How to Grow a Chestnut Orchard: Part II: Selecting Chestnut Varieties to Grow

Grow your OWN chestnuts! In the 2nd part of this video series, John highlights various Chestnut Varieties. He discusses things to consider when selecting varieties to grow. These include: Flavor, Blight Resistance, Phytophthera Root Rot resistances, peelability of nuts, etc.
CORRECTIONS:
1. "QING" variety is pronounced "Ching"
2. "GILLET" is pronounced "Gi-Lay"
3. "Szego" is pronounced "Zay-go"
4. Clarification: The Shing Tree was never globally thought to be a seedling of Kintzel - only the tree in my orchard was originally labeled mistakenly as Kintzel. That was not clear in the video.
NOTE: I AM NOT AN EXPERT. I HAVE SPENT TIME ASSEMBLING THIS INFORMATION AND BELIEVE IT TO BE ACCURATE. If you have any comments/suggestions/corrections/different beliefs, please comment below!

[@tommyhunter1817]

Not sure why, but I just love chestnut trees.

[@johnsangl]

They're a very interesting tree with a tasty product and an interesting history.

[@loquat4440]

I am so glad you are making a series on chestnuts. I planted 3 dunstan chestnuts and one unknown chinese cultivar and some chinquapin-asian hybrids. I am NWFL between milton and pensacola in zone 8b that is starting to shift towards being a zone 9A. Once the trees get established they are so far doing well. I planted some plain chinquapin seedlings from just fruits and exotics and they started well and tasseled and then just died. Chinquapins are declining here probably from disease. I planted my first group of chestnuts in a clearing of an over grown planted pine plantation the I got some nuts but not many. I have removed some trees and will get most of the remaining shading oaks leaving some of the pine and hopefully I will get more nuts this year. Last year from donated seeds I got seedlings of these chestnuts from Jame Nave in Southern CA I put the seedlings in the ground last year. If you plant just the seeds directly the critters will often get them. Some of the varieties match the ones your are talking about. Some are growing ok and others in the shade or in wet spots not so well. Frankly the yield from a single tree would more than sufficient for my needs and I could sell the rest. Big battle will be with the squirrels. I have traps and guns, but my cat does not climb trees. But I will do what I can against these minions horror. The dogs will keep the raccoons and possums away. I decided not to plant any near a neighbors boundary because those huge pointed burrs are dangerous if you step on one or get hit by it. I think the dogs will soon figure that out also. They figured out all about my prickly pear catus learning the hard way.

[@johnsangl]

Yes - I got a lot of information from James Nave in many of the chestnut varieties. He knows far more than I about the varieties of chestnuts.

[@Airon79]

Those critters work in the other way as well.....they will gather them , then bury them , occasionally leaving some behind that occasionally sprout .

[@FloridaDock]

I’m from Pace, is your chinquapin-Asian hybrid doing well? I’d love to get some nuts to plant.

[@jearly5859]

Very interesting info on Chestnut cultivars. I am suprised to see so many varieties exist. Hopefully,farmed chestnuts will stimulate interest in returning chestnuts to American forests. The pure European c. sativa is not a good orchard tree,but may be the only hope for wild chestnuts in American forests. While not totally blight immune like the Asian chestnut,most European chestnuts in America are not threatened by blight. Some get sick,but almost none die anymore. When the blight leapt across the Atlantic many ancient chestnuts were killed. But C. Sativa quickly recovered after all the very blight suseptable trees died. Unfortunately, C. Sativa, unlike Asian chestnuts, cannot seem to pass any blight resistance to hybrids with American Chestnut. In the Northwest, European chestnuts have escaped from Portland backyards into native forests,where they sucessfully compete with Douglas fir and other big conifers. In Surrey,B.C.'s Redwood Park,100 year old c. sativa soar to 140 ft. tall with trunks over 5 ft. diameter.The grove looks eerily like photos of American Chestnuts pre blight..... The tallest Asian hybrids are too short to compete with even eastern hardwoods. In Maury county Tennessee,a woodland planting of C. Sativa from the 1930s still thrives. About 15% died as blight swept the area. The rest still thrive and reproduce naturally. Forest grown seedlings of C. Sativa could restore chestnuts to Eastern forests in our lifetime.Truly blight resistant American chestnuts may never be found. If they were out there,seems like we would have found them. And best of all,C.Sativa grows just as large and tall as our native chestnut. Until the El Tule cypress of Oaxaca was found,the ''Chestnut of the Hundred Horses ''on the island of Sardinia had the largest diameter of any living tree.

[@johnsangl]

Interesting information - thanks for commenting! Despite the controversy around GMO, the GMO American Chestnut appears to be a viable option if it can get federal approval.

[@user-ob5ul5yc7g]

nice info once again. Thanks, John!

[@chestnutplanter]

This video is gold, thank you!!!! I especially appreciate all the cold hardiness info, growing chestnuts here in Maine.

[@johnsangl]

Glad it is helpful! Thanks for watching and good luck growing!

[@chestnutplanter]

@grafvonstauffenburg yeah I'm all for bringing the American chestnut Castanea dentata back, I work for the American chestnut foundation seasonally. Though they're functionally extinct, there are actually still probably millions of surviving stump sprouts since the blight can't go underground to attack the roots directly and chestnuts readily sprout back. I just collected some American chestnuts to plant the other day. They're charming trees and they love when people help them out and give them attention!

[@chestnutplanter]

@grafvonstauffenburg it's possible to grow them in areas free of the blight. It's also possible for mother trees to pass the blight onto their seeds, but I think that's rare. I've heard of a couple pockets of blight free trees in areas where the chestnut didn't used to be. It's worth noting that oaks can be carriers for the blight, though they don't seem to get sick from it themselves. If a tree does get blight, it's possible to treat it simply by packing mud on the diseased area. The microbes in the mud kill the blight fungus in that area. As trees get taller it becomes harder to treat all the blight areas though. Even in areas with blight and without special treatment of the trees I've seen trees much taller than me making many nuts that are only 10-15 years old. Chestnuts are incredibly vigorous when they're happy!

[@freddebros8761]

@@johnsangl hi john all my stratified seedlings got moldy xcept one. can i next time douse them in a quat solution in october? would that help? i need your advice on which seedlings to try and where to get these in fall for my mass/zone 5 1000ft high farm. its every year down to minus 15 plus wind chill. often minus 25....rarely minus 40 but i have seen it! am i out of luck? i use merit granules but spray when we have gypsi moth epidemics! so right now i am set back. my dunstans thrive but the nuts are not impressive, i tried colossal but it died back. do you have a list of bare-root sellers? dunstans do but at 30.-- a pop i cant afford many! your site is really impressive and i congratulate you for a nice job well done. sincerely fred debros

[@freddebros8761]

how do you do in maine? i am in mass andd its regularly minus 20-minus 30 here evvery february! plus gipsy moth ....i struggle. any cold hardy hybrids you recommend?

[@susankenhunt2075]

I am in Mid Missouri and have grown most of the 12 sources you list. Several I found to overproduce in my area which results in small nuts, such as the Yixian, Shing, Perry, Payne. Gideon did rather well for me and now as a hobby grower (growing with low imputs) I have found Peach to do quite well. With lots of inputs, irrigation, ground cover control, etc, then Qing did quite well, with low inputs then with Qing there is a risk of slow vegetative growth and small nuts with Qing. The Qing-Peach-Kohr, witch I presume you got from the Sauffers, should be an interesting combo where I would think you might get something very interesting. Luvall's Monster produced huge nuts, but eventually came down with chestnut blight. Ken Hunt

[@johnsangl]

Very interesting observations. I’m much earlier in the game than you. A key item of info is that all of my trees are SEEDLINGS of the named varieties so they will have different genetics than the grafted variety. They were open pollinated with a known mother tree. I got them from Route 9 Cooperative (Greg Miller). He advised me that grafted varieties suffer a sudden death problem as far North that I am. I’m hoping the trees will have some improved attributes from their hybridization. We’ll see.

[@susankenhunt2075]

@@johnsangl Ok, seedlings, Greg is giving you good advise. The other good thing is with seedlings you will have an opportunity to get lucky in discovering an individual tree or two that does superior for your Northern area. The most likely down side is that a percentage of your trees might have flaws, hopefully you can select out the worst as your trees get bigger and you need to thin out trees anyway. Wishing you good luck in your adventure.

[@johnsangl]

Susan & Ken Hunt Thanks. It’s been a fun adventure so far.

[@RovingPunster]

Sadly, my property here on suburban Long Island is just too tight (100' x 150') for even one full size chestnut tree to be practical ... unless maybe there is a resistant dwarf variety that doesnt get bigger than say 15-20 feet ? Right now my fallback choice for the hole in my front yard is a Sichuan Pepper Tree.

[@susankenhunt2075]

@@RovingPunster I had to look up Sichuan Pepper Tree, I see that it would work for your yard. It would certainly be more ornamental than a Chinese chestnut tree. A problem with a Chestnut in a small yard is that you need a second tree for pollination, or at least a limb on a single tree grafted to a different cultivar. The burs that fall are very spiny and you certainly don't want to step on one while barefoot. Most chestnuts are a spreading type tree, though there are some that are more upright and therefore take up less room. I can't offhand think of a chestnut cultivar that would be small enough. Even if there is one suitable, you would have trouble getting it, you would have to get a special order from a serious amateur grower. He would have to custom graft it and it could take 2-3 years to get the grafted tree for you. I like your idea of the Sichuan Pepper Tree and I think it would be an interesting unique tree in your yard plus you could get an edible spice from it. Good Growing!

[@johnmartin6140]

Thanks for doing these videos for us.....God willing, i will plant 3 Chinese chestnut trees in my vacant lot that I just cleared off.....for our deer.

[@johnsangl]

Good luck! 3 Chestnuts is a perfect number to ensure successful nut fertilization.

[@eugenelaky1993]

I planted 73 hybrid chestnut trees on my property in WV for my deer

[@kelliemariemarshall]

I love chestnuts as much as the next guy! But the music sounds like it's off an old adult movie haha!

[@johnsangl]

Some of it kinda does! 😂

[@jamestomlin5525]

Getting some French and Italian varieties, stratifying them as we speak. I hope I can get plenty sprouting come spring

[@johnsangl]

That’s cool - depending on where you live - you’ll have some blight problems if they’re pure European, but will still be fun to grow.

[@jamestomlin5525]

@@johnsangl west Texas, so we'll see how it goes

[@HawthorneHillNaturePreserve]

Wow such an excellent and informative presentation this was great I loved it. Now to get to work! Thank you 🙏

[@johnsangl]

Glad you liked it - some of the varieties are tough to acquire, but at least the video expands the idea of what is possible beyond Dunstan & Qing.

[@grapenater3435]

I live in Erie 😮 wow interesting . I’m doing natural farming and am very interested and talking chestnuts / soil science. I have a chestnut variety that I think may possibly be very close to the American chestnut if not it going by the leaf shape and fruit 😊

[@johnsangl]

Nice! You should make a video of your tree or have it sent for leaf analysis to see if it is American or not!

[@codygillespie]

That was cool! Really hope those researchers get the american going again, what an awesome tree that would be to grow.

[@johnsangl]

Me too! Would be fun to see how fast it grows!

[@loquat4440]

@@johnsangl The american chestnut can never get going if there are asian chestnuts nearby that can cross with them. Some parts of canada forbid asian chestnut and believe that is the reason that one can not re-establish american chestnut if they get contaminated by asian pollen. Too bad, but it is what it is. American chestnut forests have great logs for the timber industry.

[@onevision23]

Thanks for the great information. I really am enjoying this series.

[@c.a.martin3029]

Great video, thanks for sharing.

[@Qingeaton]

Nice video John. We have been growing chestnuts since 1988 in mid Missouri. Started out with seedlings, but quickly learned that grafted trees are the way to go. We chose Eaton as our flagship tree. Very early and my customers think it tastes the best. Qing is our pollinator variety. It's a good tree, but because of its high productivity, it is very demanding of water if you want the large size nuts. About 15 years ago, we put out 100 seedling trees in a back field planning on grafting them when the time came. They were watered the first summer by 55 gal barrels and my pick -up. After that, they were lucky to get mowed twice a year. One of those trees has shown promise and will be introduced to the public in the next few years as "Black Satin" It has tolerated my neglect and put out good flavored, easy to peel, large nuts anyway. It produced large nuts with no irrigation in a near drought year here in 2018. I call them "dry land" chestnuts a new label for already organic trees that get only rain.

[@johnsangl]

Great info to know! What growing zone are you? Any problems with the so-called “Sudden Graft Failure” that folks have described in Grafted chestnuts grown in colder climates? Will “Black-Satin” be sold as grafted trees or only as Seedlings of that tree?

[@Qingeaton]

@@johnsangl We are in zone 6. Most graft failures are the result of incompatibility between the scion and the rootstock. Grafting a tree on its own seeds goes a long way in preventing delayed graft incompatibility. We are in the beginning stages of tissue culturing Black Satin, so there will be no grafting involved and it will be on its own proven root system.

[@johnsangl]

Great info! I’ll look out for the release! What is your operation called?

[@Qingeaton]

@@johnsangl The folks that are doing the actual work are called "Z's Nutty Ridge" I'm just a small scale hobby grower, nobody you will find in the who's who book of chestnut gurus or anything. But, you do something long enough and with keen interest, and you are bound to find a bone from time to time. We call ourselves "One more nut", because over the years we have found ourselves saying "one more" as we try to leave the orchard, but they keep dropping behind us. We have a really nice Pecan tree that myself and a guy named Ken Hunt bred. (Lucas x Creek).... about 100 crosses. Trying to get the Lucas flavor and lose the scab it is known for. We did it and it's called "Tracey" after my wife.

[@Qingeaton]

@@MrJohnfultz Yes sir, I am. Black Satin has grafted well on Qing seedlings by name, and all the other random root stocks I have tried it on so far. Buzz Ferver on the facebook group is going to be the guy to go to for grafted trees, probably this coming fall.

[@melanielinkous8746]

I like your intro 🎵 Sounds like the Allman bros.

[@johnsangl]

Thanks.

[@janonthemtn]

Thank you! Great info that I will share💗

[@johnsangl]

Thanks for watching!

[@janonthemtn]

@@johnsangl 💗

[@waynesmith8451]

Good morning, John. Thanks for getting back to me. I did find and sign up for the group. Sweet resource. Don't want to overstretch your kindness, but when you have just a minute, what makes you feel like the Dunstan would NOT be a good choice for out here? My wife was born in China and my roots are in the soil of this continent, so the fact that the Dunstan is a "mollissima" x "dentata" cross is appealing to me. :-) But I also like the fact that its flavor is spoken highly of, and its lower, spreading growth habit. You seem to like them, so I'm curious. Thx!

[@johnsangl]

I'm not saying they are a "bad" choice - just don't have expectations that your trees will display much or any of the American genetics bc it is a minuscule portion of Dunstan's genetics. I wouldn't pay $25 or more per tree to get them. If you really want Dunstan seedling trees, buy nuts from Chestnut Ridge of Pike County in Illinois this fall and grow them yourself for pennies each.

[@waynesmith8451]

@@johnsangl Thanks, John. Appreciate the input from those whose have gone before. I'd prefer not to make the same mistakes everyone else has made. I'll come up with plenty of my own! :-)

[@jmssun]

We have Gideon in Taiwan, we use sugar to dry-sauté the chestnuts until brown vertical tasty

[@johnsangl]

Interesting! Brown sugar or white sugar? Any tips on dry-sauté(I’m not much of a chef!).

[@jmssun]

@@johnsangl I don’t know exactly how it is done, It’s a staple in many night markets.. I believe traditionally it might have been done with tiny pebbles on wok, stir fried with white sugar and chest nuts. And roast/stir fried till brown inside.. might have been caramelization due to high heat, or smoking effect.. It is very tiresome work, but this recipe is poplar because it is of great profit I have looked up someone filmed a stand, maybe you can understand it better than I can. But it does taste VERY good kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZTQpGptgJmYe68 This is modernized version, much less tiresome. The machine does all the work.. but that pink picker kind of utensil is very useful. The chestnut is roasted to the point of crispy, so by chipping perpendicular against its grain with the tooth, the chestnut shell can easily be split in half, and you can pop off the entire center

[@opreapetru404]

WELL DONE BRAVISSIMO

[@johnsangl]

Thank you!!

[@jlc904ubc]

Thanks! Great info!

[@johnsangl]

Happy to provide it!

[@waynesmith8451]

Hey John, along with everyone else, I appreciate your sharing what you have learned. Thanks! I'm writing from Redding CA, at the north end of the central valley. It's dry up here in the summers and temps get up to 105-110 or even more; nights generally cool off fairly well tho'. It's classed as zone 9 or 8 depending mainly on elevation. You mention liking the Dunstan, John. It appeals to me as well. Any suggestions as to a good pollinator for that one? And any thoughts on how it might do out in this climate? One last question--who might be a good source of information and / or seedlings out on this side of the country? Be nice to get trees already from this environment. Thanks!

[@johnsangl]

An incredible resource would be James Nave on the Facebook group "Chestnuts as a tree crop - Castanea species nut trees". He grew many different chestnuts for years in California. In California, your options are much broader than mine on the East coast. You don't have blight and I'm not aware of Phytophthora root rot problems there either. You can grow American Chestnuts / European Chestnuts. I would not choose Dunstan for your growing area. James Nave will be able to guide you on your best options. I've had pretty good luck with Burnt Ridge Nursery in Washington. You'll be able to grow anything they offer!

[@strikebreed7697]

Very helpful video, thanks 😊

[@rob4263]

Will a colossal chestnut pollinate another colossal chestnut tree? If not, any idea on what is a good pollinator for a colossal chestnut in western Washington State. Thank you for your time.

[@johnsangl]

Growers in Michigan use Bouche de Betizac to pollinate their Collosal’s.

[@RovingPunster]

Hey, I wonder if i've got mixed chestnut ancestry ? > American ... CHECK. Family arrived 1600's. > Blight Resistant ... CHECK > Cold Tolerant ... Urticaria's a 1 in 1m recessive gene in my family. My father had the cold variant, but mine's dermatographic. > Large Nuts ... SOLID BRASS 😎 > Early Drop ... coincides with the annual SI Swimsuit Issue, so yes. 😎

[@johnsangl]

Struck by the "Roving Punster"! Pretty funny stuff. Sorry to hear about the urticarial genes! Also - kudos to you on still getting the SI!

[@RovingPunster]

@@johnsangl Thank you. Yeah, thankfully my Dermatographic Urticaria (aka 'skin writing syndrome') is very mild, but ive read that some people with the most severe forms are unable to wear clothing. I suppose you could think of it as genetically enforced nudism. 😉😵‍💫 Anyway, all kidding and puns aside, it's a real condition.

[@06bravo68]

I'm from Ct. and have grown disease resistant American chestnuts but eventually died although they produced very well. I currently have a cross American Chinese tree, growing very well. I am looking for a pollinator. Do you have any information on what variety and where I might purchase one. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[@johnsangl]

I'd plant a couple of cold hardy Chinese Chestnuts such as Mossbarger and that should do well. Consider Red Fern Farm for this.

[@jamesbarron1202]

Is there a blight resistant chestnut that takes heat and drought better than others? Texas conditions 100+ temps and we can go all summer without an inch of water. I just planted 13 Dunstens I grew from seed. I planted them strictly for my beehives to feed from. I raise pecans and have no need for the chestnut nuts. Honeybees don’t collect pecan pollen that I’ve ever noticed.

[@johnsangl]

I am not aware of a particularly heat-tolerant chestnut. I've been looking for just the opposite! A tree that can tolerate prolonged sub-zero temps!

[@gonicjon]

i would have liked to seen the outer shells as well as the nut. trying to tell what i found. long sparse thorns... not like those with the many shorter spikes

[@johnsangl]

Long sparse thorns does not sound like anything castanea species.

[@rockygrindstaff7312]

Very informative. Thanks for doing this

[@johnsangl]

Thanks for watching! Glad it helped.

[@arroworchard1054]

I be trying to plant more different kinds and ones that drop Oct- nov dec

[@johnsangl]

Awesome! Fun to try different trees.

[@Qingeaton]

The group has changed names and is now "Chestnuts as a tree crop". (Just to aid folks in finding it.)

[@johnsangl]

Thanks for updating this!

[@MermaidBrigade]

When selling chestnuts, do you sell the different varieties separately? Or does a buyer accept them all? Just curious sorry if a silly question.

[@johnsangl]

I usually sell a general mix of everything, but occasionally will identify some seeds by their mother tree(which doesn't guarantee anything other than 50% of those seed's genetics).

[@MermaidBrigade]

@@johnsangl Thank you! I appreciate it

[@SuisseKisses]

recommend anything for the south ie hardiness zone 8a ?

[@johnsangl]

I don't have any special knowledge of chestnuts that are more hardy to hot temps, but plenty of people in Georgia grow chestnuts. I know Auburn University has several named varieties that grew well down there.

[@Bittagrit]

Would you recommend Dunstan chestnut

[@johnsangl]

I don't hate Dunstan's, but I also haven't found that they are in any way superior to multiple other Chinese/Chinese-American Hybrids. If you're buying a Dunstan tree, be aware that they'll look just like any other Chinese/Chinese-American hybrid and don't confuse them with the American Chestnut Foundation trees that are seeking to be 15/16ths American. My Dunstan trees and dunstan hybrids have very little American characteristics that I can tell.

[@chadszakacs1304]

John that’s a great video. Where would I get Gillett seedlings? I like the cold hardiness

[@johnsangl]

www.burntridgenursery.com/mobile/GILLET-CHESTNUT-Castanea-crenata-hybrid/productinfo/NSCHGIL/. (Grafted)

[@johnsangl]

Not sure where to buy seedlings. If I were you, I’d buy the grafted and do some controlled pollination when it blooms in 2-3 years, then plant the seeds. OR, you could ask someone on the “All about chestnuts” FB Page if they’re willing to share some Gillet seeds/seedlings with you.

[@bluegrassdiggers9030]

I've read from Michigan state university that you don't want to grow Chinese next to hybrid due to internal nut breakdown. I'm not sure if they are talking about hybrid Chinese American or the European and Japanese?

[@johnsangl]

This applies to European hybrids such as "Colossal" & "Bouche de Betizac".

[@bluegrassdiggers9030]

@@johnsangl Thanks John.

[@may_laytrucker3127]

What is the name of small chestnuts name , easy to peel and eating raw ?

[@dylanross235]

Where can you get the Jenny tree?

[@johnsangl]

I’m not sure - I know James Nave has it in California. Not sure if any commercial grafting vendors have picked it up yet.

[@danmiller9876]

What variety Would you recommend for northeast lower michigan

[@johnsangl]

Something Chinese(mollissima), maybe something Mollissima-Dentata. Michigan has Chestnut import restrictions so it would have to from a local provider or an approved out-of-state nursery.

[@bigk5975]

What is meant by early, mid and late season?

[@johnsangl]

That would vary depending on where you live. Where I live in North West Pennsylvania, early would be mid September, mid would be late September/early October, late would be mid/late October.

[@robertwinne17]

Great video. Where can you buy these seeds to start an orchard?

[@johnsangl]

Chestnut Ridge of Pike County, Route 9 Cooperative, Washington Chestnut Company are a few companies I've used.

[@awake2freedom380]

What’s the easiest and most effective way to grow sweet chestnut from seed please

[@johnsangl]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnXEfZiuh7iFrK8

[@IsaacNewton1966]

I'm in zone 5. What would you recommend?

[@johnsangl]

Any Chinese or Chinese-American hybrid would do well. I personally am loving the Qing, Patterson & Perry seedling trees at this point.

[@IsaacNewton1966]

@@johnsangl thank you.

[@gwenkilby]

Why did the Malabar not make the cut in your list? Is it more tropical/warm climate?

[@johnsangl]

There are too many cultivars to include all. I focused this video on more well-known varieties of Castanea genus only(of which Malabar does not belong).

[@martinkaldahl8712]

I'm interested in planting some in Western Montana zone 5B. It gets cold but I think the deer will love them. What would you recommend? I have about 2 acres of land to plant the deer destroy my apple trees.

[@johnsangl]

Your zone is the same as mine. I’d recommend buying from Red Fern Farm to avoid spreading East coast diseases. He has several cold-hardy varieties that would do well where you are. Do you know your soil pH? Chestnuts prefer acidic soils with pH near 5.5. They will struggle if you have neutral or basic soil.

[@martinkaldahl8712]

@@johnsangl it's mostly red clay with built up top soil on an old alphafa hay field. Grows pine trees, a few plum trees and a big apple tree pretty well.

[@johnsangl]

Martin KaLdahl how about Red Oak? They like acidic soil.

[@illbee3395]

I have a Chinese that is 30 years old the parent had huge nuts mine has very small kernels which is very satisfying for the squirrels and birds . It is within about 10th ft of a black Walnut and I think The walnut is dominating the chestnut .it bears every year but never large enough to eat.

[@johnsangl]

How many chestnut trees do you have? Are your chestnuts round or wrinkled?

[@buddha7178]

Im south west of montreal and i sprouted an italian chestnut from the grocery store. Its doing great indoors but im curious to know if it can thrive our ontario winters.

[@johnsangl]

If your tree is Castaneda sativa, it probably won’t survive. You would probably need a Chinese Chestnut(C. Mollissima) or Chinese x American(mollissima x dentata) to survive. Even then, it’s still not a guarantee.

[@buddha7178]

@@johnsangl :thankyou. Can i order those from you?

[@MySliceOfHeavenoutdoors]

Wow, dont know how I missed this video, but I watched it now. Great Info John, I have a question. You said you have 12 varieties in your orchard. I am assuming they cross pollinate each other so does that mean the nut will have different qualities than the original tree? For example lets choose the Shing Chestnut, it has the potential to cross pollinate with 11 other varieties. Is the Shing nut still considered a shing or pure shing when grown into a tree?

[@johnsangl]

It would be a hybrid. In fact, all of my trees are Seedlings of the named Parent Tree. So they are unique themselves. One would expect some of the trees to express similar traits to the mother trees, but others will be much different depending on the paternal tree. Sorta like human children - some act like Mom, some like Dad, some like they’re from outer space 🤪. I’d call the example tree you gave a “hybrid Chestnut with Shing heritage”.

[@MySliceOfHeavenoutdoors]

@@johnsangl hate to bug you but I have lots of questions. My wife and I are wanting to plant chestnuts so trying to learn. If I wanted to plant multiple varieties of trees but not have them cross pollinate how far away would the other trees have to be?

[@Qingeaton]

@@MySliceOfHeavenoutdoors If you mean groups of two (or more) types that ARE providing pollen to each other, being separated from other groups of two (or more) types that pollinate each other, so that the two groups do not mix..... Then I have been told that 300 feet gives you

[@MySliceOfHeavenoutdoors]

@@Qingeaton that is exactly what I meant. I did some reading after posting this and 100 feet was a very common answer. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply Qingeaton, I appreciate it.

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

@@MySliceOfHeavenoutdoors Joey, I was thinking of you while I was watching this. I was about to send you the link but glad you found it on your own!

[@MrWhiltetail]

I looked for the All about chestnuts facebook page & could not find it.

[@johnsangl]

The group name changed in early 2020 - it is now “Chestnuts as a tree crop - Castanea species nut trees”.

[@MrWhiltetail]

@@johnsangl Thanks but I still can't find it. I searched "Chestnuts as a tree crop - Castanea species nut trees" but nothing came up so I thought it might be too long. Then I searched "Chestnuts as a tree crop" & also "Castanea species nut trees" but still nothing. Do you have a link?

[@johnsangl]

@@MrWhiltetail facebook.com/groups/272120753285618/?ref=share

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

I enjoyed learning about all the different varieties! I wish I knew exactly which kind were the 50 I planted. Have you had any issues with deer rubbing your trees once you take the tubes off? I was reading on a forum that one individual did, perhaps because the bark in the tube was "softer". I wasn't sure if that was one off deal or typical. I see you've had yours on there 5 years. About how long before you remove your tubes?

[@johnsangl]

I haven’t removed any of my tubes yet! I’m waiting until they are maxed out in the tubes and then I’ll remove them(2 or 3 more years, I’m guessing). Where did you get your chestnuts from?

[@ChipsOutdoorChannel]

@@johnsangl I see. I'm planting more for wildlife than an orchard, so that removed some considerations with selecting varieties. I ordered "Chinese Chestnuts" from the Kentucky Division of Forestry. It was much cheaper. They seem hardy, disease resistant, and produce sweet nuts. Beyond that, it's a bit of an unknown but I think they should do well.

[@gracevalentine1666]

Any suggestions for SW Colorado?

[@johnsangl]

Not sure - I believe you’re pretty dry and I don’t know status of blight there. Probably Chinese / Chinese-American Hybrids sourced locally.

[@gracevalentine1666]

@@johnsangl Thank you, John. I’m just a mile south of Colorado, and another mile west of the AnimasRiver. Locally sourced is key, just delighted to learn of the nut tree community.

[@bigoldgrizzly]

can one variety of chestnut be grafted onto another chestnut rootstock ??

[@johnsangl]

With the caveat that I don't graft chestnuts, my understanding is that you should keep chinese with chinese grafts, japanese with japanese & so forth. Sudden graft failure seems to happen more when different species are grafted.

[@bigoldgrizzly]

@@johnsangl Thanks for your kind reply. With that in mind, I'll try and find some appropriate rootstocks, and give it a go. Pretty used to failures but getting better at it.as I learn ....... slowly ;

[@lylekleiber2000]

what's the average year time before they produce nuts

[@johnsangl]

Where I live, Year 3 is the earliest and most are producing something by Years 5 or 6.

[@thomasg4324]

*What does "Pollen-Sterile" mean?*

[@johnsangl]

“Pollen-Sterile” = doesn’t produce pollen or it’s pollen is sterile(won’t fertilize other chestnuts).

[@thomasg4324]

@@johnsangl Thank you.

[@bigfootsboggybottomlodge4954]

Can any of these grow in the White Mountains of AZ.. around 5800 ' ?

[@johnsangl]

I don't know the area well, but a quick look showed USDA Growing Zone 7a. If that is the case, they should grow there.

[@bigfootsboggybottomlodge4954]

@@johnsangl , I am thinking I read something about elevation limits, Guess i'll have to get some and try .. iv been enjoying Chestnut Ridge, Pike County chest nuts for a couple years, they are good.. They are Dunstan. I should be eating some in a couple months.. YUMMM...

[@anitasanford8002]

Curious as to why you plant in a tube? Thank you.

[@johnsangl]

One word: Deer 🦌

[@thomasg4324]

*A genius invention:* Around the 13th century the Count of Thurgau invented the glass tree tube to promote orchard success. He outlined specific benefits the glass tubes would provide, which excused the IMMENSE costs associated with using glass. Here are some of the writings on the matter: 1) Prevents mice girdling of young sapplings. Of which the most damage can be attributed to failed orchards. 2) The glass helps trap heat from the sun, and careful vanes (holes in the sides) cause ventilation up along the stem. Extending the growing season by weeks at spring and autumn. 3) Small birds will be enticed, fall in trapped, and become fertilizer for the young tree. *

[@martinkaldahl8712]

As far as I know we don't have any Chestnut trees anywhere in Missoula county

[@johnsangl]

You would know better than me - a quick search only found a newspaper article about Chestnuts in the Missoulan(?).

[@martinkaldahl8712]

@@johnsangl that's the local paper

[@markpennella]

Dont they cross pollinate?

[@johnsangl]

If their bloom times coordinate, yes - most chestnut trees will cross-pollinate. Of course, some trees are "pollen-sterile" so you have to be careful with certain trees.

[@waili2258]

Where I can order the Chinese & Japanese chestnut trees thank you

[@johnsangl]

It really depends on where you live. Where are you located?

[@waili2258]

From Washington state ferndale

[@johnsangl]

I'd look at trees from Burnt Ridge Nursery - good luck!@@waili2258

[@waili2258]

@@johnsangl thank you

[@bambamnj]

So is the native American Chestnut gone? It doesn't look like you are recommending any. I seen to remember a guy in Canada that was working hard to cultivate a native Chestnut that was blight resistant. Are there people out there trying to bring back the American Chestnut. Such a shame to have lost a tree that was once so prevalent across North America.

[@johnsangl]

Native American Chestnuts still exist but are uniformly killed by blight. Some groups are attempting backcross the TRD to get blight resistance and some scientists are trying GMO to get a resistant tree. I’m growing a production orchard so I can’t grow trees that die. Therefore, I don’t have pure American chestnuts.

[@victormiller6008]

I had a neighbor when I lived in WI who had a grove of original American chestnut tree's...they are beautiful tall trees and we're loaded with nuts

[@digidanshow]

I have a huge chestnut tree in my yard that produces a large amount of nuts every year... all of which are infested with beetle grubs making them useless.

[@johnsangl]

If you gather them immediately after they fall and put in a warm water bath held at 120-degrees for 15-20 mins you won’t see any grubs in those nuts. If you pick up all nuts every 2 days for a couple years, you can interrupt their lifecycle and dramatically reduce the number of infested nuts as well.

[@digidanshow]

@@johnsangl I haven't researched it but from observations it seems the beetles actually lay their eggs somehow in the flower and the nut develops around it. Is this common in all varieties or just this one? Dad always called it a "Chinese Chestnut"

[@mikedelaware3282]

How can I reach you for a question?

[@johnsangl]

Here is fine

[@344cabin]

Thanks for the information. Have you tried Maraval in PA or know if it will thrive in the east? I am looking for a late dropping variety and a good pollinator.

[@johnsangl]

Per James Nave on the FB Page I recommend in the video: “You're going to have a hard time finding adequate blight resistance and adequate cold hardiness in European hybrids. The best you could probably find would be some of the European/Japanese cultivars with large nuts that are about 50/50 European and Japanese. But most have small levels of blight resistance. The larger the European influence, the less the blight resistance. And most have marginal cold tolerance. Possible cultivars would be Gillet, Marigoule, Bouche de Betizac, Bergantz, Maraval, Marissard, and Marsol.”. Good luck!

[@johnsangl]

My orchard is still too young to see clear enough characteristics to make a recommendation. I’ve seen recommendations for “AU Super” and “Dunstan Revival”(different than the Dunstan Seedlings sold by Chestnut Hill). Red Fern Farm sells Super Seedlings & Empire Chestnut sells Super seed nuts. Not sure where to get the Revival tree.

[@ryanfreije1156]

@@johnsangl Hey John, keep up the videos. Really appreciate you taking the time to inform us new growers. Where do you buy your different cultivars of chestnuts? I have used Route 9 Cooperative, Burnt Ridge, and Pike County. Do you know of other nut sellers? I do the cold stratification myself. thanks, Ryan

[@johnsangl]

Ryan Freije In the next episode, I will be highlighting some various sources for seedlings, Grafted varieties and seeds. Stay tuned!

[@ricks7432]

So I was wondering....I have 2 Castanea Mollissima in my backyard in the city. I planted them as 4 foot 2 year olds November of 2017. Two years later and one is 5 foot and the other 5 and a half. The trunks have thickened and the trees filled out a little but I expected more. I have been fertilizing them a couple times a year. They are in direct sunlight. Do the other Chestnut trees grow faster ? Any suggestions ? Last spring they did have a few Catkins. I saw one of your videos where the trees were nice sized for their age. Thanks for any information past and present. Rick

[@johnsangl]

What state are you in? What fertilizer are u using? I find that Seedlings or 1yo Bareroot trees do better than older potted plants. Their growth usually outpaces the older potted trees. Do you know your soil pH?

[@ricks7432]

@@johnsangl I live in the southern part of MI about the same Lat as you. I use Pennington all purpose plant food 10-10-10. Chemlawn does my lawn - they put down potash in the fall as part of their regiment. I have not had my dirt tested on my residence....only my hunting land up north which looks similar to your deer videos.....I do live along Lake Saint Clair which my city was built on a flood plan......there is heavy clay with about 10 inch of topsoil on top.

[@johnsangl]

Rick S I would get a pH test of your soil. Also, there are many varieties of Mollissima. All those things can affect growth rate. I’d say if you see catkins, it’s a good sign!

[@ricks7432]

You were right on. I tested the soil which was at a PH level of 7 good for my lawn anyway. I put down a little sulfur powder and some sphagnum peat moss to bring down that PH a little. Will have to talk to my lawn service. I think they even tickled those trees a little this spring with the fertilizer they put down. Thanks for the info ….you have helped me a couple times now.

[@deeraddiction9524]

Rick S Glad to help!

[@bluegrassdiggers9030]

It sounds like you can't go wrong with Chinese seedlings.

[@johnsangl]

I agree.

[@myeflatley1150]

In the Chinese language Roman spelling: "Q" is pronounced "ch" and "X" is pronounced "sh". "Zh" is pronounced like a "J".

[@johnsangl]

Thank you!!

[@benjamindejonge3624]

Pity you don’t know the timber qualities

[@johnsangl]

I would describe most of these varieties as non-timber.

[@nagwagi2000]

Ching rather than Shing.😉

[@johnsangl]

Qing = CHing Xing = SHing

[@psor9983]

When I was in China they pronounce Qing like /Ching/

[@johnsangl]

Right - Qing is pronounced "Ching".

[@errollgibbons4305]

Dude has the personal of a kleenex. I kid. Good picture

[@johnsangl]

Ahh -- Ahhh -- Ahh-Choo!

[@iringsofer9703]

Just skip to the 5 minute mark. He is not saying anything important until then.

[@johnsangl]

Because when selecting your chestnut varieties you definitely don’t want to consider any of the topics I discuss in the first 5 minutes 👀😂. Who’s want to consider cold-hardiness, pollen-sterility, IKB, soil type, etc??!! Hahaha. Great comment - made my day!!

[@stanhill3980]

If you could lose that crappie music it would might be worth listening to ould

[@johnsangl]

Editing has gotten easier over the years and it used to be very hard to adjust the level of music. Newer editing software has improved this. I do like having "fish" music though b/c Crappie are one of my favorite fish to eat!

[@iringsofer9703]

Everyone notice that he never tells you where to buy the trees he speaks of?

[@johnsangl]

Not a bad video idea...

[@eugenelaky1993]

Whitetail Hill chestnuts sells the chestnuts..lookem up online