8 years old
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Dunstan Chestnut Trees
- Thread starter DoubleRidge
- Start date
quackaholic
Well-Known Member
Got my first hulls to pop on 5 year old trees. Finally got some seed stock. I don't want many, but I am excited to see if the stratification process outlined works for me. I'm gonna try some naturally in buckets outside to see how that works too. My goal is to get 10-20 seedlings to plant in a couple of years. Then transplant in 2 different locations.
Good luck to you. Keep us posted on how it works out.
First ones on the ground. They dropped last night or early this morning. Only one tree dropping out of seven by the house.
quackaholic
Well-Known Member
My hulls are staying on the trees. Just the nuts dropping. The one tree still hasn't had any open.
Yes usually the husk spit the nuts then later the husk falls to the ground.
Still just the one tree dropping out of seven around the house. Other trees are cracking open but didn't see any on the ground. Picked these up under that one tree. Mowed the grass under those trees down to about 1 1/2 inches and blew all the clippings away to make it easier to find them. Went up in my deer/ turkey refuge with an orchard of 5 to 7 year old Dunstans and fruit trees. Those trees did good this year and chestnuts laying under all trees. Bits and pieces laying around, oh no got another chestnut eating buck bandit up there like the one I killed three years ago. I need to buy another cuddeback and link it to my other cameras.
gladesman60
Well-Known Member
The drought here in Lincoln county really had a detrimental effect on my trees. Burrs falling off the trees by the dozens with underdeveloped nuts.Probably a couple hundred on the ground now. Many of the nuts are still white inside the burrs. The little bit of rain that we got the last few days won't help. Not sure if the deer will eat them, we will see.
Sorry to hear that. Yea I'd say drought. Deer probably can't open the husk to get to the nuts. Especially if they are not cracked open a little.
Had just one of seven trees dropping of the ones in my yard. Since Monday that one tree has dropped over 300. As of yesterday other six are dropping. Picked up 200 nuts yesterday evening. All my 5, 6 and 7 year olds out in my orchards are done.
gladesman60
Well-Known Member
I am getting a few good ones now.
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Hey gladesman60, they look real good. What kind of chestnut tree? How many do you have? How old are your trees?
gladesman60
Well-Known Member
I have about 50 total. They are Dunstans. I lost track but around 12 were part of my original purchase.I had another 6 or 8 I bought at the same time that were killed by the ambrosia beetles. All those are around 11 or 12. The rest were started from nuts from the first ones I bought. anywhere from seedlings to 5 or 6 years old. The nuts in the tub in my pic were from 3 trees. They are a little smaller than a quarter. The drought here really hurt the quality and quantity of this year's production. Usually they are larger than a quarter , very meaty and an excellent flavor. I eat them roasted and raw. I will be retired fully this coming year and am going to experiment making flour and other foods from the nuts. My goal is 100 producing trees. I have 20 in pots ready to go to ground but we need rain here bad. If we don't get it rhey will go into larger pots till spring.. I woulda had 100 already but every year it seems I always give away more than I plant. lol. Glad you are having success with yours as well.
Thanks for answering my questions. You are doing real good. Congrats. Heard of them beetle's and don't have any here. Are they something you kill and done or do preventive spraying every year.
gladesman60
Well-Known Member
Spectracide is what I was using. Did not have any beetles this year, lost 1 tree last year. You cannot see the beetles, you only know you have them when you see the toothpicks sticking out of the tree.I would like to go organic on my farm but I don't want to lose anymore trees so not sure what I am going to do.
