Stomp plant chestnuts?

[Super55]

Has anyone ever tried to just plant chestnuts in the ground from seed without starting them. Seen tons of vids of people starting them and then transplant but what about just doing the way nature or the squirrels have done it. Chestnut seeds are pretty cheap and if you live in a freezing climate nature should take care of things right?

I just purchased 200 chestnut seeds and was thinking of just stomping them in the ground and mark them with a miss-dig flag so I know where they are so I don't mow over them. Was wondering if anyone did anything similar?

 

[Catscratch]

I've done a lot of sawtooth oaks. I use a cordless drill with an auger bit to make sure they make it through the grass. Very low success rate. Mice, rabbits, squirrels, etc. Then if they survive all that bucks tend to rub them into a shrub.

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[OakSeeds]

While I wouldn't try "stomping" chestnuts into the ground for several reasons (the least of which is damage to the nut or the need for protection), planting chestnuts via direct seeding (planting a chestnut 1.5-2.5 inches deep and adding protection) will produce a superior tree (natural tap root for anchoring and water acquisition in drought). If you don't cover the newly planted nut with wire or something else to protect it (some use tubes buried 2-3 inches) Mr. squirrel or other rodents will likely eat/steal you seed. If your ground isn't frozen, you can plant seeds; however, it may be more difficult in more northern regions after Monday (very low temps Sunday and Monday).

 

[yoderjac]

Has anyone ever tried to just plant chestnuts in the ground from seed without starting them. Seen tons of vids of people starting them and then transplant but what about just doing the way nature or the squirrels have done it. Chestnut seeds are pretty cheap and if you live in a freezing climate nature should take care of things right?

I just purchased 200 chestnut seeds and was thinking of just stomping them in the ground and mark them with a miss-dig flag so I know where they are so I don't mow over them. Was wondering if anyone did anything similar?

We had a guy on base that would collect hundreds of nuts and carry them with him in the woods when doing conservation volunteer work or hunting. He would drop them and stamp them into the ground. I never saw a single one of these make it. Why? When he dropped them in the woods where the canopy shaded them out. I'm sure some germinated, but probably never made it before deer wiped them out. Any he dropped in open areas (LZs) would get mowed.

I'm not saying the technique won't work. It is essentially direct seeding without protection. Most nuts, in my area, would fall victim to squirrels. The success rate would be low, but if you did it in a clear-cut, I'm sure some trees would make it. What percentage would just be a wild guess.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[IkemanTx]

I threw the last 3-4 dried up chestnuts from some i bought at the store to cook out into the flower bed. Top dressed them with about 3 inches of compost, and one of them popped up in the spring. I transplanted it into an in-ground net pot and grew it out for 2 years.

Just pulled it today to take up to the family farm to transplant beside some AU buck IV.

I plan on doing the drill method with native oaks on some open family land in february. I am planning on burning 10 acres and want the oaks at savannah densities. The area was originally a mixture of Blackland Prairie and Oak Savannah.


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[b116757]

Don’t fool with a drill a bulb plugger is way faster more efficient I’ve direct seeded probably a couple thousand walnuts/acorns best done in the spring less time for critters to find them. If your serious about getting them to grow I’d flag every location glysophate spray it then plug the seed a couple weeks latter or if fall/winter spraying plug in the spring particularly important when planting in fescue sod. I’ve had good luck plugging into lightly forested locations then mid to late summer coming back and tubing any that germinated and opening the canopy some around them. I just flagged 150 locations and glysophate sprayed each one earlier this week in preparation for some spring direct seeding of late dropping sawtooths. These will all get tubes at planting I’m hoping for a high success rate out of these. When using the plugger pull a couple plugs when you first begin then you can simply flip the plugger after every seed is dropped into the hole and a plug drops back into the hole quick step on it and your done.

Amazon.com

 

[b116757]

I threw the last 3-4 dried up chestnuts from some i bought at the store to cook out into the flower bed. Top dressed them with about 3 inches of compost, and one of them popped up in the spring. I transplanted it into an in-ground net pot and grew it out for 2 years.

Just pulled it today to take up to the family farm to transplant beside some AU buck IV.

I plan on doing the drill method with native oaks on some open family land in february. I am planning on burning 10 acres and want the oaks at savannah densities. The area was originally a mixture of Blackland Prairie and Oak Savannah.


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Any of your AU Bucks producing yet I’ve got an order in for this spring for some of them. Curious on your drop time/zone with them.

 

[Super55]

The area I'm looking to plant is meadow with sporadic trees and mostly cool season grasses. Plan was to once the grass started sprouting (late apr/early may) to nail it with Glyphosate and then monitor the progress. Probably a safer bet to get them to germinate in soil and plant after site prep but I have no idea how quickly they will shoot once planted.

I've transplanted hundreds of white pine seedlings that my mother in law gives me and from my experience the smaller the plant transplanted the better the survivability. I've had years that seemed none of them survived but those were years that had extremely dry springs. I was kind of thinking if I can get the seed to start in its final resting place that would implement less stress.

 

[H20fwler]

I have direct seeded chestnuts in the past, Success rate is very low maybe 5% or less, but is still a success in my book for the low effort I put into it.
Fun to be walking along and notice a chestnut tree growing that you planted a few years ago and forgot about.

 

[Native Hunter]

I've started many chestnut trees and sawtooth trees from direct seeding, and it works just fine. I do it in fence rows where there will be quite a bit of sunlight and less competition from other tree roots. If you do it out in a woods with little sunlight and competition from tree roots, the chances of success are low. Rather than just 'stomping," I recommend breaking up the sod with a shovel so that you will get more dirt (rather than grass roots) in contact with the seed. Yes, the grass will come back, but not before the seed has time to germinate and take hold. That little break in the competition, along with good sunlight are keys to success.

 

[Troubles Trees]

(some use tubes buried 2-3 inches)

I did this with Pecans and Chestnut in burried tubes last spring in an area I don't go very often on my land. Something dug under every single one and stole the nuts I planted all my acorns the same way, but in areas I am often in and they were all untouched for some reason. I am not sure if it is because they were Pecans and Chestnuts and they smell different, or if I happened to plant close to whatever took them's home but they took every single one unfortunately. The few tracks I found were not clear to identify because they were older, but the size of the track was a lot bigger than a squirrel.

 

[IkemanTx]

Any of your AU Bucks producing yet I’ve got an order in for this spring for some of them. Curious on your drop time/zone with them.

A few aborted seeds this season, only 1 made it to maturity. Trees are 2 years old, and just out of the tops of the tubes.

Possibly one lost tree out of the package, but i think it is one of the AU gobblers if my memory serves me right on tree placement.


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