Chestnuts in colder climates

[4wanderingeyes]

I live in southern QC, Canada. I have a young 4 years old American Chestnut on my property, doing well so far but it grows really slowly. It seems to have survived this winter once again. I know a few other people who grow a few of them with more or less success around here.

There are a few notable specimens of a good size in Quebec City, which is pretty far north. They even produce crops.

What zone is QC in? I thought it was in like zone 4b?

 

[homerj1]

" As an example, Quebec City in Canada is located in zone 4, but can rely on a significant snow cover every year, making it possible to cultivate plants normally rated for zones 5 or 6."

Hardiness zone - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[b116757]

That is the sort of situation I have on my Wisconsin property near Lake Superior many years with enough lake effect snow you can get away with zone 4 maybe even 5 plants. Then a low snow test winter comes along and you lose them.

 

[sam_1421]

Yeah exactly. If most of the tree can be buried under the snow cover until it gets properly established (4-5 years) then it has good odds of surviving a harsher winter once it's not covered anymore. Worst that can happen is a very cold night late November - early December when there's little to no snow cover and kill the buds.

On my property I have Castanea dentata, Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus lyrata, Quercus montana, Quercus prinoides, Liriodendron tulipifera and a few others like those that should not really grow here (zone 4) but they survive the winters so far since they are protected by the snow cover. Real test will come when they poke through that snow cover for most of a winter.

That being said, if those trees survive and get to "maturity" they will grow really slowly, have setbacks due to frozen buds from time to time and might not even get to more than shrub size. Still a very fun (and challenging) experiment! Also with the climate that tends do evolve and bring milder and milder winters (at least around here) I'm thinking they might actually be species to grow here 30-40 years from now.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I commented earlier in the thread about this tree. Here is a mature chestnut located in St. Paul, MN (Zone 4b).

 

[Angus 1895]

I think the exposure to wind and cold kills the exposed limbs trunks . The roots are
Safe. I noticed the wood in the “ rabbit” tubes plastic sleeves were viable the wood exposed dead.

This observation is not chestnuts but other trees

 

[Jimmy G]

Hey Hoyt! Where in St. Paul are those chestnuts? I live in North Branch but work in St Paul

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[Hoytvectrix]

Hey Hoyt! Where in St. Paul are those chestnuts? I live in North Branch but work in St Paul

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Les Bolstad Golf Course. Between 4th and 7th holes.

 

[Jimmy G]

Awesome, I've been on that course! Interesting to see those survive up here

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[b116757]

Chestnut Hybrid – Hardy Hybrids | Red Fern Farm

They do not ship but here is a good source of cold hardy seedlings