What are your settings on the drip irrigation?I started growing chestnuts from seed back in the '14/'15/'16 timeframe (don't recall exactly...) based on the wealth of knowledge that used to be on the QDMA forum. I haven't participated here as much, but do recognize some familiar names, and appreciate the high quality info shared, like the old days on the other site. I've kept at it as a hobby and sell some locally to other land managers, but I'm in Kansas City. Long drive from TN.
I store nuts in spagnum in the fridge in plastic shoe boxes. I pull them out in late January, and pot those with radicles into RM18s. By last frost, they are 18" and potted up to RM1G for the first season. I get 30-36" from most in that first year.
I pot some up to 3g fabric pots for a second year of growth. These are mostly 5-6' by their 2nd fall. And a handful are moved to 10g fabric pots for the 3rd year, reaching 8-12'. Those take up a ton of space, so I only do a couple dozen...
Imo, the key is drip irrigation. I struggled in the early years with keeping the trees going through the summer. It only takes one or 2 days to smoke them if you forget, and vacations are out of the question. The drip irrigation waters daily, just enough to get them to the next day. Not overwatering, and never forgetting...
I hope nobody feels like I'm hawking trees. Not sure there's anyone local on the site, and they are not worth a long drive- surely there are easier options. It's more of a re-introduction and letting you know I'm happy to share my methods if anyone is interested. There were some knowledgeable folks that shared info with me years ago, happy to continue that tradition. If the OP wants to try his hand at sprouting nuts and growing, I'm sure there's help to be offered.
Just got 6 of them ordered yesterday. I asked them to send me the smallest they had next spring, I'm planning to put them in 3 gallon root makers.Wildlife Group has them for $4 each, but shipping will be extra.
Go for their AU buck trees if you're only ordering 12.Wildlife Group has them for $4 each, but shipping will be extra.
I will say that I had a couple AU bucks that died. I don't know the situation now, but when I got them they were nut-grafted and grown in rootmaker bags. I put mine in 3 gal RB2s and babied them for a year before planting them in the field. They did well but then in a couple years died. I may have just been unlucky, but there is some talk of nut-grafted trees having a short life-span. Most likely, I was just unlucky with mine. I mention it because the chestnuts grown from nuts along side them did just fine.Go for their AU buck trees if you're only ordering 12.
They sell seedlings, not grafts nowI will say that I had a couple AU bucks that died. I don't know the situation now, but when I got them they were nut-grafted and grown in rootmaker bags. I put mine in 3 gal RB2s and babied them for a year before planting them in the field. They did well but then in a couple years died. I may have just been unlucky, but there is some talk of nut-grafted trees having a short life-span. Most likely, I was just unlucky with mine. I mention it because the chestnuts grown from nuts along side them did just fine.
If they are seedlings, they can't be the patented trees. Chestnuts can't fertilize themselves, 50% of the genetics come from another variety of chestnut. In order to get an identical clone of a Chestnut, some kind of grafting is required.They sell seedlings, not grafts now