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Chestnuts

What method do people use to store chestnuts in the fridge (from seed drop around now) until getting them to start sprouting to pot early spring - are they kept in damp peat from seed drop until +/- march and they start sprouting? Or are they just kept in cold storage and put into damp peat to begin the sprouting process at a later time? The chestnuts I grew last year didn't come until late February in a plastic mesh bag, so wasn't sure what the process would be getting them around now vs February and how I'd need to change my process. The ones I got in February went right into the peat and germinated within the month.

Also, can this same process be used for white oak acorns? I have read the white oaks will take right off after dropping and storing may hurt their germination rate so wasn't sure if people held them over in the fridge all winter to pot in the spring as well.
I do peat moss but it’s not very damp. Just slightly. Check for mold & stuff a few times. I keep mine colder than normal fridge…. Like 35-36 degrees (basically the colder end of what a refrigerator can do). There’s some stuff u can wash nuts with to disinfect from molds, fungus & junk. I have mixed a dab of powder captan fungicide in there as well. Basically- Just don’t let them get too wet, moldy or warm & u be in great shape.
 
The Ozark Chinquapin and American Chestnuts are loving the sites at my place.

I planted them side by side in the same cage. The chinquapin is a year behind the chestnut.

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Does anybody else have problems with Japanese Beatles eating the ever living daylights out of their Chestnuts? I've been battling them for years now.
 
Does anybody else have problems with Japanese Beatles eating the ever living daylights out of their Chestnuts? I've been battling them for years now.
If u have them- they devastate a pile of trees& plants. Imidacloprid, bifenthrin, malathion, carbaryl, etc - problem solved. I’d personally do imidacloprid with one more of these added.
 
If u have them- they devastate a pile of trees& plants. Imidacloprid, bifenthrin, malathion, carbaryl, etc - problem solved. I’d personally do imidacloprid with one more of these added.
I've been using permethrin and it's seemed to knock them back good, I'll have to try something different. Always worse on a year with corn verse a year with soybeans in the field.
 
Question for those of you who have grown from nuts -

Does anyone harvest the nuts and then just plant them directly into the ground to overwinter, instead of storing in the fridge? Obviously will have to take steps to protect from animals digging them up. I've had good success doing this with acorns planted in "beds" and then can relocate them later. I'd rather not deal with storing in the fridge or even in pots outside, I'm worried I'll overanalyze them or screw up the moisture, etc. Would rather let mother nature do her thing. I planted trees 5 years ago and looks like I'm getting my first nut crop this year and want to get the best regeneration I can.
 
Question for those of you who have grown from nuts -

Does anyone harvest the nuts and then just plant them directly into the ground to overwinter, instead of storing in the fridge? Obviously will have to take steps to protect from animals digging them up. I've had good success doing this with acorns planted in "beds" and then can relocate them later. I'd rather not deal with storing in the fridge or even in pots outside, I'm worried I'll overanalyze them or screw up the moisture, etc. Would rather let mother nature do her thing. I planted trees 5 years ago and looks like I'm getting my first nut crop this year and want to get the best regeneration I can.
I've done that with good success.

You need to have a tree tube that is inserted into the ground ~2"and the ground around the tube is bare dirt in a 2'+ radius to keep anything from crossing to dig them up.

The varmints (like coons) may pick up on this so I'd plant as many as you can this year and see how it goes.
 
Question for those of you who have grown from nuts -

Does anyone harvest the nuts and then just plant them directly into the ground to overwinter, instead of storing in the fridge? Obviously will have to take steps to protect from animals digging them up. I've had good success doing this with acorns planted in "beds" and then can relocate them later. I'd rather not deal with storing in the fridge or even in pots outside, I'm worried I'll overanalyze them or screw up the moisture, etc. Would rather let mother nature do her thing. I planted trees 5 years ago and looks like I'm getting my first nut crop this year and want to get the best regeneration I can.
Well, I tried something a little different last fall. Instead of keeping the chestnuts and acorns in a moist bag of peat in the fridge all winter, I almost buried an empty livestock molasses tub in the garden last fall. I drilled a drain hole in the bottom of it, filled it with dirt, scattered nuts on the surface, then covered with more dirt. I covered it with chicken wire that was folded over a couple of times, took an old sidewalk gate from when our yard was fenced and laid that over top weighted down. Left it like that all winter, critters never got into it. I got pretty decent germination this spring, got a bushy tub of trees at the moment. I figure when they go dormant this fall, or first thing next spring, I'll add a bunch of water to make mud, then slowly dig individual tress out to repot. Heck, next spring I might go straight to the field with them. Since they will be dormant, with muddy roots, they shouldn't get shocked too bad during transplanting. I had some in pots that I tried to overwinter and I didn't protect them well enough, they basically freeze dried over the winter. Thus the hope of having them below grade.
 
Has anyone planted near black walnut and seen problems? Looking online I'm getting conflicting information on compatibility. Also wondering if Chinese varieties would be more vulnerable
 
I am pretty sure this has been asked several times but didn't see it at a quick search. What is the "best" tree tube along with height for planting chestnut seed? Also, is there a place that has best pricing on them? I only need about 30 right now.
 
I am pretty sure this has been asked several times but didn't see it at a quick search. What is the "best" tree tube along with height for planting chestnut seed? Also, is there a place that has best pricing on them? I only need about 30 right now.

A lot of guys on here use this source.

 
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I am pretty sure this has been asked several times but didn't see it at a quick search. What is the "best" tree tube along with height for planting chestnut seed? Also, is there a place that has best pricing on them? I only need about 30 right now.
I got the tallest so deer couldn't eat growth from the top. I'd buy as many as you can justify in the 1st purchase for a bulk price, if you intend on doing this stuff in time where you'll use the additional tubes years ahead - that's a cheaper per tube price and only pay 1 round of shipping. I bought 50, then another 50 later from tree pro. The 1st 50 are doing great, but the 2nd 50 was out of a batch they later recalled. These shattered and fell apart within a few months of being out which was very disappointing, but they did replace them quickly no questions ask. That doesn't replace the time and trees I lost, but I'm hoping they fixed the issue as it is a quality tube typically. I would also get the "tree pro" type vs the "miracle tube", so you can un-zip tie for maintenance later on. If you go this route, when they come in the mail, try rolling the whole stack and duct taping so they are stored unfolded, as close to a tube shape as you can get them. If you leave them folded up, they are a much bigger pain forming the tube and zip tying out in the field. Ideally you would roll the tube and zip individually ahead of planting, but they just take up a lot more room that way so I did the whole stack like I mentioned above. Then as you're using them, the inner ones will slide out as you need them and the duct tape on the outside will hold them all together.
 
I got the tallest so deer couldn't eat growth from the top. I'd buy as many as you can justify in the 1st purchase for a bulk price, if you intend on doing this stuff in time where you'll use the additional tubes years ahead - that's a cheaper per tube price and only pay 1 round of shipping. I bought 50, then another 50 later from tree pro. The 1st 50 are doing great, but the 2nd 50 was out of a batch they later recalled. These shattered and fell apart within a few months of being out which was very disappointing, but they did replace them quickly no questions ask. That doesn't replace the time and trees I lost, but I'm hoping they fixed the issue as it is a quality tube typically. I would also get the "tree pro" type vs the "miracle tube", so you can un-zip tie for maintenance later on. If you go this route, when they come in the mail, try rolling the whole stack and duct taping so they are stored unfolded, as close to a tube shape as you can get them. If you leave them folded up, they are a much bigger pain forming the tube and zip tying out in the field. Ideally you would roll the tube and zip individually ahead of planting, but they just take up a lot more room that way so I did the whole stack like I mentioned above. Then as you're using them, the inner ones will slide out as you need them and the duct tape on the outside will hold them all together.
Agreed on everything. I have done both - the TreePro style is a massive pain and ridiculously time consuming if you are doing more than a few, but can open them later to weed etc. Miracle Tubes are 100x more user friendly, and you can still slide them up to weed if need be. I will never use the TreePro style ever again. Miracle Tubes or nothing.

ALSO - don't skimp on stakes. If you are going wood, use oak, not the cheaper pine. Otherwise try to get your hands on steel fence posts, conduit, PVC, something with backbone that wont rot. Steel posts being the Mercedes of them all. If you are in an open windy area, don't use the fiberglass tomato or driveway stakes. Check FB marketplace, craigslist etc and you are liable to find old rusty steel fenceposts for $1 a pop or so. Maybe even post on your towns Facebook page ISO. You'll be surprised the old farmers that will chime in to pick them up for free. That's what I do with great success.
 
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