Chestnut time again

[Green Mountian Hunter]

       Got a really good germination rate going ; Tom you going to be busy come planting time 

[Hollywood]

Back from vacation to find these guys grow better when they're not being watched. Got 140 potted so far. Germination rate seems lower than last year, probably wind up with about 200 this year I bet.

[Raquettedacker]

That's crazy Tom...    We just started planting in the greenhouse.....
Cant wait for spring.
Although the ice fishing has been reel good.....

[Green Mountian Hunter]

            They must be shy Tom    But they sure look sweet and coming along great.....

[Hollywood]

            They must be shy Tom    But they sure look sweet and coming along great.....

Thanks! Went down this morning to do some burning, but the wheeler wouldn't go... So came home and potted some more. 176 in pots now. Going to be busy a couple days in late April !

[Hollywood]

197 in the dirt so far. These are the same ones in the pic from 2/12... I'm sure the neighbors think I'm growing dope. 

[Raquettedacker]

Looks great Tom...  You have a lot of work ahead ...

[Green Mountian Hunter]

          Awesome Tom ; They have come around a lot in 2 weeks time   

[buckblaster]

Looking good. How long does it take this variety to start producing nuts? Are you looking at the usual 15 to 20 years

[Hollywood]

Looking good. How long does it take this variety to start producing nuts? Are you looking at the usual 15 to 20 years

They should start in 5-7 years with about 10 pounds per tree at ten years. Many times that at maturity. My goal is to have 600 trees established in time. I'll add 200 a year until I'm there, probably be about ten years of doing this. Less if I get lucky. You can't let the time it will take to accomplish a goal prevent you from starting it. The time will pass either way. 

[Hollywood]

Looks great Tom...  You have a lot of work ahead ...

Dom... This is actually the least labor intensive project I'm into right now. This is the fun, relax and take a break from the hard stuff project.

[buckblaster]

Very true hollywood. Just curious when they would start.. You got my wheels turning with this project.

[Hollywood]

Very true hollywood. Just curious when they would start.. You got my wheels turning with this project.

Good luck with yours! There is a lot you can do without a lot of money to play with. Two year old potted chestnuts run about $25 each.... 200 would run you $5,000. I'll have less than $300 invested in these 200. And in a few years you couldn't tell one from the other.

[Hollywood]

Here's a good representative of the 200 seedlings to date. Hard to believe it's only been sixty days since this was just a nut. From last years experience I know that this tree won't get more height. I think the energy ones into developing the root system once they go in the ground. Some of the germinated nuts failed to emerge. On digging them out to examine them I believe I made to soil too wet for some. The tap root developed, then died. I changed container style from breathable fabric last year to plastic this year. The new containers require they be watered much less. Lesson learned. I will wait until the seedlings I planted last year leaf out before planting this years seedlings. The ones I started in early April last spring, even though it was warm, struggled more than those planted later.

[Hollywood]

25 pear trees and a few plum came in today. Plan on getting them in this weekend, then caging them as time permits over the next month. The couple acres I opened up in January isn't leveled yet so I plan on scattering these into the numerous smaller openings I've created the past couple years. I'll spray the stinky stuff on them til they're caged. About 140 of the chestnut trees are viable from the 200 I started. The peat moss/vermiculite/perlite mix is the way to go. I had some potting soil and substituted it for peat moss for some. They grew very tall, a few are almost 40 inches tall... But the leaves are very small and many just grew kind of funky. Weird limbs, split trunks, etc. while the ones grown in the original mix are doing great. Buds are swelling on the seedlings I put in last year, once they begin to open I'll start putting this years in, probably two or three weeks yet. Chestnut trees are about the last to leave up. A buddy is taking his daughter in the morning to the orchard for the youth turkey opener. Sure hope she scores, their blind is set up in a great spot where I see birds regularly.