Dunstan Chestnut Trees

[Savage]

FYI- Rural King in Crossville has Chestnut hill trees in 3 gal pots for 35.99

 

[mcbuck58]

I have an orchard with pears,peaches and apples i will add it to . Should do fine

Yes sir that will work

 

[Savage]

I know where there is a Chinese Chestnut dropping heavy. I think I am going to pic up some seeds and line them out to see if they will come up.

 

[mcbuck58]

I know where there is a Chinese Chestnut dropping heavy. I think I am going to pic up some seeds and line them out to see if they will come up.

What do you mean by "line them out"?

 

[Savage]

What do you mean by "line them out"?

I grew up on a nursery in McMinnville. Lots of times with seedlings, we "line the seeds out" in rows, where we can dig them in a bare root setting the following year in dormancy.

 

[mcbuck58]

I grew up on a nursery in McMinnville. Lots of times with seedlings, we "line the seeds out" in rows, where we can dig them in a bare root setting the following year in dormancy.

Thanks for the explanation

 

[Savage]

Thanks for the explanation

The seedlings that we took up were then graded and sold as "liners" often to sell to people who would put in pots.

 

[mcbuck58]

The seedlings that we took up were then graded and sold as "liners" often to sell to people who would put in pots.

So you would put them in the line in the fall and let them stratify in the ground over winter. If that's true how deep would you place the seeds.

 

[Savage]

So you would put them in the line in the fall and let them stratify in the ground over winter. If that's true how deep would you place the seeds.

It depends. We never tried chestnut, but generally 2-3". ( below the frost line). For a lot of the seeds we would cover them with sawdust. That prevents a hard shell of dirt from forming in the dirt and lets them come up easier.

I seem to remember a general rule from Ag classes about doubling the seed diameter, but can't remember the exact details.

 

[mcbuck58]

It depends. We never tried chestnut, but generally 2-3". ( below the frost line). For a lot of the seeds we would cover them with sawdust. That prevents a hard shell of dirt from forming in the dirt and lets them come up easier.

I seem to remember a general rule from Ag classes about doubling the seed diameter, but can't remember the exact details.

After my chestnuts are stratified in the fridge I just press them into the dirt in the pot. Maybe 1/4 " at the most. Out in the wild they just lay on top of the dirt under fall leaf litter unless a squirrel buries it.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Second question.
I use special pots that are ribbed and air prune the roots. No circling of roots at all.
Roots after one month of growth in my house during March.

View attachment 221369Roots in September.

View attachment 221371View attachment 221372
Third question.
I harvest my own nuts. If you are looking for nuts to eat or plant ( there is a difference) buy from Chestnut Ridge of Pike County. They are located in Illinois. They are a 30 year old orchard that was grown from Dunstan chestnut trees from Chestnut Hill nursery in Florida.

I just received my 1 lb of chestnuts from Chestnut Ridge. There were 46 of them in that 1 lb. I got them in the stratifying process now exactly how you show in this thread and drilled my holes in the lid. The other 9 (on the left) are from a friends backyard. We will see what happens

 

[mcbuck58]

I just received my 1 lb of chestnuts from Chestnut Ridge. There were 46 of them in that 1 lb. I got them in the stratifying process now exactly how you show in this thread and drilled my holes in the lid. The other 9 (on the left) are from a friends backyard. We will see what happens

Alrighty then looks good. 34 to 36 degrees. They'll be ready to pull out end of February. Good luck