How to Grow American Chestnut Trees From Seed

Every fall, baskets of shiny brown chestnuts show up in the produce section of the grocery stores. Have you ever wondered how you could grow a tree so you could have nuts like those? When the holidays roll around and the cool weather sets in, then you can invite friends and family over for roasted chestnuts, or chestnut soup or even chestnut cake, made from your very own grown chestnuts.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Locate a reliable source for the seeds or nuts. There is a link at the bottom of this article for a coop at Virginia Tech that is working hard to restore the American chestnut to the Northeast. They will ship them to you in peat moss in the fall for fall or early spring planting-depending on the method of planting you use.

2. Find a suitable spot for planting. The American chestnut needs to be grown in full sunlight, well-drained soil, a slope facing anywhere from north to east, and not high elevation. During this time of restoration, it is important that you do not stress the tree until a few generations of them have grown resistant to the blight. Dig a hole about 2 feet deep and fill it halfway with leaf mulch, sand and peat moss. Mark it for easy identification in the spring. (This can also be done in the spring before transplanting)

3. The seeds will need a few months of cold before they will sprout, so any seeds received in October should be refrigerated until February. Pack them with peat moss in a container like a plastic bag with tiny pinholes for ventilation. Check them weekly for mold or mildew.

4. Make a newspaper cone about 12 inches deep and 3 inches wide, stapled at the bottom in early spring and fill it with a 50/50 mixture of sand and peat moss. Plant a chestnut on its side about 1 inch down and cover with soil. Place the cone in a plastic container in a sunny window. Water it regularly and wait for it to sprout.

5. Transplant the seedling carefully into the hole outside that you previously prepared. Carefully cut open the bottom of the newspaper cone and bury the whole thing. Water it weekly during the first year. Keep in mind that you will need to plant at least two trees for pollination and they should be about 10 feet apart. Use a tree shelter to protect it from deer and raccoons.

Tips & Warnings

• Understand that the American chestnut tree is still a recovery project in the United States. In the early 1900s a fungus was imported into the United States on some Japanese or Chinese chestnut trees being planted in the Bronx Zoological Park in New York City. By 1940, the blight had spread throughout the Northeastern United States and virtually every American chestnut tree was killed or diseased. They had no resistance to the blight. Today, seeds are specially produced to be blight resistant.

Resources

• Virginia Tech's American Chestnut Cooperators' Foundation
• American Chestnut History

[cyclegirl98]

on 10/9/2008 Really great article and very well detailed.

[Cateeto]

on 10/9/2008 Cool article!

[krazigirl79]

on 10/9/2008 I love chestnuts, thanks for the great tips!