How to Grow Chinese Chestnut Trees From Seed

The Chinese chestnut tree is in the beech family.

The Chinese chestnut tree (Castanea mollissima) is grown for the nuts and shade it provides. With a 50-foot spread and growing to 60 feet tall, it bears a rounded canopy. Although it is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 4 through 8, the Chinese chestnut does best when grown in full sun in hot, dry climates. It grows easily from seed, which is dormant and must undergo a chilling period before germinating. Start the Chinese chestnut seeds in late March.

Things You'll Need

• Toothpick
• Plastic zip-top sandwich bag
• Sphagnum peat moss
• 2-gallon container
• Perlite
• Vermiculite
• Ground peat moss
• Lime
• Hay

Instructions

1. Poke 10 to 20 small holes in a sandwich bag for ventilation, using a toothpick or other pointed object.

2. Wrap the Chinese chestnut seed in a handful of moist sphagnum peat moss, place it in a plastic sandwich bag, seal it and refrigerate for three months. This cold period, known as stratification, will coax the seed out of dormancy. When stratifying more than one seed, make sure they do not touch one another while wrapped in the peat moss.

3. Combine 6 cups each of perlite, vermiculite and ground peat moss, and 1-1/2 tsp. lime into a 2-gallon container. Pour water over it until it is evenly moist. Scoop the mixture into planting pots, one per seed, to within 1/4 inch of the rim.

4. Create a 1-inch hole in the soil in each pot. Lay the chestnut seeds on their sides and cover with soil.

5. Place the pots on a heat mat, set to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, in an area where they won't be disturbed. Light is not important for germination, but the pots shouldn't be in complete darkness. Check the soil daily to make sure that it remains moist. The seeds should germinate within 40 days. Remove them from the heat mat at that time.

6. Harden off the seedlings during the second week of May by placing them outdoors in a shady spot. Gradually increase the time they spend outdoors over the course of a week.

7. Transplant the Chinese chestnut seedlings into the landscape after the last frost date. Dig holes, 12 inches apart, to the same depth as the pot in which they have been growing. Pack the soil around the seedlings. Irrigate slowly until the water puddles. Keep the soil moist, not soggy, while the Chinese chestnut seeds becomes established.

8. Place a thin layer of hay over the leaves for the first two weeks the seedling is in the ground. This helps prevent sun scald, according to researchers at the American Chestnut Foundation Farms. Gradually remove the hay over the course of two weeks.

References

• American Chestnut Foundation: Growing Chestnut Trees From Seed
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service: Castanea P. Mill.