deer patch
Well-Known Member
Would you use a different fertilizer if you had planted them outside instead of inside?
One Thousand Chestnut Trees - a Whitetail Deer Project
- Thread starter wbpdeer
- Start date
Would you use a different fertilizer if you had planted them outside instead of inside?
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
I have used two types of fertilizer with my chestnut growing and I got positive results. The water soluble fertilizer I have used both inside and outside. It is easy to find, easy to mix and you see good green leaves with it. For those reasons I have not looked elsewhere.
I use Osmocote Plus too at planting time. I provides nutrients that are essential to develop healthy seedlings.
Are there other items available that will work? Yes, what I use are not the only effective choices. They work for me.
Hope this helps.
Wayne
I use Osmocote Plus too at planting time. I provides nutrients that are essential to develop healthy seedlings.
Are there other items available that will work? Yes, what I use are not the only effective choices. They work for me.
Hope this helps.
Wayne
deer patch
Well-Known Member
Thanks Wayne.
suburbhunter
Active Member
Wow, Looking Great!!!
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
How close did you plant those. I like mine 20 to 25 feet apart. Congrats on getting them in the ground.
Deer going to love you.
They are about 15 feet. I know it's a little closer than normal or reccomend but being as this is my first time trying this I figured not all of them where gonna make it and if I have to take out every other one once they get big than so be it.
If those are planted N-S orientation, you probably won't have much sun-loss for 10 or more years. By then you'll have a better feel for the overall effect and know which trees are robust growers. Good luck.
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
I feed chinese chestnuts liquid fertilizer this morning. Miracle Grow for Acid Loving Plants. I have about 12 more chestnuts to feed and will get them tomorrow. I took 26 gallons of water and give each tree about 3/4 to 1 gallon each. I will hit them all again in about 10 days.
If we hit a dry spell with 90+ temps, I will give them all straight water to keep them healthy. I have weed whacked around them also. I will spray to kill the competition this coming week. That really helps them during the hot part of the summer. Two liter soda bottles with a 1/8 inch drill hole in the cap helps water them. I put the bottle upside down to allow them to drip slowly.
I have a few spots / gap to fill in where I lost a seedling - that is part of the process. These were all planted in 2015 with the two oldest grandkids and my son.
Try to get a few pictures tomorrow or Monday.
Thanks for reading this post.
If we hit a dry spell with 90+ temps, I will give them all straight water to keep them healthy. I have weed whacked around them also. I will spray to kill the competition this coming week. That really helps them during the hot part of the summer. Two liter soda bottles with a 1/8 inch drill hole in the cap helps water them. I put the bottle upside down to allow them to drip slowly.
I have a few spots / gap to fill in where I lost a seedling - that is part of the process. These were all planted in 2015 with the two oldest grandkids and my son.
Try to get a few pictures tomorrow or Monday.
Thanks for reading this post.
JohnL48
Well-Known Member
Wayne,
What would be a good strategy ? Last batch I planted 17 trees in the late spring with about a 30 % success rate. It was a dry summer and I'm not there to water, I'm 2 hrs away. These will be planted in southern Catskills NY .I planted 12 in October of same yr and non came back in spring. I'm thinking
1- try 1/2 in spring and rest in fall again ( not there to water)
2- let all go dormant in fall and plant. (Would be early November)
3- let all go dormant in fall, keep inside for winter then plant next spring
4- same as above but plant next fall.
5- other
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
How often do you get to that location? I know it is 2 Hours away but wonder if you get there once a month or every two weeks.
Can you get a local to water them for you every 2 weeks when they are planted in their final location? If you could do that, I will plant them all now and use moisture miser when I plant them. It a white crystal substance that retains about 1,000 times it weight in water. It looks like something our of science fiction if you spill some and it gets wet.
Put that substances in the hole as you back fill at planting. Get some small containers at least 1 gallon in size up to 5 gallon in size. Drill a couple of 1/8 holes up 1/2 inch below the bottom of the container. We want trash to settle on the bottom and not clog our hole that is 1/2 inch higher than the bottom of the bucket. The first month when they are planted is critical to get them settled.
If you get someone to water the containers and the tree every 2 weeks, I say they will do much much better than 30 percent.
You will get some rainfall hopefully to help them as well.
Using water retention crystals (sold under different names - not just moisture miser) really helps the first year. By the 2nd year most chinese chestnuts handle most of what comes their way.
Locally ask what name they sell water retention crystals under. I buy mine from the wild life group in Alabama.
How many seedlings do you think you will have to plant?
Wayne
Can you get a local to water them for you every 2 weeks when they are planted in their final location? If you could do that, I will plant them all now and use moisture miser when I plant them. It a white crystal substance that retains about 1,000 times it weight in water. It looks like something our of science fiction if you spill some and it gets wet.
Put that substances in the hole as you back fill at planting. Get some small containers at least 1 gallon in size up to 5 gallon in size. Drill a couple of 1/8 holes up 1/2 inch below the bottom of the container. We want trash to settle on the bottom and not clog our hole that is 1/2 inch higher than the bottom of the bucket. The first month when they are planted is critical to get them settled.
If you get someone to water the containers and the tree every 2 weeks, I say they will do much much better than 30 percent.
You will get some rainfall hopefully to help them as well.
Using water retention crystals (sold under different names - not just moisture miser) really helps the first year. By the 2nd year most chinese chestnuts handle most of what comes their way.
Locally ask what name they sell water retention crystals under. I buy mine from the wild life group in Alabama.
How many seedlings do you think you will have to plant?
Wayne
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Finding New Chinese Chestnut Trees
My friend "Suburban Hunter" and I exchanged text messages about locating new chestnut trees this week. He said I had him looking for chestnut trees as he drove down the road. That makes me laugh - because it is true that this is the time of year to find new trees.
Now they aren't new - just mature bearing trees that we discover. How do we discover them?
Look at the photo below. On a sunny day, a chestnut tree with new catkins has that light green glow. I live in northern Middle Tennessee and I don't have to drive far to find new ones now. I take my binos and I glass the edge of woods and fence rows. In our part of the country TVA helped landowners plant chinese chestnuts 60 and 70 years ago.
If you like to improve your lands for whitetail deer, chinese chestnuts are a great option. Growing your own seedlings or direct seeding chestnuts is more affordable than the purchase prize of one or two year old seedlings.
Look at the photo and maybe saving it to your handheld device. Just find one hour to go searching for new trees. Post a photo one here so the doubters will believe this works.
Why do we need to find new trees. The trees above were on my wife's grandfathers land. That man has gone on to meet the lord. That land has been sold numerous times and will soon be developed. Those trees went the way of progress and were bull dozed down in the last 10 months.
My son made a large profit off one of the land transactions involving this land. I am thankful for that. I also have distributed seedlings I grew from these trees. So I did my part to make what her grandfather did helps others.
I hope to see some new trees posted here located by habitat folks that read this thread.
Wayne
My friend "Suburban Hunter" and I exchanged text messages about locating new chestnut trees this week. He said I had him looking for chestnut trees as he drove down the road. That makes me laugh - because it is true that this is the time of year to find new trees.
Now they aren't new - just mature bearing trees that we discover. How do we discover them?
Look at the photo below. On a sunny day, a chestnut tree with new catkins has that light green glow. I live in northern Middle Tennessee and I don't have to drive far to find new ones now. I take my binos and I glass the edge of woods and fence rows. In our part of the country TVA helped landowners plant chinese chestnuts 60 and 70 years ago.
If you like to improve your lands for whitetail deer, chinese chestnuts are a great option. Growing your own seedlings or direct seeding chestnuts is more affordable than the purchase prize of one or two year old seedlings.
Look at the photo and maybe saving it to your handheld device. Just find one hour to go searching for new trees. Post a photo one here so the doubters will believe this works.
Why do we need to find new trees. The trees above were on my wife's grandfathers land. That man has gone on to meet the lord. That land has been sold numerous times and will soon be developed. Those trees went the way of progress and were bull dozed down in the last 10 months.
My son made a large profit off one of the land transactions involving this land. I am thankful for that. I also have distributed seedlings I grew from these trees. So I did my part to make what her grandfather did helps others.
I hope to see some new trees posted here located by habitat folks that read this thread.
Wayne
