Chest nut seeds

[BLAHUT]

Would any one know ? How would I get some Chestnut seeds and get them to grow ? Thank You

[imashooter2]

Amazon will sell seeds for either human consumption or deer plots. They require 3 or 4 months of cold (simulated winter) before they will germinate. Google will provide more details.

ETA: Minneapolis might be too cold…

[Thundarstick]

Wish I'd known you wanted some. I had a yard full this fall. I've got a half dozen planned in a big flower pot rite now to see how they germinate. Mine are American Chinese back cross. Some display more of one trait or another and are slightly susceptible to the blight, but it usually only causes a canker or occasionally takes a limb. Not sure how far north they'll grow as well.

[garandsrus]

Thunderstick,

Do you eat the chestnuts?

[Ithaca Gunner]

I get saplings every year just from the nuts I miss the previous fall.

[Thundarstick]

Thunderstick,

Do you eat the chestnuts?

I have been on a meat only diet, so I haven't eaten any this year. In the past I eat them raw and candy them cooked. I have one granddaughter who loves them, and a dog that will flounder himself on them, while my other two dogs will only eat them if I hull them out!

[MarkP]

Wash them with a dilute solution of water and bleach, rinse them off well with water. Place the nuts in a zip lock plastic bag filled with moist clean sand and place the bag in the refrigerator in the winter time. The nuts should begin to sprout around Springtime. Plant in a deep grow-tainer pot allow to grow until fall and transplant before the ground freezes to the desired location. It will resemble an uncooked bean sprout coming out of the nut. The problem I had was with squirrels digging up the nuts while they were in the pots. I had a bunch of Scarlet Oaks growing in deep root grow trays the squirrels destroyed these in one day.

A good friend of mine got a PhD in seed science and works in the seed priming industry, he told my about the moist sand in refrigerator technique.

May need to clean the sand with dilute beach as well.

These are the types of trays & pots that I used for growing trees. 1 qt and 1/2 gal paper milk cartons will work as well, I would assume a Pringles potato chip can should work for getting deeper downward growing roots as well. Maybe duct tape two milk cartons together to make deep root containers.

After transplanting on rural property and spot watering for the first year I would guess I had a 15 to 20% survival rate after 3 yrs or so. SW Iowa -- deer, mice, insects, and summer heat are tough on them. City Trees have a much easier life as compared to wild trees.

307380307381

[BLAHUT]

Thunderstick,

Do you eat the chestnuts?

Have not had the opportunity ? Would like to try and also grow some for deer food plot ?

[BLAHUT]

I get saplings every year just from the nuts I miss the previous fall.

Would like to get some seeds to grow and then try some for eating and deer food plots ??

[redneck1]

If your east of the Mississippi the nuts might need to be treated for insects if you want to use them as seeds , there's a weevil that lays its larvae in them that's fairly prevalent .

Had a Chinese tree in the backyard at my old place and you had about two weeks to gather up and eat the nuts before the larvae turned them into mush .

[barnetmill]

I got some nuts from a good fellow south CA that were from very good chinese trees and put them in tissue moisten bag in the fridge for a certain time that I had looked up. To keep rodents out I germinated them in pots in the house then outside with the cat right next to them. I had good germination, but I have lost some mainly due to where I put them.
I also have 3 dunstans and an unknown chinese variety that does well. I also have some hybrid chinkapin x chinese chestnuts that are doing ok.
Chestnuts when they put out mature tassels with pollen do not smell nice for sure.

[BLAHUT]

I got some nuts from a good fellow south CA that were from very good chinese trees and put them in tissue moisten bag in the fridge for a certain time that I had looked up. To keep rodents out I germinated them in pots in the house then outside with the cat right next to them. I had good germination, but I have lost some mainly due to where I put them.
I also have 3 dunstans and an unknown chinese variety that does well. I also have some hybrid chinkapin x chinese chestnuts that are doing ok.
Chestnuts when they put out mature tassels with pollen do not smell nice for sure.

Thank You for the information maybe I will be able to learn of all this in person ???

[Thumbcocker]

The local Rural King has saplings every spring. I have 6 trees planted in my yard and we are just now getting nuts. Here is a link.

https://chestnuthilloutdoors.com/

[BLAHUT]

The local Rural King has saplings every spring. I have 6 trees planted in my yard and we are just now getting nuts. Here is a link.

https://chestnuthilloutdoors.com/

Thank You

[Thundarstick]

Chestnuts when they put out mature tassels with pollen do not smell nice for sure.

They smell like rotting meat mixed with soap and sugar to me! They also seem to depend on beetles and flys for pollination. They stink for sure!

[Wayne Smith]

They smell like rotting meat mixed with soap and sugar to me! They also seem to depend on beetles and flys for pollination. They stink for sure!

Of course they rely on beetles and flys for pollination, prior to the European transfer there were no honey bees in America.

[Tripplebeards]

Soak them in water for 24 hours and then put them in a Ziploc bag and a wet paper towel in the refrigerator all winter and forget about them. Come closer to spring they’ll start growing tails. Then get them outside or in planters. I have a bunch of Apple trees I started from seats this way probably 13 plus years ago. Had a couple that turned out really good and are giving me big quality apples. Also 8 have a few sweet cherry trees Producing awesome cherries I started from seeds at the same time. I have a few crab apples that turned out from apple seeds so start a bunch of them Because you never know what you’re gonna get. If you have a few extra send some to me and I’ll experiment.

[farmbif]

ive got about 500 chestnut trees but planted them all as seedlings. I never grew my own from seed. but just about a week ago I got some real nice Italian chestnuts I found at a grocery store in the city that I bought with the intention of growing. I'm going to try markp's advice and hope it works. it would be real nice to add another variety to the orchard.

[barnetmill]

The local Rural King has saplings every spring. I have 6 trees planted in my yard and we are just now getting nuts. Here is a link.

https://chestnuthilloutdoors.com/

Chestnut hills was connected to the development of the dunstan chestnut. In the south they have regular truck route where they distribute trees to Walmarts in other stores. If you get on their mailing list they will publish those routes and drop off dates. There is a youtuber out of Erie Pennsylvania that does a lot on chestnuts. https://www.youtube.com/@johnsangl

[farmbif]

if anyone is interested in buying seedling/saplings in bulk. many state have seedling sales programs as part of the department of forestry. some will ship out of state. this is where I got my Chinese chestnut trees and dustan trees for about $1 a tree. they ship bare root trees during winter and early spring to be planted during dormancy. they usually go on sale mid or late summer to be shipped in winter. varieties like chestnuts dont last long you need to place pre paid order as soon as the sale opens.

[barnetmill]

ive got about 500 chestnut trees but planted them all as seedlings. I never grew my own from seed. but just about a week ago I got some real nice Italian chestnuts I found at a grocery store in the city that I bought with the intention of growing. I'm going to try markp's advice and hope it works. it would be real nice to add another variety to the orchard.

I am not sure what success with germination you will have.
After harvesting, chestnut seed requires the following:

KEEP THE SEED MOIST. ...
CHILL, BUT DO NOT FREEZE, THE SEED FOR TWO TO FOUR MONTHS. ...
PLANT IN A WELL-DRAINED, ACIDIC (pH 5-6) SOIL OR POTTING MEDIUM. ...
PROTECT SEED FROM ANIMAL DEPREDATION. ...
PLANT SEEDLINGS AT LEAST 6 INCHES APART.

[barnetmill]

Of course they rely on beetles and flys for pollination, prior to the European transfer there were no honey bees in America.

While there were no honey bees prior to the europeans, we do have native bees in the america that pollenize flowers.
The american paw paw is another plant requires other insects than bees for being pollenized

307465

[BLAHUT]

Wash them with a dilute solution of water and bleach, rinse them off well with water. Place the nuts in a zip lock plastic bag filled with moist clean sand and place the bag in the refrigerator in the winter time. The nuts should begin to sprout around Springtime. Plant in a deep grow-tainer pot allow to grow until fall and transplant before the ground freezes to the desired location. It will resemble an uncooked bean sprout coming out of the nut. The problem I had was with squirrels digging up the nuts while they were in the pots. I had a bunch of Scarlet Oaks growing in deep root grow trays the squirrels destroyed these in one day.

A good friend of mine got a PhD in seed science and works in the seed priming industry, he told my about the moist sand in refrigerator technique.

May need to clean the sand with dilute beach as well.

These are the types of trays & pots that I used for growing trees. 1 qt and 1/2 gal paper milk cartons will work as well, I would assume a Pringles potato chip can should work for getting deeper downward growing roots as well. Maybe duct tape two milk cartons together to make deep root containers.

After transplanting on rural property and spot watering for the first year I would guess I had a 15 to 20% survival rate after 3 yrs or so. SW Iowa -- deer, mice, insects, and summer heat are tough on them. City Trees have a much easier life as compared to wild trees.

307380307381

Where do you find the type of growing containers ?? Thank You for all the information.

[BLAHUT]

if anyone is interested in buying seedling/saplings in bulk. many state have seedling sales programs as part of the department of forestry. some will ship out of state. this is where I got my Chinese chestnut trees and dustan trees for about $1 a tree. they ship bare root trees during winter and early spring to be planted during dormancy. they usually go on sale mid or late summer to be shipped in winter. varieties like chestnuts dont last long you need to place pre paid order as soon as the sale opens.

If you could tell me where to look ? What states will ship out of state ? I am new to all this ?? Thank You

[barnetmill]

If you could tell me where to look ? What states will ship out of state ? I am new to all this ?? Thank You
It depends on what state you live in and what you are ordering. In florida I can not order out of state citrus, but I have ordered many other types of trees. CA is worst about allowing out of state plant shipments. Simply on go on line with google. My opinion is to avoid Ty Ty and their related companies. I have to say in my opinion because they are said to have a team of lawyers that go after any one on the net that rates them in a negative manner.

[Wayne Smith]

Blahut, I don't know where you live (MPLS?) but your state's department of forestry is the place to start. I know VA has several tree nurserys but don't know if they are growing Chestnut - there is a new cross that is 90% American chestnut and stops the blight successfully. I would be looking for that one.

[farmbif]

I got the dustan chestnut trees from state of Tennessee dept of forestry nursery in Delano . I got Chinese chestnut trees from the now closed West Virginia dept of forestry Clements nursery . I got bulk apple and pear trees from Virginia dept of forestry seedling program. you just have to search each state for seedling sales programs through dept of forestry website. sometimes a phone call to them can get you to the right place quick. if you join the American chestnut foundation. they offer trees to members

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Roasted and ate my first small harvest of chestnut this fall. Resulted in robust flatulence. Anyone else experience this?

We won’t talk about Jerusalem artichokes…

[BLAHUT]

Roasted and ate my first small harvest of chestnut this fall. Resulted in robust flatulence. Anyone else experience this?

We won’t talk about Jerusalem artichokes…

Looking to try ?