Anyone growing chestnuts?

[dipper]

anyone out there starting chestnuts from seed? I've got about 30 rooting with many more still in the frig. They just don't seem to be moving much. They are in a part in the house that's over 65 degrees, maybe that's slowing them down? I've got one that looks like it's ready to send up a shoot, but it's looked that way for a week.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I grew some last year. Took mine right around 21 days from the emergence of the root radicle to seeing top growth emerge from the nut.

 

[scott44]

I took these out of the fridge last Fri. and nothing yet, going into rootmakers tomorrow.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Scott44 yours might not be cold stratified enough. Once I took mine out of the fridge and they were stratified enough they would send out a root radicle within 3 days at the most.

 

[kabic]

Last year it took over a week for me to see growth with temperatures in the high 60s low 70s. I'm waiting to see how many survive the winter in my garage.

 

[dipper]

Last year it took over a week for me to see growth with temperatures in the high 60s low 70s. I'm waiting to see how many survive the winter in my garage.

I stored some in the garage and brought them in to put in the frig. About 75% turned to crap

 

[homegrownbucks]

I have some in the fridge right now, planning on germinating next month unless they decide to come earlier

 

[Spur]

I have a hundred seedlings in my basement and close to 1,500 Dunstan seeds in my fridge.

 

[Spur]

Spur,
Are you spring planting those seed in the wild or are you growing them in a nursery? That's a lot of seed.

I'll add that the best stuffing I've ever had was some last year that I added roasted chestnuts to.

I live in NY and it doesn't warm up enough for plants to survive until late May so last year I wanted to start some indoors. I used Farfard and Promix to try. I started many in January under 2 big grow lights and placed outside in late May, and the remainder (300) outside. 180 were planted in Miracle Gro started in April with plastic covering them with a make-shift greenhouse. And the other 120 in regular soil. By fall, my results shocked me a little. Even though I started some 2 months earlier, the Miracle Gro seedlings all had at least 4" more growth than the Farfard and Promix planted in Rootmaker 18 trays, and 8" more growth than natural soil.

This year I have a hundred or two seedlings in the basement under the grow lights and (40) 3 year old trees down there as well. The seeds are getting planted in Miracle Gro bags when outside temps reach 35 with my make-shift greenhouse setup. I get 60 seeds to a bag and have purchased 23 bags of Miracle Gro at 11.97 from Walmart already waiting in my garage. Chestnuts don't like the Rootmaker 18 trays, but tomatoes love them. My Rootmaker trays really were a waste of money based on my results. I guess I should try Miracle Gro in the Rootmaker trays to see if there was a difference but I don't have the time nor the space to experiment and I already know what works well.

 

[Spur]

Sorry I can't share photos since I have an iPad.

 

[homegrownbucks]

I'd love to see pics if u can find a way. I had good results with miracle grow us rootmaker cells but would be curious to know more about your setup. Are you just putting the nuts I to the bag? Like laying it flat, cutting a side off a bag and putting 60 nuts on it?

 

[Spur]

I'd love to see pics if u can find a way. I had good results with miracle grow us rootmaker cells but would be curious to know more about your setup. Are you just putting the nuts I to the bag? Like laying it flat, cutting a side off a bag and putting 60 nuts on it?

This is my fridge setup using long fibered sphagnum moss:


This is in my basement:


These are the ones I planted in the natural soil:


I didn't take any pics of the ones in Miracle Gro, but they are to the left of the natural soil.

In the Miracle Gro bags, I use a marker with a ruler and make 6 lines length wise and 10 lines width wise. I flip the bag over and make 4 slits length wise for drainage, then flip it back over. I then use the utility knife and make an X where the lines meet and you will end with 60 X slits. I plant the seeds in the 60 slits, then I cut off the rest of plastic; because if you don't the seedlings can get kinked and dis-form the growth (ask me how I know). Then I water them thoroughly. I then take my clear plastic and cover the bags with it and place firewood around the bags to hold the plastic in place and not blow away. It should be noted that by April my seeds already have 2"-3" of tap root growth and some already had started to send up the trunk in the fridge.

 

[scott44]

I didn't take any pics of the ones in Miracle Gro, but they are to the left of the natural soil.

In the Miracle Gro bags, I use a marker with a ruler and make 6 lines length wise and 10 lines width wise. I flip the bag over and make 4 slits length wise for drainage, then flip it back over. I then use the utility knife and make an X where the lines meet and you will end with 60 X slits. I plant the seeds in the 60 slits, then I cut off the rest of plastic; because if you don't the seedlings can get kinked and dis-form the growth (ask me how I know). Then I water them thoroughly. I then take my clear plastic and cover the bags with it and place firewood around the bags to hold the plastic in place and not blow away. It should be noted that by April my seeds already have 2"-3" of tap root growth and some already had started to send up the trunk in the fridge.

So when you plant the seedlings grown in the bags do you slice the dirt and make a plug or do you plant them like a bareroot? Sounds like you have this down pretty good!

 

[Spur]

So when you plant the seedlings grown in the bags do you slice the dirt and make a plug or do you plant them like a bareroot? Sounds like you have this down pretty good!

I transplanted them in September. You will notice that many of the roots find their way down into the sub-dirt when you transplant them. I transplant mine in September so they have time to root in before winter. When removing from the bags, I start from the outside corner and try to keep as much dirt attached to the roots as I can and place them in a 5 gallon bucket so the roots aren't exposed to sunlight and dry out. I then take my shovel and stick it in the ground and move it back and forth to make a wide gap and slide the seedling in the gap. I push the soil together and soak it with water. By doing this the roots have time to dig into the soil to prevent winter harm. The Miracle growth easily puts on 18" of growth and a few put on 33" with big trunks. Those ended up in my yard as a premium straight as an arrow, center of attention, trees.

 

[scott44]

I transplanted them in September. You will notice that many of the roots find their way down into the sub-dirt when you transplant them. I transplant mine in September so they have time to root in before winter. When removing from the bags, I start from the outside corner and try to keep as much dirt attached to the roots as I can and place them in a 5 gallon bucket so the roots aren't exposed to sunlight and dry out. I then take my shovel and stick it in the ground and move it back and forth to make a wide gap and slide the seedling in the gap. I push the soil together and soak it with water. By doing this the roots have time to dig into the soil to prevent winter harm. The Miracle growth easily puts on 18" of growth and a few put on 33" with big trunks. Those ended up in my yard as a premium straight as an arrow, center of attention, trees.

Sounds like a great way to go, thanks for sharing!

 

[Spur]

Your welcome.

 

[CAS_HNTR]

I have 20 of each chinese and dunstan growing.....they aee all just starting to put leaves on. Most are about 3-6" tall.....they are all in my basement in rootmaker pots.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Of the 90 we have in root makers about 10 sprouted right away. The remainder went back in the fridge after 6 days with no root ratical

 

[Spur]

While they are under plastic you don't have to worry about the rodents.

I have a 5 acre field that surrounds my house. I have guine hens that are extremely aggressive towards bugs and rodents. Also, at any given time of day, there are 2 hawks sitting at one end of the field. We have a mutually beneficial agreement where they don't eat my guineas, and they can hunt my field in return without distraction. If you don't have the protection like I do, after 4 weeks you can snip off the nut and remove the temptation for the rodents. Just keep them covered with plastic until you can snip off the nut.

 

[wiscwhip]

Just curious on what type of chestnuts everyone is growing? I haven't seen anyone mention it yet. Dunstan/hybrid or straight Chinese? Anyone attempting straight up Americans and rolling the dice on blight?