Chinese chestnut in zone 5a?

[MikeMc]

My county has Chinese chestnuts for sale. Has anyone planted these in zone 5 or colder? If so, how have they done for you? Thanks!

 

[goatman]

I have 2 and they have done well. Got some chestnuts last fall for future trees. I'm in zone 5.

 

[Barndog56]

Zone 5a here. I started with 20, and after 4 years I have 6 left. The ones that have survived have died back to ground level and sent up new shoots. So none are taller than a couple feet after 4 years. They are the very last trees to leaf out, so the growing season seems to be too short for them as well.

 

[MikeMc]

Zone 5a here. I started with 20, and after 4 years I have 6 left. The ones that have survived have died back to ground level and sent up new shoots. So none are taller than a couple feet after 4 years. They are the very last trees to leaf out, so the growing season seems to be too short for them as well.

Thanks for the reply! Where did you get your trees? What do you think killed them? Cold or blight?

 

[Barndog56]

I got mine from the Columbia county conservation sale. They were all winter kill.

 

[b116757]

There are a couple grafted verities that should grow that far north I believe even to zone 4

Luvall’s Monster
Mossbarger

Chestnut Tree Seedlings | Product categories | Red Fern Farm

 

[Rubee]

There is a farm in NE Michigan lower peninsula with a beautiful grove of Chinese chestnuts that produced very well a few years ago when I got nuts from them to plant. The seedlings didn’t make it through the first winter. Zone 5A I think. Not sure if they bear every year though.

 

[MikeMc]

I got mine from the Columbia county conservation sale. They were all winter kill.

I ordered Chinese chestnut from Columbia county a couple months ago. Maybe they will let me change my order. Sold out of a lot so not many choices.

 

[Barndog56]

So none of my 6 trees suffered winter kill this year, and it's been a nearly perfect year for tree growth at my place. So these trees actually look like they have potential now. Time will tell.