Dunstan Chestnuts...

[yoderjac]

Holy Moses! That is a ton of growth in just 1 year! As for the grafting aspect have you started dabbline in getting rootstock to graft onto? If so any recommendations from where?

When you start a tree from seed, goes through stages of development before it produces. When grafting using scions from producing trees, you can reduce the time to production a bit since the scions is more mature. So, I plan to graft to the trees I planted in the field several years ago. They will be my rootstock. I'm also playing with other forms of grafting like nut grafting. My journey with grafting chestnuts will be documents on this thread: http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/grafting-chestnuts.6875/

Thanks,

Jack

 

[tynimiller]

Buddy shipped 12 chestnuts that all have popped and have a 1/2 inch to inch radical poking out. Gonna get them potted here shortly. I don't have heat lamps or anything like that so where is best place for them? Window where they'll get sun or wait and keep in darker areas?

 

[yoderjac]

If you can't provide artificial light indoors (fluorescent shop lights are fine) and don't have 18s, I would not try to start them just yet. I'd keep them in the fridge in medium or direct seed them now with protection. If you have 18s and plan to use a root pruning container system to grow them for a season, I would plant them in the 18s and put the try in an XL ziplock bag and put the entire try in the fridge. This will allow some root development but prevent top growth. I think by March the sun would be intense enough that a south facing bay window would be enough. If you don't plan to use a root pruning container system and don't plan to keep them for a full season, I would not plant them in containers. You run the risk of circling or j-hooking roots and you really don't gain much over direct seeding.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[H20fwler]

Buddy shipped 12 chestnuts that all have popped and have a 1/2 inch to inch radical poking out. Gonna get them potted here shortly. I don't have heat lamps or anything like that so where is best place for them? Window where they'll get sun or wait and keep in darker areas?

I planted a bunch in 4" nursery starter pots and have them on kitchen table where they get good light from south facing patio window. I used a couple nursery heat pads but ended up unplugging them after a week, the pots that weren't heated sprouted better than the ones over the pads.

 

[meyerske]

I planted some germinated chestnuts in pots today using a starter mix (basically peat moss). How much should I water them? Do they need to be by a window before they turn into seedlings and start showing leaves?

 

[scott44]

I planted some germinated chestnuts in pots today using a starter mix (basically peat moss). How much should I water them? Do they need to be by a window before they turn into seedlings and start showing leaves?

I water mine every 2-3 days I wait for the soil to be be almost dry before watering. I put mine in a south window and have had good luck with them germinating and growing, when they start to lean towrds the light you'll have to rotate them.

 

[yoderjac]

I planted some germinated chestnuts in pots today using a starter mix (basically peat moss). How much should I water them? Do they need to be by a window before they turn into seedlings and start showing leaves?

To start with, don't rely on a window for light. Dr. Whitcomb warns against that. You just need a couple inexpensive fluorescent shop lights and a timer. I'd set it for 15 hour days. You need them in place by the time top growth begins but having them running early won't hurt anything. Chestnuts are very sensitive to water. They need to be saturated until water is running out of the bottom of the container and then let to dry out. You also need to use rain water. Starter mixes are pH adjusted to neutral. Chestnuts need acidic soil. Rain water will adjust the pH slowly. You can't really water chestnuts on a schedule. The amount of water they need depends on a lot of factors including the humidity, temperature, and their stage of growth. The best technique I've found is to water by weight. When you first fill your pot with medium, before you water it, pick it up and feel the weight. Consider that weight "empty". Then totally saturate the pot with water. As soon as the water stops draining out the bottom, pick it up again and feel the weight. Consider that "Full". When the tank gets to about 1/4 full it is time to water again. If you ever see the leaves begin to droop, water immediately.

The reason Whitcomb warns against started trees in a greenhouse without artificial light in the winter is because the angle and intensity are too low. The top growth will look fine but the root system suffers greatly.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[TreeDaddy]

Getting the water schedule right has been my major challenge

Seems to be as much art as science......a"feel" thing

Above described method seems to work best in my hands

bill

 

[yoderjac]

Getting the water schedule right has been my major challenge

Seems to be as much art as science......a"feel" thing

Above described method seems to work best in my hands

bill

Yes. I think one of the issues is the size of the 18s. It is important to use them to air prune the tap root at 4", but they are very small. They can go from wet to dry very quickly and thus need checked every day or so. That is one more reason I did the early transplant in the Seguin thread: http://www.habitat-talk.com/index.php?threads/seguin-chestnut-experiment-and-request.10336/ (For others, Seguins are also chestnuts). I find that once the tap root is pruned and I move trees to 1 gal RB2s, they require much less attention to watering. I dunk the RB2 in a tub of rain water and let it take on all the water it can. Indoors, with no wind are relatively stable humidity, I can usually let them go a week or more before checking the weight.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[blueKYstream]

I'm a bit late to the conversation but I planted 50 from the Kentucky state nursery last April. They came with quite large roots and were usually about 2-3' tall. I tubed them all. I think I lost 3 to 5. A couple got crowded out by weeds and grass before I got around to checking on them. I'm not sure what happened to one or two of them. Overall, they are doing great though! Many of them are at the top of the top or out of it. Others are the same height. I imagine they will all put on some good growth this year though! I like the sounds of those AU Buck III and IV's!