Anyone growing chestnuts?

[Turkey Creek]

They look like mine, which are basically the same size but in the ground in the nursery. Looks like the tops got winter killed.

 

[dipper]

What kind of chestnuts you guys growing? Where are u?

I've got 24 Chinese that I started from seed this winter, and they are pushing 20". Hopes its not for nothing once I put them outside.

 

[kabic]

Kabic,

They do look like you had some dieback on the tops. Did you have these in the ground all winter ? Were they covered with a lot of soil/mulch?

The leaves can hang on until the buds swell and pop them off. That is normal for chestnuts and some oaks. I'd look at pruning them to a central leader. They may be sprouting at the base if the soil is moist and up against the stem too high.

These are Dustan Chestnuts that I got last year from BigEight. I'm in Trempealeau County. They are in 5&6 gallon buckets. Here is a picture from last year.



For the winter I moved them in my attached garage. Half of them in the garage itself and half at the bottom of the staircase that goes from the garage to the basement of my house. They were not covered with any soil or mulch, (I think dipper did warn me that over wintering in the garage didn't work for him). My thinking was garage is normally a little warmer than the outside temperature.

Are you suggesting I prune the suckers back to the central leader or even some of the other branches (like the tree in the second photo for example)? I did prune some of these back to a central leader last year as well where I had 2 or 3 step coming from the nut.

In regards to the tops being wintered killed, I assume a branch near the top will have to take over as a new central leader?

 

[kabic]

Did you water them at all through the winter?

Give them a little time to see which buds pop and open. Cut back just above one. Cutting to a central leader will give you the best upright growth which us what you want.

I did give them some water over winter. I gave them each a little bit about once a month.

 

[MoLandOwner]

Out of 100 Dunstans planted 3 years ago. I have a bout 40 left it looks like so far. And some of them were replants last fall. My thoughts are that Chestnuts are some of the worst trees I have ever had to try and get established. I have very few that look great, some look ok, most are dead or starting to grow out of the bases....again!

 

[MoLandOwner]

A few that are doing well.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Mo three years ago was a pretty nasty drought. Had you planted last growing season you would prolly still have 90% of your trees. Hopefully we have a good growing season this yr. You gonna replace the ones that died? Or are you done with chestnuts?

 

[kabic]

Kabic,

How are yours doing now? Have they had a growth spurt?

When was the photo is post 52 taken? Was it when their leaves were turning or were they stressed?

The ones I over wintered in rootrapper bags in the ground have put on 6" growth. I cleaned up some lower trunk sprouts on a few and clipped to a central leader on most.

Photo in post 52 was taken towards the fall and the leaves where turning. My trees area about the same as last report, the 4 or 5 trees that were greening up are still the only ones that have. I still need to prune back to a central leader. The rest I assumed died. I will get out and take some pictures soon. I think in a week or two I may pull one of the dead looking ones out the bucket and look at the roots.

 

[MoLandOwner]

Mo,

They should be taking off this year for you. Im pulling fOr you. I think your drought definitely knocked them back.

Yes drought knocked back the checkbook by a grand also after losing so many!:eek:

 

[MoLandOwner]

Mo three years ago was a pretty nasty drought. Had you planted last growing season you would prolly still have 90% of your trees. Hopefully we have a good growing season this yr. You gonna replace the ones that died? Or are you done with chestnuts?

Right now we are drowning out. I will wait until fall to replace some.

I will keep throwing cash at it. I just made a $600,000 offer on a piece of ground yesterday, what's another grand or 2 for trees.......hahahahaha!

 

[MoLandOwner]

I am about ready to give up on chestnuts. No signs of leaves on any of mine yet and I had only a handful of the nuts I bought from Chestnut Ridge of Pike County germinate. When/if somebody comes up with a truly central MN hardy chestnut I'll give 'em a shot. Until then, I'll focus on fruit trees/shrubs

Wish I was as smart as you!

 

[wildfire]

Stu, checked mine today, looks like 2 will not make it.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

That's a bummer Stu. I was hoping they would grow for you. There are chestnuts that survive -30. The only other thing I can think of would be a heavy mulch in the late fall. I know it helped this winter on some roses we have. The ones we mulched did fine. The non mulched died.

My Pike County nuts were not that good this year either. I'm guessing they were not handled as well as they have been in the past due to the illness. They may have sat on the ground longer or not stored the same. I could tell the difference when I got them.

I didn't grow any indoors this year so mine are way behind where they usually are. That's ok. I may end up over wintering them at home again. I've got 30 or so I over wintered at home last winter that will be ready this fall.

I got about 50% germ with my chestnut ridge nuts and was a lil disappointed myself. Thought I did somthing wrong

 

[dipper]

I got about 50% germ with my chestnut ridge nuts and was a lil disappointed myself. Thought I did somthing wrong

I was far less than 50% with me nuts, some of my tree are 2', but I'm worried about them being hardy for my zone.

 

[kabic]

When you buy Dunstan chestnuts trees from Realtree Nursery & Chestnut Hills are they grafts or grown from seed? If grown from seed to you think they weed out the ones that dont match what they think a Dunstan should look like?

I think most of us growing from nuts are getting them from Chestnut Ridge, I'm guessing there is bound to be some diversity in these open pollinated trees. Hence maybe why some of them die and some of them survive in our northern locations. Pike County Illinois is really not that far north.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

When you buy Dunstan chestnuts trees from Realtree Nursery & Chestnut Hills are they grafts or grown from seed? If grown from seed to you think they weed out the ones that dont match what they think a Dunstan should look like?

I think most of us growing from nuts are getting them from Chestnut Ridge, I'm guessing there is bound to be some diversity in these open pollinated trees. Hence maybe why some of them die and some of them survive in our northern locations. Pike County Illinois is really not that far north.

Grown from seed. I have 6 dunstans from chestnut hill and can see variation in them. 2 are very upright growing more timber like. Others want to bush out. Im trying to train them for vertical growth but several aren't cooperating

 

[huntall]

I ended up with one dunstan dieing that never did bud out after winter.
I planted 5 last spring. The other 4 looks good so I hope they make it.

 

[huntall]

Huntall,

What do you think it died of? Couldn't be cold. Was it in a wet location? Any pests that could've girdled it?

No idea. Same kind of ground as the others. No standing water.
And we don't get winter Temps to kill it. I was trying to figure out myself what could have happened. All in cages. Good summer rains last yr also. No visible insect damage.

 

[huntall]

Only thing is that sometimes the summer will take its toll on one of my trees and I think I really don't see the full results till after the next spring when it never wakes up.

 

[gstrom99]

I found a seed/nut in my front yard and when I pulled it up, it had a 2" root started. I stuck in a pot and after a month or so it looks like this. I know nothing of chestnuts in particular.
How should I proceed???