Dunstan Chestnut Trees

@mcbuck58 , could you give me a refresher on what you said you did to your young trees just before spring to get them ready for the growing season? Below is a picture of some of the trees I got from you last fall. As I recall, you said you strip the lower leaves off that are still hanging on, clean out the tree tube, and add a bit of fertilizer? Thanks in advance.

dunstan chestnut.webp
 
Bucket said:
@mcbuck58 , could you give me a refresher on what you said you did to your young trees just before spring to get them ready for the growing season? Below is a picture of some of the trees I got from you last fall. As I recall, you said you strip the lower leaves off that are still hanging on, clean out the tree tube, and add a bit of fertilizer? Thanks in advance.

View attachment 268152
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Yes sir sure will. First off according to your picture the stake looks like it's inside the tube. My stakes are on outside of the tube. This way there is no chance of seeding getting hung up on the stake or twist tie inside the tube.
Pull the tube off the seedling. Leaves should be laying in bottom of the tube. Clean leaves out of the tube. If not laying in the bottom they pop right off. Make sure there is a nice bud at the top of the seedling. If there is leave that bud and two more near the top on the seedling. Prune off any branches and knock off extra buds with your thumb. You want that top bud to continue growing a central leader on that seedling. Leaving the two buds are in case something happens to the top main bud. If something happens to top bud you may need to let one of them become the central leader. Put tube back over seedling being careful not to knock off the buds you left. I recommend checking seedling every month and prune off any branches growing inside the tube. I don't let my seedlings branch until they are at least five foot above the ground and outside the five foot tube. By pruning extra branches the seedling puts all its energy into growing a central leader. I have taken a three foot seedling and had it grow to 7 feet in one year since it was planted in the ground.
I wouldn't fertilize until there is no more chance of frost. If you use Osmocote plus in the pink and white bag that fertilizer is guaranteed not to burn leaves, branches, trunk or roots so you can put it right in the tube and the seedling will get all the rewards. I do that the first two growing seasons.
Watch you trees so they don't grow into the blue bird netting guard. You don't want them to grow into it and curl.
Hope this helps and good luck. Any more questions just ask or give me a call. Thanks again.
 
mcbuck58 said:
Yes sir sure will. First off according to your picture the stake looks like it's inside the tube. My stakes are on outside of the tube. This way there is no chance of seeding getting hung up on the stake or twist tie inside the tube.
Pull the tube off the seedling. Leaves should be laying in bottom of the tube. Clean leaves out of the tube. If not laying in the bottom they pop right off. Make sure there is a nice bud at the top of the seedling. If there is leave that bud and two more near the top on the seedling. Prune off any branches and knock off extra buds with your thumb. You want that top bud to continue growing a central leader on that seedling. Leaving the two buds are in case something happens to the top main bud. If something happens to top bud you may need to let one of them become the central leader. Put tube back over seedling being careful not to knock off the buds you left. I recommend checking seedling every month and prune off any branches growing inside the tube. I don't let my seedlings branch until they are at least five foot above the ground and outside the five foot tube. By pruning extra branches the seedling puts all its energy into growing a central leader. I have taken a three foot seedling and had it grow to 7 feet in one year since it was planted in the ground.
I wouldn't fertilize until there is no more chance of frost. If you use Osmocote plus in the pink and white bag that fertilizer is guaranteed not to burn leaves, branches, trunk or roots so you can put it right in the tube and the seedling will get all the rewards. I do that the first two growing seasons.
Watch you trees so they don't grow into the blue bird netting guard. You don't want them to grow into it and curl.
Hope this helps and good luck. Any more questions just ask or give me a call. Thanks again.
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Perfect - Thanks again! I put this question in this thread so others might see it instead of a direct message.
 
@mcbuck58 wow! Looking back through the timeline, you were right at 2 weeks ahead of me. I'm hoping when I get back from the beach on Saturday they will look a lot different. Much more than just radicals 🤞
 
JCDEERMAN said:
@mcbuck58 wow! Looking back through the timeline, you were right at 2 weeks ahead of me. I'm hoping when I get back from the beach on Saturday they will look a lot different. Much more than just radicals 🤞
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They will. See you crossed your fingers. Let's see a picture when you get back. Good luck
 

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