The Amazing Thing About Chestnut Seedlings

[@bellpebber63]

If you're interested in helping with the chestnut situation I recommend looking up the American Chestnut Foundation. They are working hard to create an American Chestnut which is genetically resistant to the blight that almost killed all of them, I'd recommend donating to them or becoming a member, their work is super important to helping our local ecosystems

[@overlycranked8674]

Blessed Are Those Who Plant Trees Under Whose Shade They Will Never Sit

[@zs9676]

Greatest phrase Greatest thinking

[@willowsverge3046]

It reminds me of johnny appleseed (his given name was john chapman) he started apple orchards all over the place. He probably never saw most of them again. Hes an absolute legend!

[@tomypreach]

Trees grow faster than you think 😜

[@generalapathy6446]

I planted 3 monteray pines from seed about 20 years ago. They're now about 45 feet tall.

[@lufe8773]

Yep doing just that growing 100 hundred trees to mark my 78 birthday

[@csakzozo]

Well, your min reason to make this video has reached at least one person. I'm planting like 10-15 chestnuts this year, startwd from seedling. Thanks mate!

[@Seal6Sniper]

Way to go Champ! If it don't produce fruits or nuts, I don't plant it. 7,000 pecan seeds planted here on 5 acres. Now I got about 3,500 8' tall pecan trees of 6 different varieties. A lot of blood, sweat and tears but well worth it.

[@sammyfoister3677]

any video Seal-ed on how to do the Pecan trees?

[@lufe8773]

Your a hero mate should be more like you. Those who talk about it (climate change) would have less to talk and worry about if they just did something about it and grew trees.

[@johne.osmaniii7217]

Darn right! And I applaud you for your efforts, & perseverance!

[@pacojuanrico]

Salute!

[@Do_not_assume]

It would be really nice to see a video of your productive labour. I think we all should grow all sorts of nut trees in local forests or parks to encourage wildlife. I love to see trees/plants that produce food because naturally I'm a forager at heart.

[@miriamfaris9035]

Need more people like you planting trees around the world,well done.

[@RichardColwell1]

The fact you did this to motivate others to plant speaks volumes about you

[@elfwoodadventures2103]

You got me at "chestnut" !!! I'm looking for farm property in Maine right now and was looking at types of productive trees. I'm sold on this tree. I'm not only looking at productivity, but also heritage status and bringing back "lost" breeds/species. Thank you for all that you do.

[@opcn18]

You can't row the American chestnut (the one thatwas lost) east of the rocky mountains. Blight will take the trees. Only hybrid or fully asian/europeans trees can be grown.

[@GoldShawFarm]

Thank you!

[@GoldShawFarm]

Our trees are hybrids.

[@elfwoodadventures2103]

Yup, I already started researching the hybrids. I've been looking at Dunstan Chestnut trees and was wondering about the ones at Chief River Nursery. Any info you have would be greatly appreciated!!!

[@juliejay5436]

Elfwood Adventures great idea.

[@elizabethdominguez8013]

When I was a youngster...back in the ‘50s....my Dad would take us to the Boston Common and buy a cone of roasted chestnut from an outdoor vendor...roasted right there. So delicious fresh roasted, so delicious in Thanksgiving dressing....just so delicious...what a wonderful memory. Good luck with your venture.

[@michaeldenham5957]

What is thanksgiving dressing?

[@svetlanikolova7673]

Elizabeth, buy them again and relive the beautiful memories

[@patchurch1677]

I remember getting them too. SO DELICIOUS! Can't remember if it was Hartford CT, USA or Boston. Probably both. I was pretty little. Chestnut dressing or stuffing my mom made for Thanksgiving was a bread based stuffing with poultry seasoniing or sage, celery, and onions and butter. Cooked it in the turkey. She also would put raw breakfast type sausages on the turkey to help baste it. She propped them on the wings, legs, and on top and we could have 1 when we were " starving" before dinner as it cooked. Yum.

[@anthonymorris6312]

Not likely the same chestnut. Most chestnuts for sale from such vendors are Asian varieties as opposed to american. Still good though. I am in favor of genetically modified American cheadtnuts. They will have the greatest amount of true American DNA with just a tiny inclusion from elsewhere. Combine them with hybrids and chestnuts will thrive here in North America again.

[@lisacastano1064]

I've got a couple of pounds of chestnuts in my fridge that I need to roast

[@LittleIowa]

I'm here in Iowa and my grandmother likes to talk about the chestnut trees that she had in her backyard growing up and how the sickness took them over. she said one tree was left. She was saying someone came from a school and took as much chestnuts as they could from her parents tree, so they could try to save the American chestnut.

[@SadisticSenpai61]

Hello fellow Iowan! I'm gonna see if I can get my parents to plant some chestnut trees. Mom's got a bit of a farming itch and they just moved to an acreage a few years ago. I think she would enjoy a crop that wouldn't need as much attention as the typical farm crops.

[@mimijaneemi7549]

There are different types of chestnut. It is the American chestnut that is not resistant to the blight and was wiped out in the eastern US. The Chinese chestnut, which brought the blight in, is resistant. There are still small pockets of American Chestnut in the west, and geneticists are trying to raise blight free American Chestnuts. But in the East, the American Chestnut will grow about 15 years, produce one or perhaps two years of burrs/seeds, and then die. Until they can get the blight resistant American chestnut, the blight will continue to infect all but the roots within a few years of planting. I’ve heard that the blight can spread a mile from an infected tree 😢

[@tylerwaxman7512]

In China there isn't blight issue for chestnut tree, the Chinese chestnut, which got the blight in Japan, was shipped to America.

[@doloresreynolds8145]

@@mimijaneemi7549 I found a chestnut tree at an old farm near where I used to live. I didn’t recognize the nuts, but my mom told me they were chestnuts. The nuts were a lot smaller than Morgan’s, a little bit bigger than a quarter in diameter, and somewhat flatter in shape than Morgan’s chestnuts. They have hybridized chestnuts now that resist the blight, and I assume it is those that Morgan is planting. Now we need someone to develop an oak tree resistant to oak blight......

[@ThyBookie]

Now the same thing is happening to the American Elm with the emerald ash borer :(

[@leelafferty954]

"Under a spreading chestnut-tree The village smithy stands;" ~ H W Longfellow, The Village Blacksmith .

[@swilliams1759]

My sister found two very old chestnut trees in the NY Fingerlakes area. The green casing on the nuts looks the same as the ones that dropped off my grandmother's chestnut tree in her yard. We think they are the old American chestnut tree and they survived the blight. She is starting the nuts in her refridgerator.

[@stargazer1682]

I'd be curious to see an update on the seedlings faired, now that we're over a year and a half since this video was posted.

[@joedonzi9552]

The "silence" may be a tell ?

[@CaribouOrange]

Let's see next summer. Now isn't the best time to update on plants

[@philmcearly]

@@joedonzi9552 Some actually grew and he sold them

[@claranaomicassell5768]

@@philmcearly Is there a video on their progress, then?

[@philmcearly]

@@claranaomicassell5768 No just snippets in different videos

[@littlewhitedory1]

Hmmm, I used to think you were a quack, now I realize you're just a little nutty! Cool stuff there Morgan, I hope all goes well for your chestnut revolution! I look forward to seeing them grow, maybe chestnut trees would make a good choice for planting along the perimeter of my future horse farm paddocks.

[@GoldShawFarm]

That's a great idea. I bet the horses would appreciate it.

[@littlewhitedory1]

@@GoldShawFarm do horses eat chestnuts? Idunno!

[@ksanClain]

Chestnuts develop in spiny burrs which fall onto the ground as the nuts mature in the fall. Just be aware that they might end up in your paddocks - not sure the horses would like that.

[@Slade4220]

Awesome video on the chestnuts Morgan!! So glad to see there’s still people with hope for repopulating these trees!!!

[@pepecocomax]

Your land is so beautiful. I think you doing the best you can is absolutely awesome. This video was so interesting and enjoyable to see the process. I think it is wonderful that you are trying to give those chestnut trees another shot at life. 200+ seedlings amazing. You did wonderful and so exciting to see them thrive. Great video. Your enthusiasm is contagious because I can hardly wait to see the next video and updates.

[@gregkientop559]

Your land is as Beautiful as You. They are probably even connected. Be one.

[@rorykoehler9018]

I just want to say thanks for making this video. After collecting horse chestnuts here in Berlin, Germany last autumn we watched the video and my 2 year old is obsessed with it. We watch it multiple times most days and he has even memorised the words at this stage. He has also learned a ton about the cycle of life, nature and of course chestnuts.

[@scottschaeffer8920]

When you’re done with the chestnuts, that barn project behind is calling. The work never ends on a farm, been there, doing that.

[@samanthainthestacks]

I love lil barn cat 💕😍 I love what you’re doing with the chestnuts!

[@ricericericericericericeri5762]

I never knew that chestnuts were as common as apples once! I grew up my whole life without ever seeing a chestnut before. I always heard the "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" Christmas song and wondered "where are these chestnuts?!" I never knew there was a blight! That's so sad! :C Whenever I'm able to move out of the city I'll definitely plant some chestnut trees in my yard! I don't plan on having an entire farm, but a nice cottage with a garden and a few apple trees was the dream. I'll add a few chestnut trees to the list now! :D

[@cats.cant.contour8812]

My husband and I are in the planning stage of our food forest. Chestnuts are DEFINITELY on the list of foods we want. Not only are they a favorite of humans, but squirrels and deers to!

[@savvageorge]

We're lucky to have quite a few wild chestnut trees growing in England but this has inspired me to plant more in 2021. I think I can easily add an extra 30 trees to the city center of my home town in 2021/2022 using this information which should make it a lot more convenient for future generations to collect the chestnuts.

[@TheWalkingWrinkle]

5 years on, and I'm finding this so useful! I'm only doing a couple, they are in a box with wet tissue which I change every day lol. But this was so good to watch!

[@fireflyfarmletontheeno777]

Mad respect for your chestnut endeavors!! Many people don't realize how much of the eastern seaboard was covered with them and how food and shelter they provided. They were the largest trees in the east. There is a group here in the mountains of NC who are trying to come up with a bought resistant native variety by many generations of cross breeding. Fingers crossed 🤞

[@heidimisfeldt5685]

💯% awesome 💖

[@jamesschnars9713]

I read when the chestnuts were in bloom the hills looked like it snowed

[@biyolpakma7188]

Hello.. I'm from India it's so encouraging to see your video planting chestnuts. This is a brilliant idea... The fact is that the Trees as they grow they will give good air as well. Good job! Hope to see them grow well...

[@colindean8261]

Anyone who is actively planting trees is great in my book. Nice place for your cats, too. Lovely place to live and do your thing!! Well done.

[@fouad4260]

Hello there. Im fouad from moroco i have seen your video about chestnut. I think its great what you are doing. I wish you all the best.😊😊 salam

[@JulieVanderschaegen]

You achieved your goal to inspire someone! This video has inspired me to go bury some chestnuts and see if I can grow some trees!! We have 10 acres that used to be a forest, and has spent the last 20 years growing hay. It'd be nice to add some diversity back to this land!

[@homewardpath4271]

I would not have thought you'd want to subject them to the shock of having the sand removed, being rinsed in water and laid out barely covered after so long being deep in damp sand. I hope you're right, but that seems like you're digging them up without expecting that their state isn't interrupted. It's a great project, I sure hope it works!

[@Jpatmeadowbrook]

I am growing chestnuts too! My friend brought them from Italy to NJ 30 years ago and has a great yield every year. Thanks!

[@marin4311]

In some mountainous areas in Europe, chestnut has been the base of nutrition for people since millenia. It's a great nutrient for humans and animals, easy to grow, and lasts for centuries. Saving the American chestnut tree (or eventually an hybrid) is a serious challenge for the future.

[@HenrydenHengst]

Watched the video done the same thing, with my son 6 yrs old, with great success. Thx a lot for the inspiration.

[@cameronwygent6775]

If you do this again next year, it's really best to plant them out into the nursery before the radicals start growing, or just after they poke through the shell. Here in northern PA that's mid March. Chestnuts (even the chinese ones) are really pretty hardy and the spring frost won't damage them. And just in case others try this, growing them in seedling trays 2" deep is a really REALLY BAD idea. Chestnuts have a serious tap root. Planting them this way will result in tiny stunted trees with their roots tangled and you'll end up with girdled trees. You need at least 1 foot of soil depth. The other option if you don't feel like having a nursery to tend is to plant them in their final location right before they start to sprout. At our nursery we grow chestnut seedlings either in ground in well cultivated beds (deep and well composted) or in air pruned beds. They'll be much more protected from early spring frost in the ground or in a big raised bed than these little trays and they'll have the room they need to grow. This first year of life for thr tree is critical and very much worth doing right. Glad you're planting trees!

[@SirPhatyJ]

Do you know a good source for trees? I'm in Texas

[@whattowatchrightnow]

Is there a better video explaining the process?

[@minnahumble2294]

He does this every year and it’s working. He said the sprouted chestnuts are only in those trays a few weeks, right? I’m going to watch it again and confirm.

[@minnahumble2294]

My reply confirming the use of trays uploaded into general comments. Sorry, but you can read it over there. Yes he does move them after a few weeks but there is more over there.

[@pseudopetrus]

True, you don't want them to "J " root.

[@robynalice879]

10 000% sure my niece and I are going to get chestnuts off my grandfather's old property and planting them in a bucket to grow as many as possible & scatter them through the edges of our woodlands & open, abandoned fields. Thank you so much for this video, Morgan- I'll be sure to keep geo tags of where we left our seedlings so lil goose can watch 'em grow. :)

[@lufe8773]

Just imagine if we all grew trees, even just to give them away. Then again it seems those that do the most talking (about climate change) do the least work. So easy to just sit back and complain and look like a 'expert' and get attention. We need more 'doer's' like this bloke. All the best from down under.

[@jamestomlin5525]

Why imagine? Go out there and do it my guy :D

[@catlover34fl]

Thank you for your efforts to bring back the wonderful chestnut trees. I miss them. I also loved watching your beautiful cat enjoying her freedom.

[@gerbenhoutman9348]

10:35 I have three American chestnuts that I planted about 10 years ago. They got a slow start, but are producing their first chestnuts this year. I got the seeds from eBay. A Michigan source. For the first two years of their lives they grew under the shade of a pair of Chinese chestnuts. I hope that shows that they are immune. Wouldn't it be nice? I started with 30 seeds, but only three survived after living under those trees...

[@billastell3753]

"just doing the best I can". That's all you can do! Love this guy!

[@Calichickengirl]

I am so excited for you! I hope you have a lot of success with growing them out! I just got 2 bare root seeding trees this year. I love chestnuts and hope this video inspires many people to plant them!

[@GoldShawFarm]

Awesome! Best of luck to you, too.

[@ohravenous1]

I don't even like the taste of chestnuts but I want to help them recover. You have inspired me thank you! I am in PA and our chestnut trees took it SO HARD! I am going to talk to my neighbors and friends about it too.

[@leslieMClass80]

Nice! Thank you for the video! Roasted chestnuts, delicious!

[@tamilyons275]

I live in Ontario, Canada, thank you so much for your knowledge and inspiration. I picked up 18 Chestnuts, from Italy at the grocery store. I have put them into a coffee tin in sand and buried them in my garden. Will see what happens in the spring. I am planning on planting them on my Uncles 28 acres, there is just a lot of scrub there and we would like to have a variety of different trees. Thank you again Tami

[@Citystead]

You convinced me! Need to get some for over at my parents property.

[@GoldShawFarm]

Let me know if you need some trees.

[@Citystead]

@@GoldShawFarm Broski, perhaps I do

[@denversimpson4775]

My papaw has a Big European chestnut Tree in his yard and after learning about the tragedy of the American Chestnut Back when I was in school it has inspired me to start growing them like you are doing

[@charleslittle458]

That moldy said you had was precious. If it had survived it would have had immunity to that mold and those are the type of genetics we need in our trees. I love your videos I look forward to more

[@Tsuchimursu]

then again they were all in the same bucket with more or less the same exposure to mold, so I would rather pick the strong ones that resisted mold altogether.

[@dshe8637]

Mouldy seeds usually kill their neighbours. Always remove mould

[@sherrysherry1069]

@Gold Shaw Farm thanks for your video. I watched last year and planted the seeds last fall. Just checked my bucket and I have 6 seeds sprouting! I'll past the knowledge to my children and friends.

[@Steve-ps6qw]

so awesome...that is one of the trees I wanted to grow. This is the only video I have seen about it too. I had no idea there was a blight....nor how large the trees were!!

[@iamivorypresley]

Wow this is so powerful I just got in contact & interest about chestnuts this season and I literally got seedlings by accident, decided to offer them as small trees 🌳for good luck & gods blessings in my online Shop and then I found this video and I am in love with the idea of setting the goal of planting and selling 1 Million Chestnuts 🌰 & end Hunger forever

[@iamivorypresley]

*1 MILLION TREES 🌳 ✨🌰⚡️

[@t123ooth]

As I watch this he first of October 2019 is tomorrow. Do you have an update? How did the seedlings do? How many died off, were eaten etc. Have any pictures ?

[@shilodawn60]

Yes any updates please

[@RealEmilErg]

this video is very wholesome i love chestnuts and growing some trees of my own. I hope i have a huge Chestnut Tree in my Garden one day. Have a nice time with your trees my friend!

[@SAlvitre29]

Wishing you success in your chestnut venture!

[@aylabee4367]

I'm currently cold stratifying some American chestnut seeds. These are the second-generation descendants of manually cross-pollinated large surviving specimens, and am getting ready to start them off indoors under grow lights so they can be transplanted in the fall. I saw the parent trees in October. It was an amazing sight. They had blight visibly growing in their bark but it wasn't killing them. Just forming cankers that would heal over. Concerning mold: Something I've been working on you might want to consider is inoculating them with mycorrhizal fungi early on. These are fungi that form symbiotic relationships with plant roots and my reasoning here is to try and fill the empty fungal niche that would otherwise be available for filling by destructive molds. I'm using potting soil and stratifying them in my refrigerator, so mold is definitely something to worry about. Just something worth potentially trying.

[@dr_nessbomb9243]

I know its been a while since you posted this, but how is it going? Are the seedlings doing well?

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

Badgersett research Farm in MInnesota cross-bred resistance chestnut trees - they sold the seedlings as tube plantings. I planted 24 on my previous land. I think Badgersett went out of business though.

[@bakearound7404]

Absolutely will be planting chestnut trees when my husband and I get our property!

[@chrisjanssens4333]

I've heard a tremendous amount of work has gone into crossing different species (dentata or American x mollissima or Chinese) of the genus (Castanea or Chesnut) and crossing again and again until they have a blight free Castanea that is mostly dentata (American) DNA.

[@gjh42]

Yes, the American Chestnut Foundation has had a long breeding program and has nearly reached the stage of being able to distribute blight resistant seedlings to the general public. There is also a related gene splicing project based at Syracuse University to directly insert the resistance gene into American chestnut seedling material, which is nearing viability too.

[@alexparris7769]

Genetic modification of the chestnut or even a phage for the blight fungus would be awesome. Until then an inoculant is forever my goal for these trees. Something that can “infect” the seedlings early and block the moa of the cryphonectria fungus is my holy grail. I would love to actually be able to have a chesnut make it past sapwood once again

[@Sheepdog1314]

castanea is horse chestnut, not edible

[@chrisjanssens4333]

@@Sheepdog1314 The horse chestnut or Aesculus hippocastanum is not edible (however nobody has mentioned horse chestnut here???) The american chestnut or Castanea dentata is 100 percent edible and a very tasty nut! Hopefully you never get to teach any horticulture classes!

[@brucemartin2882]

Checking in late ..Thanks for what you . The trees will make a. Comeback for our grandchildren

[@RockingCHomestead]

That turned out really well! Great job.

[@spacekrebel2331]

Great job Sir, please keep up great work. As a chestnut lover you have no idea how much I appreciate people like you! God bless and have a wonderful harvest

[@robynsnest8668]

I wish you the best on this. Blight is still out there. I am blessed here in Michigan and there are a couple old growth groves here that have either escaped the blight or are resistant to it. Best of luck.

[@brslib01]

Yes, the blight is still around. There are some rare American chestnut trees that are apparently immune. One is located at a nearby government installation and, therefore, is protected.

[@robynsnest8668]

We have a grove literally 30 miles from us! We are hoping. None of the babies have succumb to blight yet either

[@threeeyedgoddess7635]

@@brslib01 it hasn't hit west of the Mississippi and efforts are being made to expand their range here with active groups out planting and organizations doing research into (non-GMO) blight-resistant varieties

[@varealestate77]

thank you. I have a real estate client who bought an old homestead and it has some American chestnut trees on it. and she's saving the seeds... wonderful tree. also walnut, hickory, persimmon,

[@bettinah.7429]

One of my favorite trees! And I love eating chestnuts too.....we planted one at my mum's that is about 20 ish years old....it has no yet had any nuts...:( her neighbor has one too I will try and score a few this fall

[@GoldShawFarm]

Go for it! They are a great addition. Their major requirements are space and patience.

[@horace6851]

chestnuts generally don't self pollinate, you need more than one tree to get seeds, hopefully the neighbor's is close enough for pollen to get through.

[@silasderoma4726]

Thanks for a great, informative video. We're going to be planting chestnuts and this was really helpful to us.

[@ragimundvonwallat8961]

its not racoon that eat your sprouts its the damn skunks... they LOVE to do that. they ruined my whole hops plantation one year...thats the same year they've met mister Marlin, 22 mag marlin

[@gfkgfk7178]

I do the same with Black Walnuts. Southern Ont, was loaded with them at one time. Sprouting in worm bins works very well, works well for seed potatoes also.

[@brisbanekilarny6212]

Chestnuts were wiped from the American landscape by a fungus introduced from Chinese chestnut trees. Chinese chestnut trees have partial immunity to the fungus or immunity to the fungus. If he is planting original chestnut trees and the trees are exposed to the fungus, the trees will die. If he is using hybrids then they have a chance of producing nuts and timber.

[@kf8113]

@Scott Robinson Cool your racism, buddy.

[@brisbanekilarny6212]

@Heloise O'Byrne There still are some around but they were located a substantial distance away form the fungus.

[@brisbanekilarny6212]

@Heloise O'Byrne If the fungus is not around an area where american chestnut trees are grown there is not a problem. If the chinese chestnut is in the area then there is the chance of the virus spreading to American chestnut trees.

[@judyc9380]

@@kf8113 there's nothing racist about it. The fungus arrived on plants brought here from the orient. American plant culture had never been exposed to it,, had no resistance to it, and slowly killled them off.

[@kf8113]

@@judyc9380 I was replying to a comment that's now missing.

[@lavonnekelly9173]

I remember the chestnut trees from when I was a kid in Binghamton,NY and they were awesome..It broke my heart when they died..I was pretty young but I remember it well.I will definitelt start planting them after watching this video.

[@jlrbhj]

Yay! For the chestnut 🌰 video.

[@mikekittrell9059]

Ordered my chestnut trees today. Planting for deer and turkeys. Thanks for the guidance your video provided.

[@tinaespino7874]

How did the Chestnut trees turn out???

[@claranaomicassell5768]

LOVE this video, besides the enthusiasm and passion about chestnuts, I am excited to try this method with other nuts. Thank you for posting!

[@craigduddles5650]

Love chestnuts!! I was introduced to the glory of that tree by a book you might have or want to read, "The Overstory" by Richard Powers. Beautifully written. Where did you get your seeds? I'm in Vermont and would drive a bit to get them!

[@nimadaneshvar9404]

Chestnut tree is growing up& doing well it's just really fun watching these videos

[@HughVanWho]

Chestnut trees reminds me of two great things : - Gathering up with my family and roasting them at christmass in the fireplace - Conkers, I know it is not the same specie, but they look a bit the same, a game at school were, chestnuts were attached to a string and the goal was to destroy your opponents chestnut. I can remember going for long walks in order to find the best chesnuts How long does it take to get the first chestnuts from your seedlings ? 2, 5 10 years ?

[@GoldShawFarm]

Probably 7 years...so 2023 or 2024.

[@tylerwaxman7512]

In China, farmers graft garden chestnut trees using local wild chestnut trees or oak trees, it will give chestnut in three years.

[@noneyabus1]

I enjoyed hearing your reason for growing chestnut trees. I agree. Here on my little place in the southeast, I keep oaks which include swamp chestnuts, hickory and maybe a cedar or two since deer seem to like to sleep under them sometimes. I have been planting chestnut trees as much as possible for a while now. I have a hill that I'm putting some on the edge of and another place that is also well drained. The low areas that stay wet, they get swamp chestnuts from the oak family. They like water anyway, hence swamp being in the name. Most other trees like sweet gum, ironwood and such, I cut those if I need room for other trees. I think the climate here might be to warm for the bucket method tho. The ground doesn't get that cold very often. I do mine in the fridge. Trick is finding a source for chestnut seeds. Usually about half tend to be bad and float during a water test. The germination is about 50% at best if not float tested. You may get better results because of the different temps. I do fertilize my trees. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks trees are important. I might add, deer LOVE chestnuts. Before the blight, deer would rarely eat acorns from a oak tree. Dunstan and others that are blight resistant are the way to go for sure and decades from now, the deer will be glad we like planting trees, squirrels too.

[@SandraLThomas64]

Would have been interesting to have had a test group that you left the sand on it

[@pixaxeprepper384]

I was stationed in Korea and chestnut trees are plentiful and Koreans love them. My wife is Korean and we retired from Army in 1991 and retired from civil service in 2014. We bought a 8 acre place in SE Virginia. We planted 6 trees in 2008 and now grown to provide plenty of nuts. I have started 4 more 2 years ago and they are thriving. Today, I am starting 16 seeds in pots and should be able to plant in spring. I can sell the nuts to international food marts and local Asian food stores. You can also grow in pots and sell them. In summer, the trees have a unique smell that attracts insects (mostly fire flies) for pollination. In August you can see the pointed pods and grow large by September. My wife spends a lot of time picking them up. Good luck.

[@1stBumbleBeeMaster]

This is awesome! I totally agree about Chestnuts! they are one of my Favorites! My bees love the flowers and make an amazing honey. I think the indescriminate chopping down of chestnut trees during the disease outbreak did more damage then the actual disease did! Same with Dutch Elm disease! they chopped every Elm Tree down whether it had signs of the disease or not. Here is a tip. When planting chestnuts plant them in groups spaced out with plantings of other types of fruit and nut trees in between! that way if a disease comes it wont wipe out all of your trees. Its always best to have mixed plantings. The mixed plantings also makes it more difficult for pests to find them. Hope this info helps. Thanks so much for sharing this video!

[@judyc9380]

I don't agree that indiscriminate chopping caused most damage. The Virgin forests were full of them, and the blight infected and killed most of them. Have you seen majestic elms wither and die? They may have been taken down before they fell down. You exaggerations sound ill informed, was going to say stupid, didn't want to insult you much.

[@gaymichaelis7581]

Yes, being from Pennsylvania, I am familiar with these nuts… So happy that you are doing this! And I wasn’t aware of the chestnut trees going bye-bye a lot!!! Thank you very much for this! Yes, I hope other people will be encouraged to start chestnuts and to grow chestnut trees.

[@beesplease]

What kind of chestnuts are you growing? Are you actually growing American Chestnuts? That would be amazing.

[@beesplease]

Thanks, Morgan!

[@makeacompanyio3231]

Yes, I just bought chestnuts for growing. They are really expensive in The Netherlands. Your video came up first when I searched for it. Tnanks

[@sparkymahoney4343]

Avoid monoculture. Grow walnuts, hazelnuts, et al, trees and bushes too. Grow fruit bushes and trees as well. That will attract all the beneficial wildlife - pollinators and the insects who eat pests. Let the wildlife eat their fill and they'll fertilize your farm for the cost of some food.

[@twizclan3955]

The animals will ring more abundance than not

[@dshe8637]

Yep. And get rid of the cat

[@bradjohnson4787]

A monoculture is when most of the farms are doing it. Farming implies growing crops, when my grandfather farmed he had an apple orchard, grapes, cranberries, a wood lot, et al. Cats kill vermin.

[@Nellyontheland]

Cats are king on a farm. Vermin are nonexistent. In the UK and the rest of Europe, we have been growing in a monocultureistic manner for generations. Harvesting the nuts and later ,the wood, is so much easier when it's all in one place. That's just logical. Having an abundance of other bushes and smaller trees to protect the canopy later on IS a good idea though. They can be used to "fence" off animals and wind. Monoculture works 😊

[@Nellyontheland]

​@@dshe8637 lol. Nonsense 😂

[@random13627]

My mom would love you for this, I’m not going to lie hopefully this spring I might get something going!

[@travelandwildlife4656]

Any updates on these chesnuts

[@Yahriel]

man, you are really making me want to go back to that park where I saw some chestnuts already fallen on the ground and pick some up. Fresh, roasted chestnuts are so delicious! And since they're native, and several places, like my college campus, are trying to re-establish them, I don't think anyone would object to a few new trees "randomly" sprouting up...

[@quackmeister69]

ohhh thats why they are expensive, they are very good though :D

[@DEGuideService]

Akiva is my Neighbor and the seed stock I have is from him. I love chestnuts too, its the real American tree with tons of value aesthetically and to wildlife. Thanks for the video!

[@johanconradie2120]

next time take a whole lot of ONE METRE 110mm PIPES cutoffs and plant chestnuts INDIVIDUALLY

[@Nisotovski]

Thanks for sharing! My plan for this year is to plant as much as possible 100 or 200. Its my way of saying thanks to the nature and the trees that have been cut for my needs

[@gardenlady1293]

Luv ur cat helper!

[@jeremyjenks]

Dude we are instant friends for sure!

[@Tascaraudo]

If you're interested in growing chestnuts, I recommend checking out @BuildSoil on Twitter. He talks about how useful they are as carbon sinks, sources of firewood (coppiced), and as a source of carbohydrates. He talks about how to prepare them and eat them! They're really versatile and can be made into porridge, flour, bread, pasta ... And you only need two or so trees to produce enough chestnuts to fulfill the carbohydrate needs of an adult! A great resource for anyone interested in mitigating climate change, improving the soil, or producing (at least some of) their own food and fuel! As far as I know scientists are still working on the American chestnut and its susceptibility to blight... European varieties such as Castanea sativa are resistant and can be planted and eaten just as well.

[@markc1234golf]

mother nature is appreciative that's why so many sprouted for you ;) you're doing the right thing i hope you'll inspire more people to plant for the future i'm doing the same .

[@toddgillespie8165]

Holy crap, dude -- there's no room for the taproots! You've gotta plant in something with some depth!

[@GoldShawFarm]

They only spend a few weeks in there

[@giomasso2959]

I agree i planted 2 in my yard from sicily Italy in Ny they flourish beautifully

[@willdobson79]

God bless the sweet chestnut... I've always thought about growing my own. This video has inspired me!

[@debbietodorovski2216]

I followed your instructions,here in Australia. I planted 250 nuts, kept in the refrigerator over winter and now come spring I have245 shooting nuts to plant out 👍 thank you great advice

[@donnaeturner]

Me too. What a wonderful opportunity to grow beautiful trees!

[@farmerfishdogg486]

Great video mate,I've just ordered 20 chestnuts to hopefully grow into trees on my farm in Leicestershire UK... Thanks for the inspiration 👍

[@lisaharmon5619]

I bought 1.6 acres of land in the mountains of South Carolina. I haven't built my cabin, yet. But, I'm looking at growing some hardwood trees instead of the pine that's on the land. Chestnut trees fit the bill perfectly. Thank you!

[@Miss449686]

Great video l-- thanks for sharing. Planting trees is very rewarding.

[@normawingo5116]

I planted the chestnut seeds I got from the Korean market. They are very resistant to disease, never been monsantoed , and heavenly flavored and textured. I’m also very onboard with bringing these back to America.