I picked up 4 chestnuts today from a dunstan I planted a couple of years ago. What is the little tentacle thing sticking out?
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One Thousand Chestnut Trees - a Whitetail Deer Project
- Thread starter wbpdeer
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I picked up 4 chestnuts today from a dunstan I planted a couple of years ago. What is the little tentacle thing sticking out?
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wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
I don't know the technical term off the top of my head but it is not the radicle. True beginners think that is a radicle.
We just ignore that and don't damage it. I will try to look it up on the TACF materials. It feels good to collect a chestnuts off a tree you planted I am sure. Congrats. If you don't eat it, soak it for 10 hours, dry it good, put it in the fridge for 80 to 85 days and then stick in a growing container or direct seed them.
Still hoping weather don't totally slam you. My niece in Charleston vacated today to ride storm out elsewhere.
We just ignore that and don't damage it. I will try to look it up on the TACF materials. It feels good to collect a chestnuts off a tree you planted I am sure. Congrats. If you don't eat it, soak it for 10 hours, dry it good, put it in the fridge for 80 to 85 days and then stick in a growing container or direct seed them.
Still hoping weather don't totally slam you. My niece in Charleston vacated today to ride storm out elsewhere.
mattpatt
Well-Known Member
I picked up 4 chestnuts today from a dunstan I planted a couple of years ago. What is the little tentacle thing sticking out?
Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum
It is what remains of the "styles." One of the reproductive parts of the chestnut. The other being the "anthers."
http://masschestnut.org/pollinationManual.php
Matt
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wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Matt
I search 20 minutes thru my documents and on line and could not find the correct term. I had read it previously be couldn't retrieve it.
Thanks for sharing.
Wayne
blumsden
Member
Well i checked my chestnuts a couple days ago and found a few with white mold, so i took them out of the fridge and i am going to direct seed them into containers surrounded by chicken wire. I can keep them watered this way. I have them close to my well. This dang drought we're going thru has been ridiculous.
Kabic
Active Member
Read your post and checked mine. One looked like it had mold so I took it out and put in some potting soil in the garage. It now gets to do stratification through a wisconsin winter in unheated detached garage.
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shedder
Active Member
remnant of the styles
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
I take a round jug about like a Clorox bottle and make a cylinder out of hardware cloth by using the bottle to form the cylinder. I stick the end of the cylinder down in the dirt about 2 inches. The top end of the cylinder I put it together to close it and put as many cable ties on it to keep it shut. That allows me to be lax at checking on the seedlings breaking the soil. I have poor success on my direct seeding efforts, so I put two chestnuts to each location.
To me the secret is to kill all competition on the ground - no grass to steal what my chestnuts need.
I don't have trouble finding my cylinders.
I love that idea of the jug pattern. I couldn't for the life of me think of what to use as a pattern for hardware cloth.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
Amazing project that you have going!Chestnut season has been great! Yesterday's orders that I shipped brought the number shipped to 142.
8,401 chestnuts have shipped to hunters in states across the eastern half of the country.
Still got a few left - not many ...
I appreciate all of you tree growers.
I appreciate your goals and efforts. I've turned into a mini distributor for the project; planting trees on my personal place and spreading them in the community.
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Catscratch,
How many of your students get excited by seeing a tree grow? That is the next generation. I was born in the early 1950s and I hope those students, your kids, and my grandkids get a chance to enjoy the outdoors and what nature provides.
Any feedback you have from those students you can share on this thread. Your were the first school, now the 2nd one is in South Carolina. Next year I hope to at least double the number to four schools.
How many of your students get excited by seeing a tree grow? That is the next generation. I was born in the early 1950s and I hope those students, your kids, and my grandkids get a chance to enjoy the outdoors and what nature provides.
Any feedback you have from those students you can share on this thread. Your were the first school, now the 2nd one is in South Carolina. Next year I hope to at least double the number to four schools.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
They loved it. It made gathering data fun, they couldn't wait to take measurements every week. Once we were done they were allowed to take their tree home. Many of them wanted extra trees to give to family or friends. They were proud of what they grew, liked knowing the history of the American Chestnut, and thought it was cool that roots could grow differently due to container type.
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Catscratch,
If you run out of chestnuts, give them my contact information. The motivated make the best tree growers. Tell two or three of the students to divide one order - that would be easy on each of them. You find me a teacher in another town and we can get them going too in 2017.
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
For me, the chestnut collection season is officially over. I am storing my "nut wizard" until 2017. I had a tremendous year and was able to secure many new trees to collect from. This is my first year where I had no job duties that prevented me from collecting when ever I wanted to collect.
For 2017, my goal will be to increase the trees I can collect from. I am willing to travel 30 miles one way to collect under a tree that produces great chestnuts. I added two super trees this year.
Why? Diversity is my goal. The great trees will allow me to grow seedlings that will populate our farm. I am 63 years old but my work and efforts will live on after my days are over. My son and grandchild will enjoy it for decades to come. Now that gives me a sense of satisfaction that is most special.
I will go thru my supply of chestnuts at my house for three purposes. Any outstanding chestnuts will get moved to my fridge. I will use the highest standards on this selection. Any with weevil holes will go into an experimental bag in the fridge to determine the germination rate for the weevil hole group. All of the rest will be put in the great outdoors where deer, squirrels, turkeys, etc for enjoy them.
Actually there is a fourth purpose - my wife can smile now that things return to normal. She has been supportive and now her house is no longer a nut house.
One of her favorite jokes - she tells her friends - Wayne is downstairs playing with his nuts.
For 2017, my goal will be to increase the trees I can collect from. I am willing to travel 30 miles one way to collect under a tree that produces great chestnuts. I added two super trees this year.
Why? Diversity is my goal. The great trees will allow me to grow seedlings that will populate our farm. I am 63 years old but my work and efforts will live on after my days are over. My son and grandchild will enjoy it for decades to come. Now that gives me a sense of satisfaction that is most special.
I will go thru my supply of chestnuts at my house for three purposes. Any outstanding chestnuts will get moved to my fridge. I will use the highest standards on this selection. Any with weevil holes will go into an experimental bag in the fridge to determine the germination rate for the weevil hole group. All of the rest will be put in the great outdoors where deer, squirrels, turkeys, etc for enjoy them.
Actually there is a fourth purpose - my wife can smile now that things return to normal. She has been supportive and now her house is no longer a nut house.
One of her favorite jokes - she tells her friends - Wayne is downstairs playing with his nuts.
lakngolf
Well-Known Member
Your wife knows you well. Good job on the massive collection and distribution. Good thing about the tomato seed that I am sending you, they do not take up much room. Since these will be grown for your wife her new joke can be "Wayne is downstairs playing with my maters"
