Dunstan Chestnut Trees

[readonly]

Late May or early June of 2015 I bought several....less than but almost 10, 3 gal Dunstans at a Walmart that had them left over for $6 or $7 bucks a piece. Somebody had mentioned online that they were marked down and available and I drove close to 2 hours each way to get them. Of course it was very late to be planting them, and I was not in a position to give them any attention after planting. Almost 10 years later, 2 of them are still alive. One of them is under 10' tall and hasn't done much....at this point I guess it probably never will. The other exploded and is doing great, must be close to 30' tall.

The reason I got them is that a state forester pointed out that there was a huge chinese chestnut on my property, the biggest he had ever seen. However, most of the nuts were empty shells because they need a second tree to pollinate well. So I got the Dunstans to help polinate eventually. A year after my planted them, half of the multistemed chinese chestunt blew down. There was an old home place in the vincinty, the house long gone, but somebody must have planted it as an ornamental 100 years ago.

I planted some chinese chestnut seedlings the following year and they are coming along but not near as big as the one Dunstan. That one tree made the cost and effort of getting them worth it.

 

[Popcorn]

Has anyone planted 1st or 2nd year seedlings in a forest? How about a thinned pine stand?
I am stratifying about 40 nuts this winter and plan to fence off about 1 acre of pasture that is at the end of a low ridge with hardwoods off to one side and a thinned pine stand on the other. Will the chestnuts have a chance? Is it worth the effort ?

 

[mcbuck58]

Has anyone planted 1st or 2nd year seedlings in a forest? How about a thinned pine stand?
I am stratifying about 40 nuts this winter and plan to fence off about 1 acre of pasture that is at the end of a low ridge with hardwoods off to one side and a thinned pine stand on the other. Will the chestnuts have a chance? Is it worth the effort ?

For best nut production chestnuts need full sun. They need at lest 6 hours for reduced nut production. Good luck.
I have over 500 in cold stratification right now.

 

[mcbuck58]

Late May or early June of 2015 I bought several....less than but almost 10, 3 gal Dunstans at a Walmart that had them left over for $6 or $7 bucks a piece. Somebody had mentioned online that they were marked down and available and I drove close to 2 hours each way to get them. Of course it was very late to be planting them, and I was not in a position to give them any attention after planting. Almost 10 years later, 2 of them are still alive. One of them is under 10' tall and hasn't done much....at this point I guess it probably never will. The other exploded and is doing great, must be close to 30' tall.

The reason I got them is that a state forester pointed out that there was a huge chinese chestnut on my property, the biggest he had ever seen. However, most of the nuts were empty shells because they need a second tree to pollinate well. So I got the Dunstans to help polinate eventually. A year after my planted them, half of the multistemed chinese chestunt blew down. There was an old home place in the vincinty, the house long gone, but somebody must have planted it as an ornamental 100 years ago.

I planted some chinese chestnut seedlings the following year and they are coming along but not near as big as the one Dunstan. That one tree made the cost and effort of getting them worth it.

You know what. I liked this post back in November. Just reread since I replyed to Popcorn. If you have empty husk (you called them shells) that means the tree got pollinated. The burs (female flower) had to be pollinated from the floret bundles on the catkins (male flowers) from another tree to start growing into a husk. A chestnut tree does not grow husk without being pollinated.

 

[DoubleRidge]

One acre area should be plenty big to get enough sunlight. We are doing something similar down the edge of a plot that was once a log loading deck...adding a few dunstan chestnut each year in hopes of having a grove established there some day.
We've done similar with sawtooth oak bordering another plot....but we've planted several seedlings in various other more wooded locations on the property and they are living but no doubt those on the edge of an opening are growing at a greater pace due to the amount of sunlight they get.

 

[backyardtndeer]

For best nut production chestnuts need full sun. They need at lest 6 hours for reduced nut production. Good luck.
I have over 500 in cold stratification right now.
View attachment 256640

Thanks to @TNlandowner I have a couple handfuls of chestnuts. I am stratifying them almost the same way i did walnuts last winter, but i started the chestnuts earlier and haven't added any water yet. Have them in vermiculite and potting soil in Ziploc bags in the bottom drawer of the fridge. Figured I would try to get them in pots by March. Any tips welcomed for sure.

 

[mcbuck58]

Thanks to @TNlandowner I have a couple handfuls of chestnuts. I am stratifying them almost the same way i did walnuts last winter, but i started the chestnuts earlier and haven't added any water yet. Have them in vermiculite and potting soil in Ziploc bags in the bottom drawer of the fridge. Figured I would try to get them in pots by March. Any tips welcomed for sure.

If you're looking for tips. Go back to post #92 on page 5 and you can read how I do it. Good luck

 

[mcbuck58]

One acre area should be plenty big to get enough sunlight. We are doing something similar down the edge of a plot that was once a log loading deck...adding a few dunstan chestnut each year in hopes of having a grove established there some day.
We've done similar with sawtooth oak bordering another plot....but we've planted several seedlings in various other more wooded locations on the property and they are living but no doubt those on the edge of an opening are growing at a greater pace due to the amount of sunlight they get.

Another thing you can do is cut the big trees down that is shading a smaller area of planted trees on the south east and south west corners and the south side.

 

[Popcorn]

If planted amongst bigger trees will dunstans get tall? Will the reach for light ? How tall ?
Or will they struggle and never make anything?

That's what I meant to say

 

[mcbuck58]

If planted amongst bigger trees will dunstans get tall? Will the reach for light ? How tall ?
Or will they struggle and never make anything?

That's what I meant to say

Common sense tells me they will grow. Chestnuts grew back in the day when the eastern forest was predominantly a chestnut forest. But I'm sure they were slower growing and didn't produce nuts until they reached good light. How long that took would be anyone's guess when it was standing in a grove of 80 foot tall, 100 year old, 8 foot diameter trees. Chestnuts produce on new growth. Why have 2" of new growth when you could have up to 2'. I'm planting Dunstans cause I want fast growth and early production and heavy production. Why not help the tree achieve that. Dunstans and others, well drained acidic (4.5 to 6.5) soil and sun.

 

[lafn96]

For best nut production chestnuts need full sun. They need at lest 6 hours for reduced nut production. Good luck.
I have over 500 in cold stratification right now.
View attachment 256640

Have copied your setup for stratification; how often do you moisten the soil once you have them in the fridge? And do you get the soil just moist on top?

 

[mcbuck58]

Have copied your setup for stratification; how often do you moisten the soil once you have them in the fridge? And do you get the soil just moist on top?

Last 4 years I have not had to moisten the soil during stratification. This year looks the same so far. Been doing it for 9 years so I think I've figured out how moist to start out. That Baccto soil is pre moistened and is usually good to go as is. My containers with the holes drilled in the lid always show condensation on the inside. My soil is very moist but no pudding of water at the start. Look for condensation on inside of your containers, if so you should be good. If not just open the container and use a misting spray bottle to dampen the top. You can dig down in the soil with spoon or finger to check moisture. You should not have to moisten the soil every 3 or 4 weeks. If so it is not moist enough. When I did have to moisten it was once half way through stratification. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[lafn96]

Last 4 years I have not had to moisten the soil during stratification. This year looks the same so far. Been doing it for 9 years so I think I've figured out how moist to start out. That Baccto soil is pre moistened and is usually good to go as is. My containers with the holes drilled in the lid always show condensation on the inside. My soil is very moist but no pudding of water at the start. Look for condensation on inside of your containers, if so you should be good. If not just open the container and use a misting spray bottle to dampen the top. You can dig down in the soil with spoon or finger to check moisture. Hope this helps and good luck.

Thank you! I would've watered it way to much

 

[mcbuck58]

Thank you! I would've watered it way to much

Your welcome. Moist not wet.

 

[mcbuck58]

Thank you! I would've watered it way to much

The refrigerator picture on post 323 you do not see the condensation because I just put them in the fridge