Good to hear.
If that contact doesn't work out, let me know. I'm sure I can come up with a Minnesotan for you
One Thousand Chestnut Trees - a Whitetail Deer Project
- Thread starter wbpdeer
- Start date
Good to hear.
If that contact doesn't work out, let me know. I'm sure I can come up with a Minnesotan for you
lakngolf
Well-Known Member
Wayne, I still have some chestnuts with good growth. First picture shows an area where I direct seeded last year. These will be transplanted this winter. Second photo is a seedling I grew in greenhouse and planted Jan 2016. All are very healthy and are loving this week of scattered showers and lower temps.
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Update
I have added two states to my distribution list that have been elusive up to now: Maryland and Minnesota will be in our list of states as soon as chestnuts drop in the next couple of months. Maryland has been a pill. I sent offers to anyone I could find on a forum all last fall. Well the stars lined up in my favor and I have a person in Maryland. My reading told me that Minnesota was too far north to think chestnuts would normally thrive there. Stu Smith gave me some valuable locale assistance and that got me a Minnesota customer. I was able to add a second one too. Thanks Stu. There are nurseries in the southern end of the state that have chestnuts. One of my Minnesota customers has a 50% survival rate. I will take that.
This project has been fun. Tomorrow there is a field day in the Buffalo, New York area that will have some of my chestnuts in the discussion - thanks Murdog! The internet is a powerful resource. I have never spent 1 red cent on advertising - all keyboard work for free.
This forum has allowed me to continue what I started. Cutman I will forever be grateful.
28 States in the Eastern United States - from Texas to South Dakota and then to New York and New Jersey. Skip Florida but include Maryland and both Virginias. I will be concentrating on New York and Pennsylvania in the next two months to increase number in that region.
I have added two states to my distribution list that have been elusive up to now: Maryland and Minnesota will be in our list of states as soon as chestnuts drop in the next couple of months. Maryland has been a pill. I sent offers to anyone I could find on a forum all last fall. Well the stars lined up in my favor and I have a person in Maryland. My reading told me that Minnesota was too far north to think chestnuts would normally thrive there. Stu Smith gave me some valuable locale assistance and that got me a Minnesota customer. I was able to add a second one too. Thanks Stu. There are nurseries in the southern end of the state that have chestnuts. One of my Minnesota customers has a 50% survival rate. I will take that.
This project has been fun. Tomorrow there is a field day in the Buffalo, New York area that will have some of my chestnuts in the discussion - thanks Murdog! The internet is a powerful resource. I have never spent 1 red cent on advertising - all keyboard work for free.
This forum has allowed me to continue what I started. Cutman I will forever be grateful.
28 States in the Eastern United States - from Texas to South Dakota and then to New York and New Jersey. Skip Florida but include Maryland and both Virginias. I will be concentrating on New York and Pennsylvania in the next two months to increase number in that region.
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Reaching out for three tree guys I have not seen, nor heard since the plug got pulled at the old forum. Two PA guys that I read everything they posted: Grapevine and NorthPotterCo are two excellent tree guys and American Chestnut wise men. If anyone on here knows them, please ask them to contact Wayne at wbpdeer@att.net
StrmChaser was a tree guy from the mid-west (Spring Hill, Kansas) I sold some chestnuts too. He had his username corrupted on the old site and had to use a new name. If anyone knows him, I would love to hear from him and get him on this forum too.
StrmChaser was a tree guy from the mid-west (Spring Hill, Kansas) I sold some chestnuts too. He had his username corrupted on the old site and had to use a new name. If anyone knows him, I would love to hear from him and get him on this forum too.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
I've been wondering about stormchaser also...
Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
This post is for readers that wish they had seedlings that looked good but are standing back hesitant to jump it. In 2014 that is where I was in the process - on the outside looking in.
Growing from a nut or seed is about following proven methods. I enjoy helping first time growers. I have a few friends that I will work harder with this year because their first attempt fell short of their goal.
These three seedlings are in my back yard. They were planted in late April of 2015 which means they were in my first batch/attempt. I collected the chestnuts in Sept/Oct of 2014. Each photo was taken today, August 13, 2016.
If I can learn to grow them - you can learn to grow them. We are not successful if we try to cut corners!!!!
My best seedling - in my avatar. This photo is less than an hour old.
The photo below is my second best seedling in the back yard.
The seedling below is the third best seedling of the five in my yard. It has grown in spurts.
Look at each seedling for the number of green leaves. Chinese Chestnut leaves are large leaves. It takes a great root system to drive the process. Each seedling has landscape fabric on the ground.
Yes, I once stood on the outside looking in. You have a chance to join in.
Thanks for reading this thread.
Growing from a nut or seed is about following proven methods. I enjoy helping first time growers. I have a few friends that I will work harder with this year because their first attempt fell short of their goal.
These three seedlings are in my back yard. They were planted in late April of 2015 which means they were in my first batch/attempt. I collected the chestnuts in Sept/Oct of 2014. Each photo was taken today, August 13, 2016.
If I can learn to grow them - you can learn to grow them. We are not successful if we try to cut corners!!!!
My best seedling - in my avatar. This photo is less than an hour old.
The photo below is my second best seedling in the back yard.
The seedling below is the third best seedling of the five in my yard. It has grown in spurts.
Look at each seedling for the number of green leaves. Chinese Chestnut leaves are large leaves. It takes a great root system to drive the process. Each seedling has landscape fabric on the ground.
Yes, I once stood on the outside looking in. You have a chance to join in.
Thanks for reading this thread.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
http://cjonline.com/stories/100106/bus_chestnuts.shtml#.V695DstOmBZ
Came across this while looking for pics of CC, thought you might find it interesting.
Do your trees have a central leader, or do they just bush out? It's hard to tell from your pics.
Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
Came across this while looking for pics of CC, thought you might find it interesting.
Do your trees have a central leader, or do they just bush out? It's hard to tell from your pics.
Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Catscratch,
I don't prune my chestnut trees. I trust nature to be wiser than me. I like scaffolds of limbs to increase leaves and burs. If I would cut timber down the road, I would prune to one best leader. My trees can be double trunked. Fruit tree growers get nervous when they look at a Chinese Chestnut tree.
I read the article. Pike County Illinois Chestnut Orchard has developed their own sorter out of a homemade drum system. They sort them by size. They sell by the pound - I purchased one pound of Dunstans from them in 2014..
My seedlings in the photos are loaded with leaves - they are healthy.
I don't prune my chestnut trees. I trust nature to be wiser than me. I like scaffolds of limbs to increase leaves and burs. If I would cut timber down the road, I would prune to one best leader. My trees can be double trunked. Fruit tree growers get nervous when they look at a Chinese Chestnut tree.
I read the article. Pike County Illinois Chestnut Orchard has developed their own sorter out of a homemade drum system. They sort them by size. They sell by the pound - I purchased one pound of Dunstans from them in 2014..
My seedlings in the photos are loaded with leaves - they are healthy.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
That's what I was wondering. When I Google search chinese chestnut I see lots of straight trucked trees. I didn't know if they were pruned and trained, or if it was natural. Now I know!
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Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
LodgeWI
Member
I've planted 25 chestnuts from Wayne on my property and will do 25-50 more this fall. The first 25 trees rim the mowed yard/field line so I plan on keeping them pruned and looking nice. They are in 6 foot tree tubes, so pruning is probably a few years away. I did stumble on this: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/topic/chestnuts/horticultural_care/pruning which I hope to help guide me.
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Good deal. Got any photos of your planted chestnuts. I visited the link to Michigan State. They have many resources as does Penn State. Thanks for sharing.
LodgeWI
Member
I'll be at the Lodge in a couple weeks, and I'll grab some pictures of the progress then.
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Matt,
The five planted in my back yard get the best of treatment. I water them so they never see any stress except the heat index getting up to 104 for us. Also, I brewed compost tea twice this year and they got good doses of that. I landscaped my front yard for my wife and I hit every new shrub with the same stuff. My college educated nursery guys raved about the value of that after I did it. Got that off YouTube.
So my chestnuts in the back yard get the best of attention. Now those on the farm - they have to be tough on their own.
Thanks Matt
Scott Clearman
New Member
I'm over here from "the old forum" was Mr. Fixit over there.
Just an update Wbpdeer, heat and lack of water has really taken a toll on the chestnuts. I have only 6 left, all of those are potted at the house. None of the planted trees made it, they were all in the field where water was not available. I will keep the ones I have in pots and maybe plant this fall. Not sure if that is a good idea or not.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
So, are dry conditions still a problem with these once they are established... say a second or third yr tree?
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Here is what I will say. Any plant that is stressed lack of water and experiences extremely high temps for prolonged periods is going to suffer in some way. As MattPatt stated, he thinks they manage by not growing or adding leaves and limb / leader length.
Moisture miser (water sorb) at the time of planting and landscape fabric are a huge advantage. Any supplemental watering that can be done in the hottest of times sure increases the chance a tree survives. Planting in the fall when a seedling is more established is a huge advantage. GraceNmercy from the old forum plants in the fall and plants a more mature seedlings.
I recommend a 2 liter soda bottle with a hole drilled in the cap to put on trees and upside down. Water the tree and also leave a 2 liter soda bottle dripping on it.
Another thing GraceNmercy does is allow the grass to grow around the seedlings to protect against the hot sun. Clear competition right on the tree but flag it and allow taller cover to eliminate the brutal sun during the summer.
One last thing I do - before the rootmaker 18 seedling or one gallon pot seedlings goes in the ground - it gets baptized in a container of water. It hits the earth hydrated as good as I can possible get it. Fabric around and moisture miser in the hole. I live in TN, Zone 7a and those are the precaution I take.
If I was battling Texas sun what would I do? I would get two stakes that were tall enough to give me a shade cloth against the sun in the hottest time period of the afternoon. I do this at home in the yard. I have burlap that was given to me.
If you had an old shipping pallet - you can accomplish the same thing.
My two cents...
Mr. Fixit, AKA Scott glad you are here. Sorry to hear we lost most of our seedlings. I would try to get 10 established that I could protect with some shade and either 2 liter drippers or a 5 gallon bucket dripper. I don't know the distance from home to the location of the trees but it will make a difference in them.
Moisture miser (water sorb) at the time of planting and landscape fabric are a huge advantage. Any supplemental watering that can be done in the hottest of times sure increases the chance a tree survives. Planting in the fall when a seedling is more established is a huge advantage. GraceNmercy from the old forum plants in the fall and plants a more mature seedlings.
I recommend a 2 liter soda bottle with a hole drilled in the cap to put on trees and upside down. Water the tree and also leave a 2 liter soda bottle dripping on it.
Another thing GraceNmercy does is allow the grass to grow around the seedlings to protect against the hot sun. Clear competition right on the tree but flag it and allow taller cover to eliminate the brutal sun during the summer.
One last thing I do - before the rootmaker 18 seedling or one gallon pot seedlings goes in the ground - it gets baptized in a container of water. It hits the earth hydrated as good as I can possible get it. Fabric around and moisture miser in the hole. I live in TN, Zone 7a and those are the precaution I take.
If I was battling Texas sun what would I do? I would get two stakes that were tall enough to give me a shade cloth against the sun in the hottest time period of the afternoon. I do this at home in the yard. I have burlap that was given to me.
If you had an old shipping pallet - you can accomplish the same thing.
My two cents...
Mr. Fixit, AKA Scott glad you are here. Sorry to hear we lost most of our seedlings. I would try to get 10 established that I could protect with some shade and either 2 liter drippers or a 5 gallon bucket dripper. I don't know the distance from home to the location of the trees but it will make a difference in them.
mattpatt
Well-Known Member
I used water crystals and still most of mine didn't make it once planted in the field due to drought conditions and my inability to get them water sufficiently. This is why I'm scaling back on quantity and focusing on maintaining a manageable amount of trees. My brother and I have built a 200 gallon water wagon out of a old spray rig.
We use 5 gallon buckets with a hole near the bottom to allow the water to trickle out. Fill up the bucket and go to the next one. There is no water source close so we have to fill up the tank at the house and haul it to the trees. In doing this we figure we can manage about 30 trees by watering once a week to keep them alive. So far it has worked. The chestnuts haven't put on any new growth since spring but the leaves are staying somewhat green and the tree, although stressed, seems to be hanging on. The good news is that we're about to get over that hump where our summer heat starts to give way a little. The end of September can't come soon enough.
Matt
We use 5 gallon buckets with a hole near the bottom to allow the water to trickle out. Fill up the bucket and go to the next one. There is no water source close so we have to fill up the tank at the house and haul it to the trees. In doing this we figure we can manage about 30 trees by watering once a week to keep them alive. So far it has worked. The chestnuts haven't put on any new growth since spring but the leaves are staying somewhat green and the tree, although stressed, seems to be hanging on. The good news is that we're about to get over that hump where our summer heat starts to give way a little. The end of September can't come soon enough.
Matt
