Growing Chestnuts in West Central Wi

[S.T.Fanatic]

Probably forestag, pretty sure they got their original seed from badgerset. Took a tour there a few years back, pretty cool place

That doesn't sound familiar and I'm pretty sure they were up and running before badgerset. I've stopped in at badgerset before and wasn't that impressed with their trees.

 

[Big Snow Man]

It’s somewhere near LaCrosse and I believe it’s two farms that have old chestnuts on them

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

It’s somewhere near LaCrosse and I believe it’s two farms that have old chestnuts on them

the farm you speak of is outside West Salem. Those trees were planted from nuts in the 1800's. Blight found them sometime in the 80's or 90's. I believe they have been inoculating them with something or other and it has worked to some degree.

 

[homegrownbucks]

New forest farm is the other name for the viroqua property. The same day we went there, we walked the west Salem land with the northern nut growers association. The Americans there were still looking pretty good but you could see the blight taking hold, I think they have tried using the hypovirulant blight to try to save them.

 

[cavey]

Holy cats they dont give their seedlings away either do they $$$$$$

 

[Barndog56]

I've got both chinese and Dunston chestnuts growing, just wakimg up now. Took a quick look earlier today and saw 3 or 4 of the chinese sending up new shoots from below ground. Will be the second year in a row that most of the chinese have done that, so not gaining any ground.

This Dunston tree was my best grower last year, reaching 6 foot tall and lots of branches, with a half dozen catkins. It's leafing out, but most branches have dead tips.

I've got 4 I started indoor a couple months ago from Dunston nuts. They'll be the last ones I'm planting. Any that die off will be replaced with apples.

 

[cavey]

My Chinese chestnuts are just starting to open their buds... you can see a few last years open burrs still up in the branches. They survived -38... were on high ground which helped but still got the cold and survived.

 

[finahol]

I am in mid michigan. Zone 5A they say. I have got to say i am just about done with dunstans. I have some from chestnut hill and also about a dozen from a local grower from dunstan nuts likely closer to 5B or 6A. 3rd leaf year and no sign of growth this weekend except a few from basal shoots. They are tubed and caged. Admittedly in a high water table but not much winter protection. My brother has a couple on same property with protection from east winds but about same wet feet that are leafing out just fine. I have some chinese seedlings from nuts from wpb that i will plant on higher ground with N and E protection this year. Will give the dunstans a few more weeks to show me some growth this year but am seriously thinking about replacing them with white oak hybrid seedlings I have started and seem to be doing well. I would be interested if anyone here has an idea about more hardy types of chestnut trees.

 

[OakSeeds]

I have talked with several persons in the upper 2/3's of Illinois who have seen some die back on chestnuts this spring. The polar vortex we experienced after the first of the year may have killed more than some bugs …. it may have been pretty hard on very young trees.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I have some chinese seedlings from nuts from wpb that i will plant on higher ground with N and E protection

......also important keys to survival in hot,dry,arid summers

bill

 

[roymunson]

I planted 4 at home last fall/winter and 4 at the hunting land.

the hunting land trees are doing great, I lost 2 at home. My wife said she's ok if I don't replace them because they're messy. I acted like I didn't hear that heresy and made plans for more this fall.

 

[blueKYstream]

It got down to about -20 in Kentucky if I'm not mistaken. The Chinese Chestnuts I have all seemed to survive without any dieback.

 

[Honker]

I have no affiliation with this place but have seen them advertising chestnuts and they appear to be up near Onalaska, WI.

https://www.bigracktrophyproducts.c...gH60Pyu2Qz_CPyGVfv0xBeGENAYHzSMCTX6e-NlIJMEdM

 

[homegrownbucks]

Finally got some nut production starting last year. More trees have them this year and the ones that produced last year have more, so it seems like it’s going in the right direction. But it definitely took a while, maybe 8-9 years with die back on most trees early on from the cold.