I’ve accessed the site dozens of times from different browsers. Never an issue.
I just used the link I posted above. No issue.
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I have no issue open up your link. I will order 2 of those seedlings. It has to be 2 different varieties for cross pollination?
Yes, two different.
So I have a question about growing seedlings, which I know are going to vary quite a bit anyway. I often see chestnut for seed listed by the seed parent, which makes sense since in many cases it is hard if not impossible to know the pollen parent, but if you know both parents of a cross, does it matter which one is the pollen parent?
So, for example, I bought some Qing chestnuts, from a grower who has an orchard that is basically half Qing and half Eaton. Genetically, I assume an Eaton seed from the same orchard would have the same genetics, relatively speaking as a Qing seed. I say relatively, since obviously none will be the same either way, but basically I’m wondering if buying Eaton seeds from that seller be any different from buying Qing seeds since it is still the same “parents.”
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Pollen parent sometimes makes a difference. This is because some genes are suppressed in a process called “imprinting” where the genetic component from one parent or the other is deactivated.
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It makes a difference in many plants which one is the pollen parent.
As one example in chestnuts, if the two parents have different size nuts, one parent can determine the size of the outer shell and the other parent (usually the pollen parent) can determine the size of the nut kernel. Kernel size and shell size are not always genetically linked. You don’t want to have a small shell around the larger nut kernel. When that happens, you get this-
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It seems like chestnuts are popular and quickly sell out. Buzz Ferver at Perfect Circle farm, who certainly knows his chestnuts, posted his seedlings for Spring 2023 shipping a few days ago. Many are already sold out, but there are still quite a few available from various mother trees. I grabbed 2 seedlings of Little Giant, which is supposed to be a dwarf with seedlings that mostly carry that trait, so it will be fun to see what they turn into. I’m probably going to keep them in pots for a little while.
https://www.perfectcircle.farm/chestnuts
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Ciao Castanea, ho provato a contattare diversi vivai da voi in america ma non sono riuscito a trovare uno che mi spedisca materiale da innesto di TORAKURI e SCHLARBAUM, potresti aiutarmi
grazie
I do not know anyone who would send chestnut wood to Europe.
Some people do have Torakuri in Europe but I don’t know who has it.
Non conosco nessuno che invierebbe legno di castagno in Europa.
Alcune persone hanno Torakuri in Europa ma non so chi ce l’abbia.
I went to the Red Fern Farm link that Castanea sent above and found a link to a seminar there, so watched a session on planting chestnuts. It was excellent. Now I realize why my chestnuts planted in 2014 to 2016 have barely grown. I plan to make some changes based on the seminar to see if that improves things. I already have a few more trees on order from Burnt Ridge. I ordered at the end of December, and they were already sold out of many varieties by then. I did not realize that 85% of the commercial chestnuts produced are Chinese chestnuts. I had thought the Chinese chestnuts were of lower quality than the others. Chestnuts will be a new taste experience for me if mine ever bear.
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i got 10 Chinese chestnuts coming in may. pray i live long enough to taste the nuts. if not, my kids/ grandkids will enjoy them.
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Warmwxrules, how are your potted chestnuts doing? Does anyone else in WI or MN have any chestnut trees growing or failed results to report. I have never heard of anyone ever growing chestnuts in WI, so very curious to hear of any attempts.
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I had two potted Chinese chestnut trees. I left them outside during the winter (2021~2022) and all dead by spring.
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That’s not very encouraging. Anyone else ever try chestnuts in WI or MN? I guess if no one else has them here there will be less chance of contracting blight from neighboring trees. My layerokas are hanging in there after some brutal winters, so there is hope, at least.
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Where will you be growing these?
Chinese chestnuts may have more genetic diversity than the other chestnut species combined. The best chestnuts I have ever eaten were Chinese.
In the US almost everyone cooks Chinese nuts as if they were American or European nuts which results in nuts that are burnt on the outside and uncooked on the inside. Chinese nuts are usually denser than the other species, which means they need to be cooked at lower temperatures for longer periods of time, so you cook them like brisket instead of like steak.
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My orchard is in Wisconsin east of St. Paul, MN, in a rural area. It was former hilltop pasture where the chestnuts are planted. I like to experiment. Peaches and pecans winterkill the first season. Cornelian cherries languish. Mulberries not a good track record either. Honeyberries and bush cherries doing great. Plums, apricot killed or damaged by ag herbicide drift. Apples, blueberries, ribes, nut pines, butternuts, hazelnuts doing okay.
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I ordered some Plantra tree tubes to try on the two chestnuts I have on order. I’ll see if they make any difference.
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Many people grow chestnuts in southern or eastern WI, nearer the lake. Your location is going to be more difficult. Your best approach is just to plant a lot of different genetics and see what survives. Good thing you like to experiment!
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You have a very good neighbor to visit! He is just a half hour south of you in Wisconsin.
Mark Shepard!
I suggest you get into american hazelnuts and plant a windbreak for storms and that herbicide drift also. Savannah institute started a large breeding program that should have some results in a few years to share…
Lots of fun stuff in the Midwest to follow and learn from.
@castanea Thanks for all The information you shared here, it was very informational. You really helped clarify some things(Chinese graft incompatibility, ease to peel and taste vs American, zonal cultivar information) i read or heard a bit before but hearing so much from one source makes it easier to trust and digest.
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he was growing in pots outside in z5 . potted plants roots are more susceptible to cold by as much as 2 zones, if they were in ground they would have been ok or if the pots were burried in snow.
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