GraceNmercy
Member
Deer tracks along creek that runs through the bottom in the center of our property..
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Small Place in East Texas
- Thread starter GraceNmercy
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GraceNmercy
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One of many Chinese chestnuts I received from Wayne that I planted along the entire eastern boundary of our property. Not the best picture but if I'll take better ones on my next trip up..
GraceNmercy
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Another Chinese chestnut from direct seeded chestnuts from Wayne
GraceNmercy
Member
This is the western half of the south property on the sandy upland soil to the west of the creek where the pine, white oak, American chestnut buffer is planted. There is a drive in trail that divides the front buffer plantings from a central area that I've started planting longleaf pine in and have been planting Allegheny chinquapin in. Along the drive in trail is plantings of American hazelnuts. When I get time i'll post a google earth updated pic..
GraceNmercy
Member
Pic of pine buffer plantings from last year
GraceNmercy
Member
Pine buffer pic from last week...some of these trees are anywhere from 10 - 15 feet tall
GraceNmercy
Member
Pines again..
GraceNmercy
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Just about all of the paw paws have lost their leaves but here is a picture from last year for the folks new to the work on our property...
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GraceNmercy
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Not so great pic of the hazel nuts growing along the drive in trail. Most have lost their leaves so I'll post updated pics in the spring....
GraceNmercy
Member
Longleaf waiting to be planted
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GraceNmercy
Member
One of a few more longleaf pines I planted...
GraceNmercy
Member
I was short on time on this trip up as I was trying to complete all my plantings in one day. Didn't get to take any pictures of the Chinquapins in fall color or any better field pics of the longleaf or white oaks I planted. Didn't event get to do a walk and count of the American chestnuts that survived the summer. The hogs raided that field earlier this summer and I believe they found some of my direct seeded nuts, although I did find a few American chestnuts growing among the weeds and brush.
This is a pic from last fall of one of the 87.5% American chestnut F2 backcross that I planted in a patch the hogs raided this year. Although I didn't get a recent photo while I was up there, this seedling survived the hog rooting and I planted a larger one I've been growing at home in a 15 gallon pot in a lower well drained area among other hardwood trees and some Timberr chestnut hybrids I planted.
Hopefully everything fairs through the winter and blooms out in the spring...then I'll be able to spend more time getting some better pictures for better updates to get the real idea and more details of everything I'm actually have growing out there.
This is a pic from last fall of one of the 87.5% American chestnut F2 backcross that I planted in a patch the hogs raided this year. Although I didn't get a recent photo while I was up there, this seedling survived the hog rooting and I planted a larger one I've been growing at home in a 15 gallon pot in a lower well drained area among other hardwood trees and some Timberr chestnut hybrids I planted.
Hopefully everything fairs through the winter and blooms out in the spring...then I'll be able to spend more time getting some better pictures for better updates to get the real idea and more details of everything I'm actually have growing out there.
catscratch
Well-Known Member
Love your updates!
I don't see a lot of cages or protection on your plantings, do you not have to protect them or is it just not visible in your pics?
I don't see a lot of cages or protection on your plantings, do you not have to protect them or is it just not visible in your pics?
GraceNmercy
Member
I've only put protection around a few longleaf pine saplings, white oaks, shagbark hickory and one large Allegheny chinquapin. I also have a few cages around my largest Dunstan chestnut trees. The smaller trees usually aren't damaged by the deer the first year or two, so I don't much worry about them. Only issues with deer rubbing I'm having are on a couple of tulip poplar saplings in which I've just caged a couple so far. Other than that I don't have many issues where I need protection. I tried some tree tubes on a few Dunstan direct seeded seedlings and it seemed like they grew fast but died in the tubes over the summer. Many grew back from the roots and I removed the tubes because all those without tubes did just fine over the summer.
GraceNmercy
Member
Yes Sir...I know the feeling!
GraceNmercy
Member
A few Alleghany chinquapins I planted in pots as backup in case I don't get as many to make it from those I direct seeded...Those planted in the 12 inch planters I'll plant in the ground next fall, while the others I'll plant into their own 15-20 gallon pots to grow for a couple of more years. I found that the chinquapin I grew a home in a pot for 3 years did a lot better than those I planted as soon as I received them as two year old bare root seedlings. I lost one this summer that had been established 3 years and was well over 7 feet tall. Last time I saw it early summer it was covered in burs and came back in October to a tall dead stick. It was caged and I checked the stem for bight and found none, so not sure what happened. The one I planted out of a 30 gallon pot that was planted right next to it last fall is still big and healthy. From here on out I'll either direct seed chinquapins or grow them myself and plant later... 
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Gosh your place is a great land tour. I love what you accomplish and how you explain / teach thru your photos and narrative.
It helps to see how you section it off. You show people how you grow in larger containers as well as direct seed. Your temperatures get brutally hot in the summer but you give the trees a great start. Your losses leave you with the strongest trees while nature reclaims the weaker trees.
Great update - thanks for sharing. Hope that son is doing well. He will busting turkeys before you know it.
It helps to see how you section it off. You show people how you grow in larger containers as well as direct seed. Your temperatures get brutally hot in the summer but you give the trees a great start. Your losses leave you with the strongest trees while nature reclaims the weaker trees.
Great update - thanks for sharing. Hope that son is doing well. He will busting turkeys before you know it.
GraceNmercy
Member
Thanks Wayne,
The youngster is good! He'll be 10 months on the 10th and he's already trying to stand and getting into everything he's not supposed to...lol.
You pretty much sumed it up with my plantings. If they can't make it without a lot of babying they'll probably be toast come long dry summers of 95-100+ temps, unless I let them grow to a larger size at home and develop deeper roots in large pots.
Most do well because northeast Texas is similar to southeastern states like Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi and we typically get from 43-49 inches of rain in our area annually, but come late June through early October we may not get but an inch or two if that the entire 3-3.5 month period.
Most of the native plants like the oaks, chinquapins and even the hybrid or non- native chestnut species know to focus most of their energy sending down roots during the fall and spring months when they're direct seeded. They might be slower growing up top for the first 2 or 3 years, but once that root is down deep enough they'll survive those long dry periods and after about 3 years spring up like weeds.
Most want the tree to grow fast up top and the root system is pretty shallow. When I have seedlings with a root system under 10-12 inches, I always plant early fall to give them plenty of time to get over transplant shock and have time to put on more root growth before next summer comes around. It doesn't get cold around here until later in December and our ground usually never freezes, so the roots usually grow through the fall.
I divide the different planting based on soil type and what grow best according to what I see already growing on the site. Where the pines are being planted along the buffer and the southwest hill the soil is very sandy. Pines, white oaks, post oaks, chinquapins, hazelnuts and American chestnuts tend to grow in those types of soils. In the bottoms on both sides of the creek on the north and south portions of the property are loamy soils and a lot of water oaks grow along the creek and the hills that slope down to the creek, so I've planted several types of red oaks including pin, shumard, nutall and southern red. I've also planted swamp white oaks, yellow poplar, cherries, maples, persimmon and paw paws down in those lower areas and along the slopes down from the uplands. The soils on the hill to the east where I've planted Dunstan and Chinese chestnuts are a sandy/red clay mix. In the uplands on the north side across the road are a mix of pines, cedars and hardwoods including water and chinkapin oaks with native grass openings and scattered wild plum trees.
Behind the old homestead in the red clay soil I planted several apple trees and a few small pear seedlings I grew from seed. I also planted a fig cutting I rooted. There's an acre field behind the old barn I'm thinking of either planting pecan trees or some sort of fruit trees.
After I buy out the rest of the heirs I hope I can buy out one of our neighbors like my cousin who owns the 160 next to us. Either way with our 33 acres I'll hope to create a wildlife magnet as well as a self sustaining place where we can harvest are own nuts and fruit. Eventually I'll rehab the old homestead or put a small cabin in it's place so I can stay onsite during chestnut harvest.
The youngster is good! He'll be 10 months on the 10th and he's already trying to stand and getting into everything he's not supposed to...lol.
You pretty much sumed it up with my plantings. If they can't make it without a lot of babying they'll probably be toast come long dry summers of 95-100+ temps, unless I let them grow to a larger size at home and develop deeper roots in large pots.
Most do well because northeast Texas is similar to southeastern states like Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi and we typically get from 43-49 inches of rain in our area annually, but come late June through early October we may not get but an inch or two if that the entire 3-3.5 month period.
Most of the native plants like the oaks, chinquapins and even the hybrid or non- native chestnut species know to focus most of their energy sending down roots during the fall and spring months when they're direct seeded. They might be slower growing up top for the first 2 or 3 years, but once that root is down deep enough they'll survive those long dry periods and after about 3 years spring up like weeds.
Most want the tree to grow fast up top and the root system is pretty shallow. When I have seedlings with a root system under 10-12 inches, I always plant early fall to give them plenty of time to get over transplant shock and have time to put on more root growth before next summer comes around. It doesn't get cold around here until later in December and our ground usually never freezes, so the roots usually grow through the fall.
I divide the different planting based on soil type and what grow best according to what I see already growing on the site. Where the pines are being planted along the buffer and the southwest hill the soil is very sandy. Pines, white oaks, post oaks, chinquapins, hazelnuts and American chestnuts tend to grow in those types of soils. In the bottoms on both sides of the creek on the north and south portions of the property are loamy soils and a lot of water oaks grow along the creek and the hills that slope down to the creek, so I've planted several types of red oaks including pin, shumard, nutall and southern red. I've also planted swamp white oaks, yellow poplar, cherries, maples, persimmon and paw paws down in those lower areas and along the slopes down from the uplands. The soils on the hill to the east where I've planted Dunstan and Chinese chestnuts are a sandy/red clay mix. In the uplands on the north side across the road are a mix of pines, cedars and hardwoods including water and chinkapin oaks with native grass openings and scattered wild plum trees.
Behind the old homestead in the red clay soil I planted several apple trees and a few small pear seedlings I grew from seed. I also planted a fig cutting I rooted. There's an acre field behind the old barn I'm thinking of either planting pecan trees or some sort of fruit trees.
After I buy out the rest of the heirs I hope I can buy out one of our neighbors like my cousin who owns the 160 next to us. Either way with our 33 acres I'll hope to create a wildlife magnet as well as a self sustaining place where we can harvest are own nuts and fruit. Eventually I'll rehab the old homestead or put a small cabin in it's place so I can stay onsite during chestnut harvest.
Gosh your place is a great land tour. I love what you accomplish and how you explain / teach thru your photos and narrative.
It helps to see how you section it off. You show people how you grow in larger containers as well as direct seed. Your temperatures get brutally hot in the summer but you give the trees a great start. Your losses leave you with the strongest trees while nature reclaims the weaker trees.
Great update - thanks for sharing. Hope that son is doing well. He will busting turkeys before you know it.
