Project: Growing Chestnuts - better than acorns

[unclefish]

Looks good Ryan. That crazy growth on that one! Are those Chinkapins or Dwarf Chinkapins?

Where did you get your acorns?

[catfishryan]

Project: Growing Chestnuts - better than acorns

these are chinquapins, i did order and plant 50 dwarf chinquapins this spring, they were bareroot and i lost most. i think about 20 made it. i am curious to see how they do in texas in my black dirt im getting a lease in kansas for next year and plan on finding alot of dco acorns up there. i like to get all my acorns my self from local trees that way i can choose from certain characteristics in the parent tree. even if they arent native i know they will do well in my area

[Chad C]

Project: Growing Chestnuts - better than acorns

Good sandy loam. They like sandy more than thick clay soils.

Growth rate is several feet a year. Several of the guys on another forum says they have 20 foots trees in 6-7 years. They start making chestnuts at 3-4 years.

They have good drought resistance but like any first year seedlings they need TLC. After the first year they should thrive unless we get another bad drought then watering is needed. They actually don't like too much water and so they need to be planted in a spot with good drainage.

They would probably thrive where I would put them. I'm keeping an eye on this project.

[unclefish]

New pics of my babies...
I planted these on Dec 18. They get great southern sun in my daughter's bedroom. The neighbor asked her what was growing in the window....I bet the neighbor thought I had a "grow house" going.

[catfishryan]

Project: Growing Chestnuts - better than acorns

lookin good

[unclefish]

I have a few chestnuts that sprouted and start making a shoot but it would turn brown and not grow anymore. I knew it had a good root system so today I pulled one from one of my homemade rootmaker pots just to see what it looked like.

Pretty good root system for a month's growth.

[Chad C]

Project: Growing Chestnuts - better than acorns

Nice and straight!

[cfree5119]

Did you fertilize these at all? If so, with what? Looks good! Don't have any extra Dunstan seeds you want to sell do you? Thanks.

[Jet Black]

Project: Growing Chestnuts - better than acorns

Looking good!

[unclefish]

Did you fertilize these at all? If so, with what? Looks good! Don't have any extra Dunstan seeds you want to sell do you? Thanks.

I didn't fertilize them at all so far.

I have some seeds in the fridge right now. Let me check to see how many I have in there and if they have sprouted or not. Can't ship them if they have sprouted....but could do a pick up.

[cfree5119]

Thanks. Let me know.

[br549redneck]

Great thread looking forward for the updates

[TradAg02]

Pic of my “grow room.”

Some of the acorns in my rootmaker cells didn’t take and some of my styrofoam cups had roots beginning to curl so I transferred a few yesterday. I also took advantage of the warm weather and let them get some real sun and fresh air.

[TradAg02]

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[unclefish]

Lookin' good TradAg!

Sunlight = 10,000 better than grow lights.
Truly amazing.

Here are some examples of sunlight vs grow lights....updated pics of my Dunstan Chestnuts.

These have been in my daughter's window getting great southern sun for over a month.





These were planted a week later but have been on mostly grow lights. Huge difference in growth.



Get them in the sunlight whenever possible....but ease them into it of they have been inside for a while.