Chestnuts and QDM

[Neahawg]

I with you wbp, we hit 0 around here and that's cold, and if it ever get below zero it doesn't do it for very long. I wanna say two years ago I ran a trap line when it was 7 degrees and sleeting and that may have been the coldest ive ever been.

 

[buckvelvet]

I've made my case the best I can. Make yours and maybe you'll teach me something.

You've made it clear your opinion is fact, back to Chestnuts for those expecting to read about that.

 

[wbpdeer]

One thing I can share that may help some members in the north - Michigan State University has worked on a strain of Chinese Chestnut - called the Benton Harbor. I was able to get hooked up with a source in February and purchased one pound.

They are a large chestnuts. I have seedlings now from them. I was nice - I sent some chestnuts to two friends that in the cold northern climates. One has shown me photos of his seedlings. The other individual has indicated they make tough seedlings. I have a third person who post on here that I will share a very limited number of my seedlings.

Guys from Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin might want to check on Benton Harbor Chestnuts from Michigan State. I ain't outing my
source :cool: but I have just shared something worth knowing if you are interested in hitting the keyboard and search.

I would like to know I got some chestnuts trees established in the state of Minnesota but I feel that will be a tough go. Those winters are beyond my imagination.

 

[wbpdeer]

I with you wbp, we hit 0 around here and that's cold, and if it ever get below zero it doesn't do it for very long. I wanna say two years ago I ran a trap line when it was 7 degrees and sleeting and that may have been the coldest ive ever been.

Neahawg - Sure hope you got some fur that trip. :p

 

[Neahawg]

I did and my first version got so cold I could skin it just had to put in the freezer as it was.

 

[Neahawg]

One thing I can share that may help some members in the north - Michigan State University has worked on a strain of Chinese Chestnut - called the Benton Harbor. I was able to get hooked up with a source in February and purchased one pound.

They are a large chestnuts. I have seedlings now from them. I was nice - I sent some chestnuts to two friends that in the cold northern climates. One has shown me photos of his seedlings. The other individual has indicated they make tough seedlings. I have a third person who post on here that I will share a very limited number of my seedlings.

Guys from Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin might want to check on Benton Harbor Chestnuts from Michigan State. I ain't outing my
source :cool: but I have just shared something worth knowing if you are interested in hitting the keyboard and search.

I would like to know I got some chestnuts trees established in the state of Minnesota but I feel that will be a tough go. Those winters are beyond my imagination.

As I understand it the Benton harbor is a grafted tree, so chestnuts grown from a Benton harbor do carry the genetics for cold tolerance they also have at least 50% of their genetics from another tree so they may not necessarily inherit the genetics for cold tolerance.

 

[kabic]

Just because there are a varieties that are resistant to wilt today doesn't mean they will be in the future.

Banana have a similar issue in the 60s. A fungus (Chestnut Wilt is a fungus) killed off the banana tree in the commercial orchards. They moved to a new variety that wasn't as good, but resistant to the fungus. Now a new strain of the fungus is killing trees in the banana orchards.

http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?t...ting-banana-crops-in-danger.4617/#post-103741

 

[wbpdeer]

Guys in cold areas who want to try chinese chestnuts would likely be wise to contact Red Fern Farm. They have by far the cold hardiest varieties I've found. There's usually a waiting list for the most hardy varieties. Personally, I don't think chestnuts of any type/variety are going to be winter hardy long term in central MN or northern WI but I suppose I may be wrong.

I always like to learn things worth knowing - good to hear about Red Fern Farm. Right or wrong is always determined by trees in the field. I would say your experience your area is most valuable.

I like the vigor of the Benton Harbor but I have no observations about it in the field yet. Certainly none of my winter experience in Zone 7a is valid for Northern Climates.

Thanks for sharing about "Red Fern Farm" - glad you passed it on. :)

 

[Native Hunter]

Still new to the habitat improvements, and continuing to soak it up. I see a ton of threads regarding chestnut plantings, on this forum and other forums. Does anyone have some literature/links to threads as to why they are such a popular item for QDM? Are they aggressive growers and quick producers? Are you planting them one by one in strategic locations to promote deer traffic or are you planting them in groves for more Human Consumption?

I plant them both for myself and wildlife. I love to eat them, and deer will clean up all of them that I don't eat myself. I have some trees planted where I never walk to except in the spring when doing maintenance, so the deer and other wildlife get all those nuts.

In my area they are fast growers and fast producers. I plant mostly Chinese but do have just a few Dunstans. I now have a few 12 - 13 year old trees, and they are heavy producers. Most started producing a few nuts by year 3 or 4.

You should plant at least two and preferably more fairly close together to assure good pollination.

There is nothing magic about chestnuts, but they are one of my favorite species. They are just one piece (a very desirable piece) of my overall mast growing strategy.

Those are my thoughts. I'm in Zone 6B and not on dope or any mind altering infulence.

 

[broom_JM]

I'm planting at least a few of the trees I got from Wayne this spring in four different counties; 2 each in Michigan and Indiana. I am not planting any on the property in Zone 4a...I'm not that naive. The others are going in 5b, 6a, 6a and on the line of 6b, in southern Indiana.

To test the theory that containerized trees can be planted at any time of year, I planted 2 trees last weekend, on a day with a high around 90. I've kept them watered and they're showing no signs of distress after 5 days in the ground. I'll plant one or two more on my property to help ensure good pollination.

 

[wbpdeer]

Guys in cold areas who want to try chinese chestnuts would likely be wise to contact Red Fern Farm. They have by far the cold hardiest varieties I've found. There's usually a waiting list for the most hardy varieties. Personally, I don't think chestnuts of any type/variety are going to be winter hardy long term in central MN or northern WI but I suppose I may be wrong.

I got on the internet and watched an outstanding video on YouTube with the man from Red Fern Farm doing a majority of the speaking.

Thanks for what you shared smsmith I sure gained a great deal of information. :)

I visited their website also. Mr. Wahl from Red Fern Farm is a wise man who knows his subject very well.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I plant them both for myself and wildlife. I love to eat them, and deer will clean up all of them that I don't eat myself. I have some trees planted where I never walk to except in the spring when doing maintenance, so the deer and other wildlife get all those nuts.

In my area they are fast growers and fast producers. I plant mostly Chinese but do have just a few Dunstans. I now have a few 12 - 13 year old trees, and they are heavy producers. Most started producing a few nuts by year 3 or 4.

You should plant at least two and preferably more fairly close together to assure good pollination.

There is nothing magic about chestnuts, but they are one of my favorite species. They are just one piece (a very desirable piece) of my overall mast growing strategy.

Those are my thoughts. I'm in Zone 6B and not on dope or any mind altering infulence.

Native have you noticed a preference between pears or chestnuts??? I have a small woodland clearing that I want to plant a few mast producing trees and on the fence between the two.

 

[Native Hunter]

Native have you noticed a preference between pears or chestnuts??? I have a small woodland clearing that I want to plant a few mast producing trees and on the fence between the two.

Jordan, if you have the room, I recommend planting both pears and chestnuts. I see both cleaned up, so it's really hard to say which is most preferred. Having both gives some variety and protection against years when one of them may have an off year in terms of production. Even though both species seem to bear pretty well most years, an unusual late freeze or something like that could affect one and not the other.

The only advantage to pears I see is that Japanese Beetles will not touch the leaves. They (and other insects) can be pretty hard on chestnuts at times. This year is a bad one for Japs in my area and chestnuts are being hit hard, but despite that, I am seeing signs of a pretty good crop.

This is also an advantage of pears over apples. Plus, the no spray pears I grow are so flawless looking they could be sold in a supermarket. Even the best of my no spray apples will have at least a few flaws.

I would not rule out persimmons either. Even though I have some large native trees, I have been planting persimmons to expand the drop times on my place. Most of our native trees are late droppers - starting in November and some hanging well into January. I now have some trees coming into production that are earlier droppers. Persimmons are also tough trees that don't seem to be affected by much of anything. That is a big plus if something happens in your life where you can't give a lot of attention to your planting (sickness in family, etc.) for a long time and can't spend the time you would like. Those persimmons are survivors. You can say the same for chestnuts and pears, but probably not to the same degree as persimmons.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Jordan, if you have the room, I recommend planting both pears and chestnuts. I see both cleaned up, so it's really hard to say which is most preferred. Having both gives some variety and protection against years when one of them may have an off year in terms of production. Even though both species seem to bear pretty well most years, an unusual late freeze or something like that could affect one and not the other.

The only advantage to pears I see is that Japanese Beetles will not touch the leaves. They (and other insects) can be pretty hard on chestnuts at times. This year is a bad one for Japs in my area and chestnuts are being hit hard, but despite that, I am seeing signs of a pretty good crop.

This is also an advantage of pears over apples. Plus, the no spray pears I grow are so flawless looking they could be sold in a supermarket. Even the best of my no spray apples will have at least a few flaws.

I would not rule out persimmons either. Even though I have some large native trees, I have been planting persimmons to expand the drop times on my place. Most of our native trees are late droppers - starting in November and some hanging well into January. I now have some trees coming into production that are earlier droppers. Persimmons are also tough trees that don't seem to be affected by much of anything. That is a big plus if something happens in your life where you can't give a lot of attention to your planting (sickness in family, etc.) for a long time and can't spend the time you would like. Those persimmons are survivors. You can say the same for chestnuts and pears, but probably not to the same degree as persimmons.

Thanks native
I can always clear some more ground and plant a few of each. Now I just need some time


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Merle Hawggard]

I'm planting at least a few of the trees I got from Wayne this spring in four different counties; 2 each in Michigan and Indiana. I am not planting any on the property in Zone 4a...I'm not that naive. The others are going in 5b, 6a, 6a and on the line of 6b, in southern Indiana.

To test the theory that containerized trees can be planted at any time of year, I planted 2 trees last weekend, on a day with a high around 90. I've kept them watered and they're showing no signs of distress after 5 days in the ground. I'll plant one or two more on my property to help ensure good pollination.

Broom, I experimented with container grown trees last year and went 100% this year as far as chestnuts go.
I've planted quite a few over the years directly only to have my cages dug under, knocked over, or packed with grass so voles could use my chestnut sapling for some strange rodent pole dancing ritual before gnawing it off at ground level.
I've had a few successes, but I'm hoping the container grown trees get a higher effort to tree rate than I've had.
I did plant three of wbp' s trees a month ago on a ridge top and didn't water them again till last week and they looked great. It is important to water container trees better than I did, but we had a few good rains that helped me out.

 

[wbpdeer]

Container grown Chinese Chestnuts in air pruning root makers 18s should be in good shape but I added three things to them: 1) I put moisture miser in the hole as I back fill, 2) I put landscape fabric on the ground, & 3) I use tree tubes sold by the Wildlife Group.

Before I did holes, if I am in a field, I put down flags when I step off the distances. The main man at Red Fern Farm says chestnut pollen does not travel great distances. He says 20 feet is the distance. I use 7 steps - so I am spot on. I then weed eat and spray with roundup before the seedlings are ever on the farm. I watch the sprayed ground and hit any spots missed before I plant.

I had voles cut two over the winter and I lost one after 3 months for no apparent reason. I planted 44 and lost 3 since April 2015.

I did water them good the first summer. If I was only going to one thing - it would be a tree tube. If I was only going to do two things I love fabric because it reduces evaporation in the hot part of the summer.



My fabric crew in the spring of 2015. They both have harvested deer on that farm and they needed to see the tree planting process up close. They are excellent help when you can find a break in their busy schedule. Hunter Wayne and Kerry Rose aren't lazy grandkids.

 

[wbpdeer]

I have helped many individuals start growing chestnuts for the first time. The info below is what I share with them. Most of us learn the hard way. This information should aid most beginners.


What Kills Our Chestnuts When We Try to Grow Them?

#1 Main Killer is Moisture! We over water them. We think Miracle Grow with Moisture Control has to work - look who is selling it. More chestnuts will rot before they break soil than a first timer would ever guess.

#2 Wrong Type of Growing Medium - We don't need soil & we don't need moisture control. Chestnuts like to get to the point of dry before they like water. Using the right growing medium helps the roots and allows us to learn what watering plan works. Roots need air for oxygen and they need space to grow.

#3 Mold Kills - We put them in airtight container with no chance to breath & we put too much moisture inside the container.

#4 Sunlight & Heat Kills - We collect chestnuts but we put them somewhere and forget about them. When a chestnut is collected - get it cleaned and inspected to see if it is a firm chestnut with no rattling in the hull. Leaving them in a hot vehicle for a week after collecting - just reduces our chances.

#5 Chestnuts Smell Good to Critters. Chipmunks, Squirrels, Rabbits, Deer, Turkeys, field mice, etc. Our chestnuts get killed because we don't protect them. If you plant a chestnut in the wild outdoors - you better protect it for a couple of years. Better to plant 5 trees well than plant 50 trees without protection.

#6 Chestnut get killed / setback by sunlight. Grown inside means we must gently push them into the sunlight. Baby steps required here. I use a pine tree that protect them from mid day and pm sun. My seedlings get early morning sun. Worked well until the squirrels made a raid.

#7 Lack of Moisture During Dog Days of Summer. Depending on your containers and location, in July and August if you go three or four days without watering seedlings that have many leaves, you can lose all of your work. Shade cloths are what nurseries use and they water twice a day.

#8 Chestnut Seedling is in Perfect Health then it gets planted in the wrong location. Sunlight is the power plant that generates the chestnut seed. We have to get pollinated by another chestnut tree that is nearby. Location of tree and proximity to other trees matter. We avoid stream sides due to risk to standing water during certain months.

#9 Negligent will kill. Every two or three days you better check on chestnuts under grow lights. In summer heat, you better water at reasonable intervals for your climate. I like to feel of the chestnut leaves with my eyes closed. What does the touch tell me? If you check ten seedlings - one of them may really need some water while the other nine show no stress.

Folks I am not an expert. I am motivated to accomplish my goal - improve my deer's habitat. It is certain I left something off the list above. I just wrote the hard lessons I have learned. If you like to cut corners - your success rate will go down. Mine did until I wised up.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Some American Chestnut eye candy from the UW Madison Arboretum.
Really doubt these have any blight resistance, just so far from native range and lots of TLC from arborists. The I955 is a tag ID of some kind and not the year. I would guess these were planted in the 1940s. This place also has the first restored prairie planted in the world. Among others, Aldo Leopold was part of these efforts starting in the 1930s with CCC labor. There are (3) trees planted together and camera case is about 4.75" for reference.

 

[wbpdeer]

Rocksnstumps

Nice photos - thanks for sharing. I have never seen an American Chestnuts in the woods. It would be a treat for me to do so.

 

[Merle Hawggard]

Rocksnstumps, you have helped me make up my mind to make it to 102 years old so I can eat a chestnut under a tree like that at my place. I'm halfway to it already. Thanks for the inspiration!