chestnut trees

[bill turlik]

first of march 3 2020 i got 3 3 gal. Dunstun chestnut trees from Walmart got planted a couple of days later 3-6-20 first 2 pictures trees budged in 4-5 days 3rd tree about 20 days but leaf out ok now they are planted about 15 to 20 ft apart
Untitled by william turlik, on Flickr

 

[bill turlik]

first of march 3 2020 i got 3 3 gal. Dunstun chestnut trees from Walmart got planted a couple of days later 3-6-20 first 2 pictures trees budged in 4-5 days 3rd tree about 20 days but leaf out ok now they are planted about 15 to 20 ft apart
Untitled by william turlik, on Flickr

Untitled by william turlik, on Flickr

 

[bill turlik]

Untitled by william turlik, on Flickr

Untitled by william turlik, on Flickr

 

[j-bird]

I have had decent luck with Dunstans so far. I only had one that developed an issue (root rot). Other issues have been deer related! I think I got my first nuts 2 or 3 years after being in the ground. Mine are in wide open areas for full sun....yours seem to get some shade so that may affect them some. Keep an eye on them once things start to get dry. I have to water all my new trees the first summer. I tend to put a 5 gallon bucket with a few small holes in the side near the bottom down into the cage. I then use my 3 point sprayer as a water truck and fill the bucket once or twice a week. When these trees are raised and kept at the store they are water regularly and they are used to that. You can't just plant them and walk away.....or they will struggle. I you wait to see signs of stress.....your behind and playing a game a catch up. Once it gets dry and hot just start watering....you will be glad you did. If your soil doesn't hold a lot of moisture yo may have to do this a few years until the roots get deep enough into the soil to find adequate moisture on their own. Good luck.

 

[bill turlik]

i live 40 miles north myrtle beach all sand here last year i got 10 AU 4 chestnut from wildlife group they were $10.00 each for 1 yr. seedling i figured put 10 in if 5 make ok but all 10 made it and looked good and watered them every week in the summer we were like 15 in below on rain last year dry one i have good luck with pear trees but not to much with apples get to 3 years old and that's it have water the trees 2 times this year we had some storms go through this morning a little over 1 in. of rain

 

[Oakseeds]

I would echo J-birds concern about the amount of apparent shade in relation to the location of your trees. Obviously, you could transplant the trees to a location offering more sun; a second alternative is to "release" the chestnut trees by removing trees creating the shade. most of the surrounding trees in your photos appear to have relatively small diameters, so removal of some would not be very difficult. If you remove some larger trees on the south side (say from 4 pm position to 9 pm position), your trees are liable to flourish better than when they spend considerable portions of the day in shade. Good luck my friend.

 

[j-bird]

I saw the moss on the trees in your pic and knew it was south somewhere and thus my concern for watering them (sandy soil). Sounds like you have a good idea of what you are doing so I hope they work out well for you. I don't see any "posts" in your pics....how are you keeping your cages secured? Just curious....always open to new ideas? I tend to use a T post or 2.....my deer have gotten sneaky and with only one post they will push the cage to the side and then be able to reach the tree! I had one remove the cage altogether....that tree lived, but was set back several years.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Cut the lower most horizontal strand of wire and you have "mini stakes " every 2 inches

i do this and add PVC pipe sections for posts

bill

 

[bill turlik]

I saw the moss on the trees in your pic and knew it was south somewhere and thus my concern for watering them (sandy soil). Sounds like you have a good idea of what you are doing so I hope they work out well for you. I don't see any "posts" in your pics....how are you keeping your cages secured? Just curious....always open to new ideas? I tend to use a T post or 2.....my deer have gotten sneaky and with only one post they will push the cage to the side and then be able to reach the tree! I had one remove the cage altogether....that tree lived, but was set back several years.

i use metal conduit 10 ft.cut in half on some trees in the woods i cut the conduit 6 ft and 4 ft use two 6 ft lift up the cage about 1 ft and use wire ties to hold the cage use the 4 ft and a 6 ft on the cages around the house i put the post in and out of the wire cage that holds them in place