One Thousand Chestnut Trees - a Whitetail Deer Project
- Thread starter wbpdeer
- Start date
Neahawg
Active Member
Sandy loam, well drained on a north, northeast, or east facing slope are ideal.
Bottomland
Active Member
I think he's just saying plant it somewhere that doesn't stay saturated. I've got chestnut trees planted on flat land and they're doing fine, just don't plant them in low-lying areas.
Neahawg
Active Member
Yeah the main thing is to not plant them where you may have standing water.
Scott44
Active Member
I had 3 part RM trays with seedlings and wanted the room to try a tray of ROD cuttings so I consolidated them into 2 trays and planted the rest into 1 gal RM pots, pretty good root system on these seedlings right now. I just gave a gentle pull on the seedling to see if it would come out and they did and moved them to an empty spot in another tray. Mine aren't the express trays, I see where these trays would be helpful but this seemed to work ok.
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Buckdeer
I say avoid those locations that will have standing water after a fast 2 inch rain. I understand your flat terrain but some locations can pool water and others will not. I believe a chestnut doesn't tolerate standing water very well nor do they like a constant damp situation.
I once had a county boundary described as the crest of the ridge - that deed was written in early 1800's. Back then there was no bulldoziers.
It takes a careful eye to know which direction the water heads in a flat situation but that is the game you need to play.
Hope my explanation helps.
Wayne
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Update on Tennessee Counties & Chinese Chestnuts (Feb 28, 2017)
I have a goal to get my Chinese Chestnuts in all 95 counties in our state. I am in 60 counties at this point and about to add 5 more counties to the list. My plans are to get finished in 2017 on this part of the 1,000 Chestnut Tree Project.
I will have done my part if i get them into the counties - the landowner and mother nature will determine their survival rate. At my place once in the ground, I do get about 80 to 85 percent survival.
Also, I have some counties where I know who the recipient is but have not been in a position to get the seedling delivered yet. When that occurs I will add another 5 or 6 counties to my total number. This is a long process - when I worked I have been in all 95 counties and Tennessee is spread out East to West.
Thanks for reading this thread.
Wayne
I have a goal to get my Chinese Chestnuts in all 95 counties in our state. I am in 60 counties at this point and about to add 5 more counties to the list. My plans are to get finished in 2017 on this part of the 1,000 Chestnut Tree Project.
I will have done my part if i get them into the counties - the landowner and mother nature will determine their survival rate. At my place once in the ground, I do get about 80 to 85 percent survival.
Also, I have some counties where I know who the recipient is but have not been in a position to get the seedling delivered yet. When that occurs I will add another 5 or 6 counties to my total number. This is a long process - when I worked I have been in all 95 counties and Tennessee is spread out East to West.
Thanks for reading this thread.
Wayne
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Education on Indoor Growing Choices
I have had great success with growing chinese chestnuts in a growing box - I am in my third year. Made some mistakes and learned from them - this is how the process plays out for most of us.
The big surprise this cycle is the addition of "Swamp White Oak" and "Bur Oak" to my grow box. I have two trays of SWO and 40 something bur growing. The bur will be moved out of the tubs I started them in due to space issues. Both of these grow fast and have the best looking leaves.
Thanks to CAS_Hntr and Catscratch for the acorns.
I have chestnuts from different sources trees in my town this year. I have some seedlings I am growing from trees my wife's grandfather planted in his backyard. Those trees have great sentimental value to us.
I have a tray of sawtooth that started super slow - heck I had just about written them off. Now all 18 containers have top growth. They were slow to germinate but we are now at 100%. Goes to show - nature is in charge and we have to be patient.
Next year I will increase my diversity in what I grow as I have this year.
Thanks for reading this thread.
Wayne
I have had great success with growing chinese chestnuts in a growing box - I am in my third year. Made some mistakes and learned from them - this is how the process plays out for most of us.
The big surprise this cycle is the addition of "Swamp White Oak" and "Bur Oak" to my grow box. I have two trays of SWO and 40 something bur growing. The bur will be moved out of the tubs I started them in due to space issues. Both of these grow fast and have the best looking leaves.
Thanks to CAS_Hntr and Catscratch for the acorns.
I have chestnuts from different sources trees in my town this year. I have some seedlings I am growing from trees my wife's grandfather planted in his backyard. Those trees have great sentimental value to us.
I have a tray of sawtooth that started super slow - heck I had just about written them off. Now all 18 containers have top growth. They were slow to germinate but we are now at 100%. Goes to show - nature is in charge and we have to be patient.
Next year I will increase my diversity in what I grow as I have this year.
Thanks for reading this thread.
Wayne
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wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Cuttings and Grafting
This year I am going to establish cuttings successfully! In the past I cut corners and failed to provide attention at the right time. Problem is I bit off more than I could chew. User error is part of the habitat process - it is not how much you do but what you do well.
I am going to graft pears and persimmons too. I believe YouTube will be a great educational resource on grafting.
I have never purchased lumenite but I am going to invest in some this year. My trip to the Brushpile opened my eyes. Brad showed me how he uses a heat gun and he cuts a long slit to the tree to allow the lumenite to be removed later on. Also, he gave me used one that will be used to establish some of my cuttings.
We learn from others and the forum users here have been great to help me and others. I hope to pass on as much as I can to repay the kindness extended to me. Thanks to Brushpile, Turkey Creek, NativeHunter and DogDoc for the help with cuttings and grafting. Neahawg offered some scions but I was already set.
Wayne
This year I am going to establish cuttings successfully! In the past I cut corners and failed to provide attention at the right time. Problem is I bit off more than I could chew. User error is part of the habitat process - it is not how much you do but what you do well.
I am going to graft pears and persimmons too. I believe YouTube will be a great educational resource on grafting.
I have never purchased lumenite but I am going to invest in some this year. My trip to the Brushpile opened my eyes. Brad showed me how he uses a heat gun and he cuts a long slit to the tree to allow the lumenite to be removed later on. Also, he gave me used one that will be used to establish some of my cuttings.
We learn from others and the forum users here have been great to help me and others. I hope to pass on as much as I can to repay the kindness extended to me. Thanks to Brushpile, Turkey Creek, NativeHunter and DogDoc for the help with cuttings and grafting. Neahawg offered some scions but I was already set.
Wayne
Familytradition
Active Member
Bottomland
Active Member
Just an update on mine. For some reason, out of 2 Rootmaker trays planted, I only have 5 chesnuts that put down a radicle and sprouted. I'm giving the others more time. I think the issue was I never put them in a growing media. I just had the freezer bag full of nuts in the fridge all winter (I checked regularly for ideal moisture level and mold) and then I transplanted them outside into Rootmakers back in early Feb since the weather down here has been so mild.
Next year I guess I'm doing the peat moss in the bags and putting them under grow lights in the garage in January, the whole 9 yards.
Next year I guess I'm doing the peat moss in the bags and putting them under grow lights in the garage in January, the whole 9 yards.
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
I am going to say the temps didn't get warm enough to get them going. Don't give up on them, when temps get in the 70s and stays up for 4 to 6 days with the nights not too cool the 5 will get some more chestnuts join them.
Just my two cents ...
Wayne
Bottomland
Active Member
That may be the case, however, I live right on the Gulf of Mexico and it's been in the mid 70s to 80s for 5-6 weeks now.
Last year, I was late to get on the Chestnut list and someone graciously sent me some of their leftovers (from Wayne), which had been chilling in peat moss all winter in the fridge. I had 100% success. I just wonder if not keeping them in dirt hurt them in some way.
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
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 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
