One Thousand Chestnut Trees - a Whitetail Deer Project

[John Barnes]

Checked all my nuts in 18's and found 4 with a radicle. Thought it was actually a total fail before really inspecting. Was about ready to just toss them. Will let them all go for a couple more weeks, but eventually I'll need the 18's for my tomatos and bell peppers.

 

[wbpdeer]

Checked all my nuts in 18's and found 4 with a radicle. Thought it was actually a total fail before really inspecting. Was about ready to just toss them. Will let them all go for a couple more weeks, but eventually I'll need the 18's for my tomatos and bell peppers.

John I believe your chestnuts need some remedial efforts. I would leave the four with a radicle alone and water them every one to three days depending on the moisture level of the growing media.

I would pull all of the other chestnuts and put them in two sandwich bags with some damp but not wet peat moss. I would put them in the fridge for two weeks. After two weeks I would put them back in growing media. Since you only have with a radicle, I believe they dried out on us. The 14 days in damp peat moss will be one way to wake some of them up.

When you pull the chestnuts out of the growing media, squeeze them to see if any have gone soft. Those that are extremely soft can be tossed as they have lost the battle to rot. They are a waste of time. If we can move from 4 to 8 or 10 seedlings, we could plant two chestnuts in each location on your ground and help the hunting down the road.

I don't know why but this year has been bad for germination. Like crop or bean crops, not every year is the same.

If you use your rootmakers for other plants, you can put these chestnuts in a tub and you will then pull out the ones that make it.

I hope I have helped some. Please don't fold your tent just yet. All is not lost yet.

Wayne

 

[JohnL48]

Okay, here are my thoughts.

Best news I read is you have 40 good Chinese Chestnut Seedlings. That is cause for celebration. Our challenge is to save as many as possible to allow them to become established chestnut trees.

1. I suggest you divide the 40 into two groups of 20. I would move all 40 out of the rootmaker 18s and get them into root pouches now. The pouches are not expensive - but it will take more growing media than you think.
2. After the chance of the last frost / freeze, I would plant 20 of them in their final destination. They need full sun to produce chestnuts later on when they are mature enough. Don't plant in the forest as the canopy will prevent chestnuts being produced. You have got to protect those chestnuts from the critters. Two choices: either tree tubes or wire cages. Otherwise - take a good look at those 20 seedlings and get ready for them to be destroyed over time.
3. Other 20 in root pouches, I would keep at home until the fall. I would feed them with fertilizer every two weeks and stop that at July 4th. We stop at that time to allow the tender growth to harden off before the cold weather arrives. I would put a small fence around them to keep rabbits and such off them and I would water them every day or every two days depending on sun and heat. Before you put them outside you have to get them gently introduce to sunlight. Start slowing and work up to a full day over 2 weeks or so.

My recommendation splits your 40 into two groups of 20 and increases the chance that you don't lose them all.

If where you plant them you can't water - get 2 litter bottles or 5 gallon buckets to put small holes in them and sit by the seedlings to slowly water. It don't take much to save a chestnut.

Congrats on your 40 great seedlings. Best of luck turning them into established trees. It is normal to lose a few maybe 5 to 10 percent but it not normal to lose more than that unless you have sever drought.

Hope I have helped.

Wayne

What do you suggest for the growing media ?

 

[Scott Clearman]

Some advice please.
I got my chestnuts early October. They were float tested and dried, and put into the refrigerator. I have been watching but as of yet I have no radicals showing. Last weekend, I pulled them, soaked them for about 8 hours (with only 2-3 floaters) and dried them. I only had 2 I think that were soft. Since they had no radicals, I put them in bags with damp moss and left them at room temp.
My question is, should I continue with this plan? Do they need to go back to the fridge? How do I get them to shoot out radicals?

 

[wbpdeer]

What do you suggest for the growing media ?

John I will answer this question 2 ways.

1. What ever you used in the rootmaker 18s, you could use that same mixture in the root pouches because the seedlings look great. This tells us it works! 'Nuff Said.
2. I use ProMix High Porosity - on the bag it is HP for High Porosity. This mix is what I use but it ain't easy to find.

Main thing - growing media has to drain well. When I up size I add mini- Pine Barks to increase drainage and air flow.

Never use a growing media that has moisture retention qualities for growing Chinese Chestnuts - it will cause our roots to rot or our chestnuts will grow soft and mushy if the moisture level is too high.

Wayne

 

[John Barnes]

Thanks Wayne, will go back to the fridge with those without a radicle.

 

[JohnL48]

What do you think about using old tire tubes for a watering system when not around ? Got the idea looking at the self watering (ooze) bags, but those bags are too expensive. Same idea. Just poke a few holes in the tube and put it around the tree tubes and fill with water ? Just a thought. My trees will be planted 2 hrs away from home

 

[wbpdeer]

I think water in the tubes will work fine. The slower they drip water the better they will be for the seedling / tree. I agree that ooze bags are not in my financial approach.

I do water absorbing crystals, spray to kill competition, put landscape fabric down and it is only 12 miles between the house and farm.

Wayne

 

[Merle Hawggard]

Wayne,
I went to the farm yesterday, heard a Tom and several hens, but couldn't get him to leave them for my sick sounding hen calls.
Last years chestnut are looking really good except the two biggest ones Chuck grew and one of our nice dunstans.
The roots had been gnawed off during the winter.
The good thing is I have replacements.

Sent from my SM-S903VL using Tapatalk

 

[wbpdeer]

Merle

As we all learn, nature reclaims what it wants. All great to have replacements. I lost two that way in 2015. Been lucky since.

I have 12 pear rootstock that I grafted with 10 from Native Hunter and 2 from DogDoc. I am getting anxious and hopeful that most of them take.

Wayne

 

[Sam]

I had basically given up on the chestnuts sprouting this year and figured I had done something wrong. Went out this morning and found 2 had sprouted. I have been slammed busy this week and haven't had time to do anything much less check the plants well I should take more time away from the plants cause they finally decided to show me up. To say I'm excited is an under statement. I have that feeling when a shooter buck walks in and you cant sit still your so excited!

 

[wbpdeer]

Sam - nature is in charge.

Those two look extremely healthy. I hope we have 4 or 5 more join them. I believe in planting at least 3 per location in the event one dies.

I guess I would gently water the chestnuts bags and hope for more positive signs of top growth.

Congrats on your two "shooter" chestnuts. Ha Ha

Wayne

 

[Mitch]

What eats the roots?


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[Jason Broom]

With a lot of encouragement from Wayne, I finally got the chestnuts he sent me this year to grow. Out of 24 nuts I've got 21 with top-growth, although they are well behind the pace of last year's trees. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they catch up this summer.

Of the 19 I planted last year, 18 have vigorous new growth, while one of them is either dormant or dead. Fortunately, that is the tree I wasn't sure about last fall, so I kept it here at the house where I've got three others planted and thriving.

 

[wbpdeer]

What eats the roots?


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Voles is what eats the roots. Not moles but Voles. They do underground what a beaver does above ground.

Wayne

 

[Mitch]

Reason I ask is because I planted 4 fruit trees Friday. Went back the next day to put some moldy hay around the base and something had dug at the roots. I figured it to be an armadillo. I don't think any damage was done to the trees and hopefully the moldy hay keeps them away.

 

[H20fwler]

Wayne, just an update on the project you helped me with.
I gave ten each 16" started trees to three different friends to put out, planted a dozen 24" along my orchard and screened them I plan on caging them within a week. I have a dozen or so in gallon pots yet and direct seeded everything I had left in the fridge around 50-60 that were sprouted into a briar thicket along edge of woods this week where hopefully nature will help protect them.
I lost a few starts to root eating gnats and me over watering but overall it turned out pretty well I think. The wife is glad to have them out of the house and fridge...I am looking forward to seeing them grow.

Thanks again!

 

[wbpdeer]

Man o Man - what a great update. You growing season has been great. Congratulations for your impressive results.

In the near future your deer and turkey will be loving those chestnut trees. Also, glad to hear you shared chestnut seedlings with 3 of your friends. Kind of thing we love to hear about.

Great Job H20flwer.

Wayne

 

[blumsden]

Hey Wayne, been away for awhile. I had good succes with direct seeding into my pots. I have several that looks to have 2 trunks coming up from one nut. What should i do, clip one off? When is the best time to transplant a seedling from one pot to another?

 

[wbpdeer]

Blumsden the best time to transplant is before they fill the pot with roots. In a situation if you are trying to decide - err on the side of sooner as opposed to waiting.

Two trunks is a situation for your preference. Chinese Chestnut are branchie and multi-trunk very often. I am in the school of thought that I don't prune one - others like to prune one. I think nature is smarter than me. Pick the methods that suits your mind-set.

You might take a middle of the road approach - prune some of them and leave others alone. I only prune limbs that grow inward toward the center of the tree - I said limbs not trunks. I want limbs stretching outward for the sunlight. That works good for me.

Sure am glad you have had success. The deer and turkey will benefit from your success and efforts. Congrats on your success.

Wayne