American Chestnut Foundation ( update with pics)

[Tedd]

Also near our camp in Lycoming County PA I have been noticing a few back roads that have shrubby chestnut trees along the sides of the road. the trees look kind of weak and never get too tall. They get a small chestnut. Not like the big chinese type. Those must have been disturbed by road construction over the years and somehow the light and disturbance makes the old roots grow?? I just wonder what that looked liked before the blight and loggers. It  must have been a hot spot for indians to hunt in the fall.
I planted 4 chinese chestnut hybrids about 20 yrs ago in a open area at my house. They are now 30' high and get a lot of chestnuts. The area is more secluded now and deer really come to them to eat. I just killed a doe that was eating them. Now I intend to plant some more.

[Pat B]

We have the remnants(old stumps) of the original American chestnuts trees here on our property in the southern Appalacian Mountains of western North Carolina. Even 100+ years after the blight some of these stumps still have sucker growth, although they are short lived. When these suckers reach 1" to 2" in diameter the bark will errupt in leasions that will kill them eventually. The blight is an airborn fungi that kills the top growth but not the roots.
  Invasive exotics, like the chestnut blight, kudsu, Japanese honeysuckle and many landscape plants and many animals are of our own doing. The chestnut blight came in on a shipment of chestnut lumber from China in the early 1900s.
 Our newest "blight" here in our beautiful mountains is the Hemlock wholly adelgid which is killing all of our wild grown Canadian and Carolina hemlocks, changing the face of our woods forever.

[cacciatore]

I hope the project of reforestation for your native chestnut can be successful because here in Europe those trees are part of our culture and economy.
Chestnut trees make some really good wood for contructions,flooring and carpentery; they make excellent fruits that are the best choice for game animal as well for man.
We have thousands of recepies with them,I just hate my rosted nuts.
Chestnuts are the main winter food source for wild boar and deer and when they start to fall wild games have no interested to other sources.

[59Alaskan]

There is one growing at the scout camp we frequent.  It's showing some strain.  Finding it may save that entire area of camp from being re-purposed.  They are looking for more now etc... Really cool to show the boys one of these trees...

[The Night Stalker]

 

URL=http://s22.photobucket.com/user/TimAntoine/media/image_zpsbd48f4ad.jpg.html]  [/URL]

Tedd, that is how a true American chestnut is suppose to grow, big straight and tall. I would of made a riser from the wood. We also have old stumps that grows shoots then dies. The mast that these trees produce use to feed livestock. Imagine how much food it could produce for the deer, bear and turkeys. I
will find the home range for you, hawk eye.

[The Night Stalker]

Here ya go
 http://www.acf.org/range_close.php

[Phrogdrvr]

Interesting you should post this.  Just yesterday while out stalking around, I put some chestnuts in my pocket (out of the needley shell, of course).  I plan on planting them out back.

[r-man]

a sugestion, my trees dump so many nuts that i think you only need two to start, you should get anough seeds from them in three yrs to do what you want.

[DEATHMASTER]

I like to start nut trees from the nuts I pick up or friends give me.
I have mostly Hickory and oaks that I have done. Would love to get my hand on some Chestnuts to try and grow. My wife says I have a obsession with this "hobby".
The American Chestnut is a tree that needs our help and will look for them at Walmart sales next year if I can not find some nuts to start.

[The Night Stalker]

Tim, the trees that Walmart offers is a cross between a Chinese and an American.  I do not know the percentage, but I would say 50/50. The American that the foundation is producing is 15/16 American by back crossing from the 20 some original trees that survived the blight.

[Hawkeye]

Originally posted by The Night Stalker:
Here ya go
  http://www.acf.org/range_close.php  

Thanks!   For some reason, I just couldn't find that.

Looks like Illinois is probably not the place to try to grow some.

[Ray Hammond]

The hybrids are called Dunstan chestnuts and are a Chinese American hybrid.  They resist blight but give nuts like American chestnuts

Just make sure you plant enough to get good pollination and you'll be in business

[The Night Stalker]

Here ya go Hawk Eye for Illinois
Ray is correct. This farm grew several dunstan in Pike County, Illinois. If you buy the nuts, you can germinate them in the refrigerator and plant them. The deer love them.

 http://www.chestnutridgeofpikecounty.com

I can send you instructions for germination, planting, etc

[JMG]

They sell seeds I just noticed as well. I'm going to give it a shot!!
 http://www.chestnutridgeofpikecounty.com/chseforpl.html

[TxAg]

I've even heard of a few guys here in Texas planting chestnuts. Sounds like a winner.

[DEATHMASTER]

We'll I need to get some seeds. Do you refrigerate in a holed plastic bag than scrape outside with file soak and plant like other nut variety?

[Hawkeye]

Now THAT is a neat idea!  Thanks for bringing up the possibility.

This could make for a real enhancement to my traditional bowhunting on this ol' home place (some years from now!)

[Pat B]

If you buy seeds ask the seller for proper treatment to break dormancy and how and when to plant for your area.

[Brazos]

Thanks all for the education.  Being a Texan I don't have any history with this tree.  Sad tale.  I wonder if I can get some established on my place in far NE Texas?

[non-typical]

Chestnuts are easy to start from seed once you have a source. Empire Chestnut Company has a link on their webpage for ordering seed.
Last year I got 5lbs of seeds which I stored in the crisper section of the refrigerator (NOT with apples!) in large zip lock bags with a damp paper towel, opening the bags once a month to "air" the bag and check the dampness of the towel. You want them damp but not wet. In the spring I put one chestnut each in Rootmaker 1 gallon grow pots. When they sprout I just set the pots around the sprinkler pattern of the house garden so they are easy to keep watered.
The year before I had tried a source of American Chestnuts but the hybrids are 3-4x the size and the hybrid vigor clearly shows through plus they are blight resistant.
Terra Tech is a good source for low cost tree guards which you will want to use to protect your seedlings when you put them out. The 18" size works great. I think I paid $84 for 250 guards shipped to me.