the minimize chances of mold spread, but I think much has to do with the condition created in nature at the time nuts are produced. In some places, under some conditions, nuts may sit on the ground for a week or more and not get exposed and some place else with different conditions, they could get mold exposure over a single night.

The high carb content of chestnuts makes them more susceptible to mold than many other nuts.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[chickenlittle]

There is always a lot of confusion about what Dunstan chestnut trees really are. There is no such thing as the original Dunstan. What Dr. Dunstan did was cross a surviving American chestnut with 3 large nut Chinese chestnut varieties. From those crosses, he selected a bunch of large nut seedlings and crossed those back to the originals. That eventually produced orchards of 2nd and 3rd generation Chinese hybrid chestnuts. A handful were selected as named cultivars, patented, and sold for a while as grafted trees. What is now sold under the Dunstan trademark are seedlings grown from their orchards of hybrid Chinese chestnut trees. Given their success in marketing their seedling chestnut trees as the "ultimate foodplot tree" at over $30 retail, there is really no reason for them to waste money grafting trees for sale for habitat planting.

There is one grafted chestnut that people might want to consider. If it ripens in your location, I would think a few of the AU Buck IV variety would be a great addition with some other chestnuts for pollination. This variety is supposed to start dropping mid October. Those are available as a grafted tree from the Wildlife Group. I'm not sure how far north the AU Buck IV will ripen consistently but I should order one with my seedling orchard in central PA.

 

[yoderjac]

There is always a lot of confusion about what Dunstan chestnut trees really are. There is no such thing as the original Dunstan. What Dr. Dunstan did was cross a surviving American chestnut with 3 large nut Chinese chestnut varieties. From those crosses, he selected a bunch of large nut seedlings and crossed those back to the originals. That eventually produced orchards of 2nd and 3rd generation Chinese hybrid chestnuts. A handful were selected as named cultivars, patented, and sold for a while as grafted trees. What is now sold under the Dunstan trademark are seedlings grown from their orchards of hybrid Chinese chestnut trees. Given their success in marketing their seedling chestnut trees as the "ultimate foodplot tree" at over $30 retail, there is really no reason for them to waste money grafting trees for sale for habitat planting.

There is one grafted chestnut that people might want to consider. If it ripens in your location, I would think a few of the AU Buck IV variety would be a great addition with some other chestnuts for pollination. This variety is supposed to start dropping mid October. Those are available as a grafted tree from the Wildlife Group. I'm not sure how far north the AU Buck IV will ripen consistently but I should order one with my seedling orchard in central PA.

I got a couple AU Buck IVs and AU Buck IIIs a couple years ago. I transplanted them from the 5" roottrapper bags into 3 gal RB2 pots and overwintered them in my unheated garage. I put them on my deck in the spring and they leafed out. The AU Buck IVs actually produced 3 fully developed nuts on my deck. I hoped to plant the nuts, but they got mixed in with my Dunstan nuts. They did get planted but I don't know which ones they are if they germinated. I had planned to plant the trees last year when they went dormant but I didn't get too it. I decided to keep them on my deck again this year so I could collect and plant the nuts. Unfortunately, this year it is the AU Buck IIIs not the Au Buck IVs that produced nuts on my deck. I really need to get them in the ground this year.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Redonthehead]

ugh!!!!!!!!!!. I am trying to resist buying chestnut seeds for next year..... ack! I need help.

 

[yoderjac]

ugh!!!!!!!!!!. I am trying to resist buying chestnut seeds for next year..... ack! I need help.

Well, chestnuts can be a great addition to a program, but there are lots of other trees you can try. I'm working with DCO, and Filberts this year as well as some pears and pawpaw all grown from seed. Each has their own challenges.

Thanks,

jack

 

[Redonthehead]

I should have explained myself better. Been spending a LOT of money and time on habitat - including 4 years of direct seeding chestnuts. Was wanting to cut back in 2017 to do other things I used to enjoy prior to land ownership.