One Thousand Chestnut Trees - a Whitetail Deer Project

[Bottomland]

At those temperatures, have they been water sufficiently? At times a fridge can take enough moisture out of the chestnuts to hurt the germination and if we don't water enough then our germination drops way off.

I would take part of the ones that have germinated and pull them from the growing media. Squeeze them to see if they are firm as opposed to swishy. If they are firm, I would soak them in water over night (12 hours) and then put them back in growing media. If they are somewhat dry, the soaking can kick start them.

Notice I said part of them. Sorry for the bad germination numbers.

Wayne

I'll try the soaking. I did soak all of them for a couple of hours after I removed them from cold storage before I planted them. No reason to apologize, I am not blaming anyone but myself, as I assume I mishandled them somehow. I know how finicky they can be. I just moved last year's trees into bigger pots and they are doing great! Thanks for all the help, and thanks again for provide all these Chestnuts for us to play around with!

 

[John Barnes]

I don't have a single radical so far. Don't know if they got too cold or too dry. Took them out this morning, soaked them for a few hours, and planted them in a peat moss, perlite, vermiculite mixture in express 18's. Have one of the 18's on a heat mat. Will post again if they do something.

 

[wbpdeer]

John,

I plant plenty of chestnuts in growing media that don't have a radicle showing. With that said, this year germination is not what we normally see. I don't have a reason for that but I am getting these reports from many growers. My Fowler Ford location trees in 2016 germinated great and this year those specific chestnuts from the same trees is half of last year regarding germination.

Chestnuts by nature germinate across a wide range of time. I have for three years - picked a start date and get trays of 18s going at the same time whether they have a radicle showing or not showing.

I am interested in your heat mat - hope it provides good results. I would encourage you to make sure that try is watered timely to avoid any roots drying out.

Be patient - nature is in charge.

Wayne

 

[JohnL48]

Wayne
For the most part my seedlings are doing great but starting to get brown spots on some of the leaves . Any thoughts ?

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[wbpdeer]

1. I am assuming the lights are not too close and these brown spots are not caused by heat. You would know if my assumptions are correct.

2. I don't know but I guess the leaves are large and they need more water. If you are growing in rootmaker 18 express containers, I would dunk each container so I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it was totally hydrated. If I did that on Tuesday, I would repeat that on Thursday. Two dunks should give the leaves more moisture.

3. Do you have a spray (mist bottle) bottle? If you do, spray all the leaves every day for 4 days in a row. Leaves absorb moisture.

When I look at your leaves - they look good to me in spite of the brown discoloration. As leaves get larger in size and more leaves appear on a seedling, the seedling needs more moisture.

My thoughts - I am not an expert - I work thru the same stuff as others do.

Hope this helps.

Wayne

 

[LodgeWI]

Wayne, et al.,

I'd like to fertilize my trees (planted spring 2016, now 4-5 feet tall). They are in tubes with landscape fabric 3 ft in each direction. Do I drop the fertilizer directly into the tube, or spread under the fabric? I've never fertilized trees before...

 

[wbpdeer]

Wayne, et al.,

I'd like to fertilize my trees (planted spring 2016, now 4-5 feet tall). They are in tubes with landscape fabric 3 ft in each direction. Do I drop the fertilizer directly into the tube, or spread under the fabric? I've never fertilized trees before...

I like to use liquid fertilizer as my way of feeding my trees. I would begin as soon as the last frost date has passed and continue until July 4th. We stop at that holiday time period to allow tender growth to harden off in advance of fall cold air. We don't gain any ground if we get tender growth that gets bit hard by cold air.



The photo shows what I purchase. You mix a small amount in a five gallon bucket of water.

Use this liquid fertilizer on the 1st day of the month and the 15th day of the month. Chestnuts are acid loving plants and this stuff works great for me. My schedule is I fertilize at my house every other Wednesday. I do my best to get that done at the farm but sometimes I slip a little.

This type of fertilizer will not burn the chestnut tree but it will feed it.

Now I am not the only person that has an effective method - others can weight in with methods that are successful for them. This is what I do and I am pleased with my outcome.

Glad your seedlings are going well. Congrats.

Wayne

 

[mattpatt]

Whatever you do... don't use fish emulsion! Every tree that I planted last year that I used fish emulsion on got dug up by varmints.

 

[Mitch]

Thanks Wayne
Plan on tubing these in the fall and pray for rain lol

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[wbpdeer]

Mitch,

They have to be moved up to a larger container before they get planted in the fall. Many of us like root pouches or other fabric bags.

Before they get moved to an outside setting they have to be introduced to the sunlight gradually. I start at 30 minutes a day and move to 45 minutes then an hour & 15 minutes.

Congrats on what you have accomplished. You will have some great chestnuts trees from those two trays. Feels good to see those big green chestnut leaves I expect.

Wayne

 

[Mitch]

At what point do they move to a pouch?


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[wbpdeer]

I think 14 weeks is the ideal time to do that. You could be a week earlier or a week later. That is a good time - not every seedling will be in the identical position but that will work for most all.

That is 14 weeks from when you started them.

Wayne

 

[Scatterlandsfarms]

great news after last years failure with the chestnuts this tear im going to get about 60 percent germination im tickled

 

[wbpdeer]

Scatterlandsfarm - that is great.

Those chestnuts will help your deer herd and wildlife when they begin to bear. Congrats. I am happy for you.

Wayne

 

[Mitch]

Any recommendations on which root pouches to buy? Not sure if some are better than others.
1gallon size?

 

[wbpdeer]

Mitch,

Personally I believe the 2 gallon are better for the roots but then you have to have more growing media. For me, I use both one gallon and two gallon. I buy the cheapest ones that only last one year. I don't attempt to reuse the root pouches.

If you get them online - they are very affordable by my standards.

Wayne

 

[Mitch]

Got it. Thank you! When you plant, you can plant the entire pouch right?

 

[wbpdeer]

Mitch,

I believe some people plant the fabric pouch right in the ground, but I don't. I will get the pouch wet and roll it so it gives up. If it don't give up, I use scissors and cut it off. I just don't want my roots being hung in the fabric if I can get them into the soil/ground.

You can decide what works for you.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I cut the seams with a boxcutter blade and plant without removing bag

Learned this from a post on this forum. Perhaps DogDoc as i recall

bill

 

[mattpatt]

I use the 12 month pouches and by the time they go through a season of you babying them at the house they are about to fall apart anyway so I just plant bag and all to avoid disturbing the roots. If I'm using 2-3 year root pouches I cut the seam where it's sewed together and cut up the opposite side then plant like I would tbt 12 month bags. I used to try and save them but sometimes the roots are so imbedded into the fabric that you end up doing more harm than good by removing it. Once the pouch is in contact with the soil the roots have no problem good through.

Matt


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