One Thousand Chestnut Trees - a Whitetail Deer Project
- Thread starter wbpdeer
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mattpatt
Well-Known Member
Wayne,
I'm a little late getting these planted but here's a pic of one of your Chinese chestnuts you sent me. Grew in a 3D printed air pruning pot for most of the season last year then transferred into a one gallon root pouch at the end of summer. Planted last week.
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I'm a little late getting these planted but here's a pic of one of your Chinese chestnuts you sent me. Grew in a 3D printed air pruning pot for most of the season last year then transferred into a one gallon root pouch at the end of summer. Planted last week.
Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Wayne,
I'm a little late getting these planted but here's a pic of one of your Chinese chestnuts you sent me. Grew in a 3D printed air pruning pot for most of the season last year then transferred into a one gallon root pouch at the end of summer. Planted last week.
Matt they look super. Says great things about your 3D printed pots. That is as healthy of a Chinese Chestnut seedling as any of us can hope for.
Just outstanding. Thanks for sharing.
Wayne
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wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
I think 7 gallons would take them thru greatly. The other two sizes 3 and 15 would probably work. Myself I would not use 15 because of all the growing media I would need. You are in great position.
Congrats - for a great job.
Wayne
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
When I plant in the fall I want them to have some time to get settled in before the first frost. That is just me. You might want to talk to MattPatt because he is familiar with your climate - you are probably north of him.
You can check with the locals in the area where you plant them. I do like to plant on a rain in the fall - by that I want the ground wet and some rain coming.
Good luck.
Wayne
You can check with the locals in the area where you plant them. I do like to plant on a rain in the fall - by that I want the ground wet and some rain coming.
Good luck.
Wayne
mattpatt
Well-Known Member
Mitch,
I would wait until the trees have gone completely dormant then you can plant any time during the winter and up until they start coming out of dormancy in the spring. The earlier you get them in the ground after they go dormant the better as it gives the roots a little time to get established. I try to do most of my planting in December\January\February.
Matt
mattpatt
Well-Known Member
You can but it's not ideal. Planting them when they're dormant puts less stress on the tree.
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wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Yes you can plant in the spring. I will plant the first week of May because of other projects that see me back.
You are in Alabama and I am in north Middle Tennessee. Here is what I do to my spring plantings to give them less stress.
1) I use moisture mizer in the planting hole (water absorbing crystals)
2) I use landscape fabric to converse moisture and reduce competition
3) I weedeat the site and spray roundup to set back competition
4) I water them in extremely well when they are planted
5) I water 2 or 3 times the first two weeks
6) I water in the Summer when heat stress arrives
7) I protect them again rabbits and deer with tree tubes
Once planted in the spring, I watch them for new growth. That to me is a sign the roots are doing well.
Prior to planting I get them settle to the sun - I start with 20 minutes a day and work up the full sunlight thru a progression.
Best to start in the shade and move out of shade and increase time length exposed to sun gradually.
I believe MattPatt's growing climate is much harsher than yours and certainly harsher than mine.
I will not plant all of mine in the spring - I will carry some over the summer in my greenhouse and plant them in the fall when it turns cooler.
I hope this gives you some helpful ideas.
Wayne
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
I agree on what is ideal but some folks don't like to mess with plants at home during the summer. Availabe time to plant can vary from month to month.
If I was in super hot Texas, I expect I would plant 80% of my stuff in the late fall. That would mean a busy summer caring for them.
Wayne
If I was in super hot Texas, I expect I would plant 80% of my stuff in the late fall. That would mean a busy summer caring for them.
Wayne
mattpatt
Well-Known Member
FWIW here's my timeline...
First week of April - plant chestnuts in RM18s
First week of July - transplant to one gallon root pouches
First week of December - start planting the ones I don't intend to baby for a second year. On the ones I keep I move to three gallon root pouches.
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First week of April - plant chestnuts in RM18s
First week of July - transplant to one gallon root pouches
First week of December - start planting the ones I don't intend to baby for a second year. On the ones I keep I move to three gallon root pouches.
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wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
My trees not looking happy since planting in the root pouches
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I see seedlings with the leaves pointing toward the ground. I see the soil on the top of the growing media that is certainly DRY.
FIRST DAY. Give them water real good. Wait 5 minutes and water them again real good. You have moved them outside - I assume you gave them sunlight in a small dose before you gave them more sunlight.
Being outside means wind, sun, and hopefully good temps - all which mean they need more water.
DAY TWO. Look at the leaves - are they pointing down? Is the soil dry or damp.
You have good seedlings - check on them at least once a day and don't let them dry out. You have a great many leaves now - they need an increase in water based upon the above photo. Understand I don't know if current condition is the same as the photo I am basing my recommendation on.
Wayne
JohnL48
Well-Known Member
Ok. I was under the impression to let them get a bit dry before watering. I planted in the root pouches on Sat gave then a good watering but didn't water since I did gradually give them Sun. I roll them in the garage at night due to cooler temps
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wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
John we definitely want to allow to dry between waterings in the rootmaker 18s. Now that we have upsided and are subjecting them to the wind, sun and outside conditions with large leaves and more growing media, we need more water.
One thing I want to make sure of - you should have removed every single chestnut now that they are seedlings. Why? Because squirrels will smell that chestnuts and then we will lose seedlings. I have been in that position and it makes you angry to get a healthy seedling to have a squirrel kill it when he raids and gets the chestnuts.
I use small sharp scissors to clip the chestnut and toss them in a tight trash can. If you throw them in the yard and they smell them - then they get oriented to the scent and the scent is on the chestnut seedlings.
The game changes when your seedlings get that tall with many scaffolds of leaves and we put them outside. The sun kicks starts them to grow and that means water to get it done right. A nursery would be watering them twice a day where I live but I don't water but once a day.
I am very impressed with your seedlings. You have a great batch for the growing season. Congrats.
Wayne
One thing I want to make sure of - you should have removed every single chestnut now that they are seedlings. Why? Because squirrels will smell that chestnuts and then we will lose seedlings. I have been in that position and it makes you angry to get a healthy seedling to have a squirrel kill it when he raids and gets the chestnuts.
I use small sharp scissors to clip the chestnut and toss them in a tight trash can. If you throw them in the yard and they smell them - then they get oriented to the scent and the scent is on the chestnut seedlings.
The game changes when your seedlings get that tall with many scaffolds of leaves and we put them outside. The sun kicks starts them to grow and that means water to get it done right. A nursery would be watering them twice a day where I live but I don't water but once a day.
I am very impressed with your seedlings. You have a great batch for the growing season. Congrats.
Wayne
JohnL48
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the insight Wayne
