Project: Growing Chestnuts - better than acorns

[huntnfishtex]

has anybody ever used willis orchards? Looks like they will ship some bigger trees not just seedlings..

[PreacherT]

This is a fascinating thread. I'd like to follow along.

[unclefish]

has anybody ever used willis orchards? Looks like they will ship some bigger trees not just seedlings..

I haven't heard of them but their website looks good and a fair price. If you order the American Chestnut ask them about blight resistance. That's what wiped them out across the US when the Chinese Chestnuts arrived. Chinese is naturally blight resistant. It probably not a big deal since most all chestnuts now have the resistance bred in.

If they are grown in any kind of root maker pot they should have really good root systems.

[huntnfishtex]

thank you unclefish sorry to hi jack your thread! I will check into the blight.

[unclefish]

thank you unclefish sorry to hi jack your thread! I will check into the blight.

You weren't highjacking at all. I hope those trees work out for you. I saw that they only ship in the fall....which is smart. Plant them and let those roots grow all winter.

[huntnfishtex]

not sure where I am going to order from yet just checking into a few different places. We have put in an offer on a place so hoping that goes through and I can start planting! So make sure I plant them before winter so they can get some roots down before spring summer? I haven't seen on there if they use any kind of rootmaker pot though... thanks for all your help sir

[ELKAHOLIC]

Very cool thread!

[jmangrem]

My dad once told me that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago or today.

[courtatlawjudge]

Fascinating!!

[huntnfishtex]

Unclefish I have found some small bur oaks in 4 gal pots at one of the local nurseries but it looks like they were topped about 5 ft up... bad thing I am assuming? They were about 7 ft tall.

[unclefish]

Unclefish I have found some small bur oaks in 4 gal pots at one of the local nurseries but it looks like they were topped about 5 ft up... bad thing I am assuming? They were about 7 ft tall.

I would pass on them personally.

Topping opens them up to disease, insects, etc. People do it for sapling fruit trees to help the fruit bearing branches form but I don't understand why anyone would do it to an oak tree.

[huntnfishtex]

I will keep looking then sir thank you. Pretty much every one the had was topped. They had some red oaks that weren't topped but all the bur oaks were.

[Eastonoutdoors]

Anti nurseries does have some good trees however there prices are extremely high. If someone is looking for tree I may be able to lead you in the right direction been in the business for over 25 years so know a lot of people through the southeast. It is fun growing trees from seed if you have the space and time. I play around and grow some sawtooth oaks. My way of getting them to sprouts to throw them in the back of the truck, they find there way to a corner where I always have some dirt, fertilizer,and etc from carrying trees and shrubs. They germinate and I pull them out and plant either in containers or directly in the ground.

[unclefish]

OK I haven't updated this in a while cause frankly the chestnut trees have taken a beating. I have about 10 left and they are just doing fair. I have learned that they are very fickle in the first year.

Most all of them I have left have dropped their leaves at some point but have grown them back. This puts stress on the tree and makes them use energy into putting leaves back on instead of growing bigger.

I still have them in either one gallon pots or 3 gallon. I've moved them now to where some of them get more afternoon shade. There is no rhyme or reason IMO as to why they have not done well....at least I can't figure it out. I know they like well drained soil and don't like wet feet. Some of my potting mix may have held moisture too long....not sure.

The amount of moisture they get is critical in the first year. Once planted I think they will do fine if they are planted in the right spot.....slopes, hills, or very well drained acidic soils (no clay).

I think I would have had more luck just putting them in the ground....
I'm babying these remaining trees to plant this fall so I don't think I will have any to spare. I'm learning as I go on this so I keep updated more when I plant them in October.

[unclefish]

A few of the trees. Their leaves are way smaller than the first leaves from back in the early spring. They dropped them and have grown back.