yoderjac
5 year old buck +
The Dunstan chestnuts I grew from seed and planted back in 2013 are now starting to produce nuts. I decided to collect some and found something interesting. All of the burrs had one mature nut per burr. When I buy chestnuts, occasionally I'll get a nut with no flat side, but this is the exception, not the rule. Typically they have one flat side (or two if they were in the middle). Every one of these nuts were one per burr.
Does anyone know if this is typical with young seedling trees like this? I'm presuming the trees simply don't have enough energy to produce multiple nuts per burr. I did look at one small unopened bur that I had to open with a knife. It had 3 undeveloped ovum in it so I know these are not some unusual tree. I'm guessing it is a function of the age of these trees.
At any rate, I'm happy that I'm seeing production from the best and brightest of my first batch of trees started from seed in the winter of 2012 and planted in April of 2013. This is far from typical. I'd say it is the top 5%. At least I know it is possible to get some nut production in 5 years with Dunstan chestnuts.
Keep in mind that this first batch was a learning experience. I did not protect them well. I used short tubes with bamboo stakes. I later went back and used taller tubes with PVC stakes. Trees that I did not protect have become bushes with no central leader. I don't know if these will ever produce nuts, but the deer seem to keep them trimmed to bushes. I have since learned to keep trees in my rootmakers for at least one season and to plant them when they have filled 3 gal RB2s rather than planting them in the field the first spring.
Thanks,
Jack
Does anyone know if this is typical with young seedling trees like this? I'm presuming the trees simply don't have enough energy to produce multiple nuts per burr. I did look at one small unopened bur that I had to open with a knife. It had 3 undeveloped ovum in it so I know these are not some unusual tree. I'm guessing it is a function of the age of these trees.
At any rate, I'm happy that I'm seeing production from the best and brightest of my first batch of trees started from seed in the winter of 2012 and planted in April of 2013. This is far from typical. I'd say it is the top 5%. At least I know it is possible to get some nut production in 5 years with Dunstan chestnuts.
Keep in mind that this first batch was a learning experience. I did not protect them well. I used short tubes with bamboo stakes. I later went back and used taller tubes with PVC stakes. Trees that I did not protect have become bushes with no central leader. I don't know if these will ever produce nuts, but the deer seem to keep them trimmed to bushes. I have since learned to keep trees in my rootmakers for at least one season and to plant them when they have filled 3 gal RB2s rather than planting them in the field the first spring.
Thanks,
Jack
