One Thousand Chestnut Trees - a Whitetail Deer Project

Planted 3 chestnut trees in my yard late may 30 ft apart. One grew 30" since. One about 10" and one hasn't grown an inch but is still green
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Which means we can't see what is beneath the ground. Those are three different locations and three different seedlings.

The good news is we have three seedlings that are alive. Down the road the slow may get replaced and then again it may catch up if it is growing a better root system now. Nature's way is patient - so just enjoy the ride as long as we have green growth.

Wayne
 
I always like to see the young tender growth with the reddish tint. How tall is that tube? Is that one of the slow growers catching up?

You got it going on & that is a very good thing.

Wayne
 
Tube is 5 ft high. This tree grew over 30" in 2 months. One grew a little the other hasn't grown

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The bareroots I planted the end of April were headed off at the nursery. They've grown well, but don't really have a central leader, with even the top branch growing horizontally. Should I stake that top branch to try and make it into a leader?

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The bareroots I planted the end of April were headed off at the nursery. They've grown well, but don't really have a central leader, with even the top branch growing horizontally. Should I stake that top branch to try and make it into a leader?

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I would.
 
Regarding your pruning choice, if you want to prune it, do it in January or February when it is dormant.

Don't pruning it now. It is a Chinese Chestnut which means it will be branchy and not a phone pole. You can prune, but don't prune at the wrong time of year.

Good luck - I see a great deal of green leaves - tells me you have a good root structure that is effectively delivering what the top growth needs.

Wayne
 
I will have a conversation with the post master about 2017 postal rates for mailing out flat rate boxes of Chinese Chestnuts next month.

My goal for this fall is to pass the 25,000 mark of Chinese Chestnuts distributed. This will be the fourth year and likely the last year I do this on the scale I have. The project has far exceeded my expectations. I have the numbers on electronic record but approximately 6,500 is the number to get us to 25,000 distributed over 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017.

I wanted to give back to the whitetail deer and with the helps of 100s of deer fantics like me that will certainly be achieved across the eastern USA.

I will post when I am ready to receive requests to be placed on the list. Got a computer issue right now.

All plans rely on mother nature producing burs and nuts in adequate numbers.

I am thankful and grateful for everyone that participated in this project.

Wayne B. Pruett
(Headed down the Home Stretch With a Great Group of Habitat Folks)
 
Looks great. Notice the red tint on some tender leaves - that is new growth.

I encourage you to get them protected if you can. Keep deer off them and they don't get mowed and unseen. Congrats on your success.

Wayne
 
I got 15 more planted this year, and the ones I planted last year are all doing well. Also gave some away to a friend in Bartholomew County, IN.

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Congrats on your continued success.

Thanks for sharing with your friend. That is how we help wildlife and our love of the outdoors.

Wayne
 
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

I have decided to take 2017 off from shipping chestnuts. I have a lab that is 10 1/2 months and his training now requires all of my time. I intend to resume shipping in 2018 but this year I am putting myself and my dog's welfare ahead of the "Chestnut Project." In 2014, 2015 and 2016 I worked very hard at helping about 250 habitat growers with growing chestnuts.

I am sorry that this might create an issue with some folks that were counting on me but Scotty is at the point he needs my attention.

I have shipped about 18,600 chestnuts to 32 states - I don't think I fell short on this project.

The reason I will resume in 2018 is because I want to reach the 25,000 shipping bench mark and then stop. I will be sharing seedlings I have grown with the remaining counties in Tennessee that I have yet to reach.

So even though I may have told you I would ship this September and October, that is no longer true.

Wayne B. Pruett
Sept 11, 2017
 
I totally respect your priority of training your pup, and even if you never shipped another nut or seedling, no one could EVER claim you haven't done the habitat community a great service! If everyone you've helped returns the favor to even a handful of people, in the future, just think of the good that will be done. Thank you very much for all the knowledge you have shared and the efforts you have made to spread chestnut trees to many areas that might not otherwise have seen them. :)
 
Thanks Jason.

I started the Chinese Chestnut Project because I wanted to give back to the Whitetail Deer. That has been accomplished. I still have some work to do in my state to get my seedlings in all 95 TN Counties. I am in the mid 60s now.

I will resume in 2018 - both of my pups will be well over a year old and will have shed hunted for wild antlers.

To ship 6 to 8 thousand chestnuts is about a 30 hour a week task for 3 or 4 weeks. It is a losing deal financially but this was not about money.

I do have a great dog at critical point in his development. I have to loyal to him - cause he sure is to me.

I will collect enough chestnuts to fill my grow boxes for what I grow. That will be about 300 good chestnuts to select from at starting time.

Maybe some other person will step up this year and collect and ship.

Hope you have a good deer season.

Wayne
 
No worries Wayne. Just maybe my chestnut trees from your work that are growing on 4 different farms in my area will still be spreading nuts around the world one day. Thanks for what you have done.
 
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