gladesman60
Well-Known Member
This tree is 12 years and loaded with nuts.
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Dunstan Chestnut Trees
- Thread starter DoubleRidge
- Start date
They look good. All Dunstan are capable of producing nuts. The trees have both female and male flowers. But they cannot pollinate themselves. Need at least two for pollination.
Dunstans have been known to start producing between 3 and 5 years old. I've had a couple of 2 year olds produce. One had two one had six husk. Think I posted pictures earlier in this thread.
Really good looking chestnut tree. Is it a Dunstan?
gladesman60
Well-Known Member
Yes it is
Loaded down with chestnuts. Got 4 seedlings 59". Trunk caliber of 1/2" on many seedlings. That's pretty good for starting seed March 1st.
DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
Nice! Looking good! Great results!
Looking great @mcbuck58 ! Already ordered my Plantra tree tubes and weed mats! What size hole do you recommend for planting? My goal is to be lazy and use my pto auger.
Thank you. You can use an auger that will be fine. The only thing is you will need more water to settle it in. You don't want a heavy rain coming and it settles the dirt and the seedling is now to deep. You want the dirt line on the seedling at existing dirt level or a little above after the dirt is all settled in. The pots are 3"x3"x8" so I dig a hole like 7" in diameter and 12" deep. I've planted all my Dunstans with a 6" post hole digger just shave it a little wider.
quackaholic
Well-Known Member
May have already been asked, but when do the nuts start falling? I have 2 trees that produced for the first time this year. Also, do you plant the nuts with the hulls or do you plant each nut separately?
They drop here south central KY first two or three weeks of September. They grow from the nut not the husk. Plant individual nuts. Usually the husk opens and spits the nuts (seeds) out then husk drops later. Chestnuts have to be cold stratified to be viable to grow a tree. So they either lay on the forest floor and stratify over winter or you put them in a refrigerator for about three months and stratify them yourself. They become viable and send out a radical that starts the tree. Go back and start reading on post #92.
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I have twelve five-year-old trees in my mini-orchard. In April this year, I lost one of my better trees to the Ambrosia Beetles. I learned from our local ag office that I should treat the trees for these beetles each year in February, or I may lose more until they mature.
On to another potential issue. I've just observed what appears to be a white mold or fungus at the base of one of my Dunstans. I've done some research, but I still need a conclusive answer. Has anyone had this issue? If so, is it something to ignore, or is it damaging and needs to be treated? That tree only produced a handful of nuts this year compared to most of them being loaded. Additionally, the color of its leaves wasn't as deep green as all the others.
Thanks for your help!
On to another potential issue. I've just observed what appears to be a white mold or fungus at the base of one of my Dunstans. I've done some research, but I still need a conclusive answer. Has anyone had this issue? If so, is it something to ignore, or is it damaging and needs to be treated? That tree only produced a handful of nuts this year compared to most of them being loaded. Additionally, the color of its leaves wasn't as deep green as all the others.
Thanks for your help!
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JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
I'll be hollering at you in a month or so. Still want 11 from you, if available
Yes sir
quackaholic
Well-Known Member
How about placing them in pots and just covering and leaving them outside for nature to run it's course?
I have no idea so can't really help you. Here are some thoughts. I know mulch is supposed to be good for trees. I don't think you need mulch at all when a tree gets older. Grass or weeds help retain moisture. Feeder roots are out away from mulch by the crown edge and taproot is down deep. I also know you are not supposed to have the trunk buried in mulch or touching it. Is the mulch molding too? I use a plastic weed mat for 3 to 5 years. Holds moisture, condenses and makes moisture, prevents grass and weeds competing with seed and does not mold. The tree looks really good. Knew about the beetle have never seen any over here. I thought you treated when they show up. Didn't know I should be doing preventative treatments. Something I need to look into more.
Well I'm sure some would work. Try it and see the results. Out in nature thousands of seeds fall to the ground from a tree. Very few make it to a seedling. I'm trying to achieve production because I want results. I placed 360 seeds in fridge. Three months later had around 340 radicals. That's a pretty good result.
Chapman
Well-Known Member
I agree that the mulch should not be touching the trunk of the tree, need to pull it away from the trunk a few inches down to the root flare. If you look up "volcano mulching" it will give information on why it can be bad for the tree.
Volcanoes Kill Trees!
With improper mulching technique, you might be hurting – or even killing – your favorite tree.
Husk are turning dark should start spitting nuts any day now. These two trees are loaded with husk. One looks sorry with all its drooping branches. It has many branches with up to six husks on it.
How old are the tree's?
