Chestnut (dunstan) news

[Fantail]

Greetings, just an update I thought some might be interested to see a bit of the survivability these trees seem to have.

The other year I bought a few Dunstans at walmart. Apparently the word about them wasn't out yet as they were against the wall. You know where clearance stuff winds up all dry and withering. Got them in the ground and did what I could to tend to them. Well what they were seemed to have died off, but in the spring they came back to life with shoots. 

Just recently I snapped a few more pics of their progress. Shoots were sort of growing out instead of up, so I took some garden stakes and string and made supports around them. Picked up 3 more and a pin oak to get into the ground this year.

To Luck.

 

Edited July 24, 2016 by Fantail

[growalot]

I am glad you started this for just today I was thinking how I needed to mention just this thing. I had a mature persimmon that that last prolonged sub zero winter we had managed to kill of all but one branch. Well this drought finished off the branch as well this late spring/summer...I cut out the top leaving 5 feet of trunk. Well didn't I go down to work the area and find sprouts sticking out around that left trunk? Lets hope some survive for the deer found them as well...same with a sassafras tree...all bottom limbs are dying back ...still have top branches...but I look down at the trail plot that runs by it and it is sending up new trees in the plot. this due to stress...these I will spade out when temps drop in fall and replant else where.

Point , do not always assume you've lost a tree and cut,dig or burn it out...there may still be life in those old roots. BTW chestnuts were managed for timber by cutting and managing the regrowth for next harvest. same wit Osage and some oaks ectect

[Fantail]

I thought about planting a few persimmon but I am in zone 4b. On the bright side, I can be more selective. I'd like to drop another dozen chestnut, & apple variety, and a few more oaks but the checkbook says otherwise. Tractor supply had a few bitternuts, might see if they take. 

[growalot]

Check out Meader persimmon they are hardier...with the exception of bugs apparently...my 15 yr. old Meader was killed by some type of borer...well not exactly ..it separated the bark from the cambium.

http://ediblelandscaping.com/products/trees/PersimmonAmerican/MeaderAmericanPersimmon.php

[LET EM GROW]

Ive done this before when i used to have my landscape gig. On my property I have many Elderberry trees, i never even knew what they were until my grandma in law mentioned it. She makes a dang good pie so i dug up 4 trees for her to plant at her house. Only 1 tree survived the 1st summer/ transplant so she nipped off all but 3 or 4 ft of the trunk, sure enough the next year they came right back to life and exploded with growth. the 1 tree that did live died because of the dogs the following year, so she did the same and nipped off all but a few feet of trunk and the tree is thriving like the others.. 

 

Especially when i transplanted rose bushes for my clients, id come back in the fall and cut them back a bit to promote new growth come spring..

 

Pretty neat it is

Edited July 25, 2016 by LET EM GROW

[growalot]

Fan tail ,next spring go and cut off all but the healthiest sprout. This will allow all the roots energy go to that shoot. You'll get a nice healthy single trunk tree... and get some fencing around them..the deer and rabbits love them. I go with a round of hardware cloth(rabbit cage wire) and then welded wire fencing around that..TC farms has 100ft rolls on sale for 69.00 a couple of times a year.. 

Nows the time to look for and get ready for your fall transplants....clearances and places like tcfarms will be bringing in their potted stock. But look around at your natural plants...

IE...I have sassafras trees, this year all of them have sent up sprouts..the hazelnuts,wild plum.have sprouts that can all be transplanted. I allow my grape vines to hit the ground and then I  nick the joints and weight them down...by fall these have roots ...I cut and transplant. Wild apples sprout all over as well as oak...look for all those young sprouting pines and trees that would other wise be eaten or die. Also berry bushes...find the ones with the biggest berries and put them in a better spot, goose and current berries that you notice are tiny in the woods...transplant them and you'll get 3-4 ft high/wide shrubs with great fruit...free,free,free

[Fantail]

While I'm looking forward to next spring, cutting back on the chestnut tree growth sounds a little scary. But I'll keep that in mind thanks. I would have loved to drop some Gooseberry and currant bushes but I ran out of time this year.

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