Planting and Growing Chestnut Trees: A Guide from PA-TACF, Exams of Natural Resources

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Planting and growing

chestnut trees

The Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation

Planting and growing chestnut trees is a rewarding challenge. As with growing anything, there are some tips and tricks to growing chestnut trees. The goal of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation (PA-TACF) is to restore the American chestnut ( Castanea dentata ) to the forests of the mid-Atlantic. To do this, we must plant a lot of trees! To date, we have planted over 22,000 trees as part of our mission. If you plan to join our efforts, please take a few minutes to review the following information so that you might get the most out of your chestnut planting. We hope that by following the recommendations contained within, that you will realize the growth potential necessary for timely in- oculation and nut production. Now that you’ve de- cided to plant some chestnuts, there are five major decisions that you will be facing.

S ITE S ELECTION

The first decision that you are going to need to make when planting chestnuts is WHERE to plant your chestnuts. Typically, chestnuts are a hardy species, but they do have some general requirements.

1. Well-drained, acidic soil type. This is the most important consideration when planting chestnuts. Choose wisely. Sandy , loamy, well

drained and somewhat acidic soil (pH 4.5-6.5) on gently sloping fertile land is best. Avoid heavy clay soils. Review your property’s location on county soil maps from the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS). Many of these are available on-line (http:// websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/), but you may also find them in you local library. **2) Avoid planting in swales.

3. Exposure.** Full sun is best for growth, vigor and seed production. A sheltered north-facing slope protected from drying winds and low sun of win- ter may be better for cold windy sites. Planting on a slope may also help alleviate some drainage issues.
4. Site preparation will depend on the condition of the site. If the site is uncultivated, trees and brush should be removed, the field mowed, and re- growth controlled. Within planting rows, spray herbicide 2 weeks prior to planting, or otherwise remove sod and competing vegetation.
5. Clearcuts vs. fields. Assuming you want maxi- mum growth and nut production, you will be choosing an open site. Clearcuts typically have proper mycorrhizal associations for trees and may maximize growth potential because of their fertility. Old fields can often be easier to main- tain, but they often have hardier weeds that take persistence in management.
6. How many trees? A final consideration that will need to be made is how many trees you’ll want to plant. This can determine the size of the area on which you’ll be starting your orchard. Of course, the opposite could be true, so our next question is

HOW MANY TREES?

The next question you’ll need to answer is how many trees you’re going to want. This really de- pends on several factors. What type of trees you’ll be planting, how long you want to have them on your land, and the amount of land you have avail- able, which could be the most important limiting fac- tor.

Remember that you will need to plant at least 2 chestnuts to get nut production. Account for some mortality over the years, and plant at least 5. If you

An open field can be an ideal place to start your chestnut trees. Be sure to manage the sod cover.A recently clearcut area can also be a fine place to start an orchard. The soils are often fertile and the site will have less weed competition than a field.

1. Site selection
2. How many trees?
3. Seed vs. seedling
4. Spacing
5. Maintenance

pears until you are ready to plant. The colder the storage, but above freezing, the longer the seed will keep.

Typically, planting seeds is easier and less labor in- tensive than planting seedlings. Germination of “pure” chestnut species, as well as advanced hybrids, is often very high, often eclipsing 90%. For early hybrid generations, F1 and BC1 generations espe- cially, incompatibilities occur that often decrease germination significantly. When planting those gen- erations, it may make more sense to test germination in the greenhouse and outplant using seedlings.

Before planting be certain to read the section on maintenance and make the decisions on how to prop- erly maintain your chestnut orchard well into the fu- ture.

DIRECT SEEDING CHESTNUTS

If you have decided to direct seed chestnuts, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Plant early in the spring. In the spring, plant as soon as you can work the soil In Pennsylvania, this is usually about mid-March. Try to plant as soon as you can work the soil
2. Planting the seed. Most chestnuts will have sprouted by this time. Be sure to plant with the radical facing down. If the radical is not present, then plant with the flat side of the seed facing down. Plant radical down (Figure below).
3. Clip the radical? Often, the radical will be very long. One may clip the radical to ease planting, but clip as little as possible, and be certain not to break the cotyledonal junc- tion between the radical and the nut.
4. Proper planting medium. When planting, use a 1:1:1 peat, perlite and vermiculite (PPV) mix. Some planters find this mixture too light. It is often good procedure to mix native soil into this mixture so that you have a final mix of 50% PPV and 50% native soil. Mix water in

with this mixture so that it is wet, but not soaking wet.

5. Don’t plant the seed too deep. Make a planting hole about 3-6 inches deep. Backfill the hole with the planting mixture. About 1/2 to 1 inch from the surface, place the chestnut, and then cover with the mixture. When placing the chest- nut in the backfill, make a hole with your finder in the dirt to allow for placement of the radical.
6. Make a good home. Make a hole using a bulb planter, auger, shovel, or what you have avail- able.
7. Record what you do. Be certain the planting position is well marked with identification ele- ments. Usually, this is a position number within a grid and a Seed Lot number and/or Cross Code (See page 13)

PLANTING SEEDLINGS

Starting seeds indoors is a very reliable method of propagating chestnuts. It can be easier to protect your stock from would-be seed predators. Still, starting your chestnuts indoors carries with it its own pitfalls. Be sure to keep these things in mind when planting your seed inside.

1. Large enough pots. Deep containers are neces- sary to grow seedlings well. It is recommended that pots of about 12” in depth and 4” in diameter are used. Of course, the longer you plan on keeping the material, the larger the pot should be.
2. Type of pot. Pots can be made from one or two- quart milk or juice cartons. Provide drainage by

When planting chestnuts indoors, be sure to use pots that are deep enough. Be sure to label the pots well.

punching holes in their bottoms, or by removing the bottoms altogether (the open bottom “air prunes” the roots, reducing coiling (J-rooting) and often stimulating the production of rootlets). Commercial options are available. D40 cells and 1 to 5 gallon tree pots are most often used.

3. Proper planting medium. The growing medium should contain plenty of fibruous materials to help preserve the root ball at transplanting time and should contain other amendments to provide for lots of aeration. Soilless potting mixes are better than potting soils. A mix containing lots of composted bark is a good option.

4. Start seed early. Start seed as soon as possible after receiving them in a greenhouse or sunny window. Generally, one can start their seed in January or February. Make sure you don’t over- water the containers: keep the soil moist but not wet. Fertilize occasionally but with a dilute solu- tion of a complete fertilizer.

5. Harden Properly. Seedlings started indoors will be ready for transplanting after the final frost of the season has past. At that time, begin to expose your plants to sun and brisk winds gradually. Introduce them to the outdoors by placing them under a shady tree or on a protected sunny porch. If you have a shadehouse available, try using 30- 50% shadecloth for at least 2 weeks. Move them out into harsher environments slowly so they’ll have time to acclimate.

6. Carefully pluck the nut. When outplanting the seedlings within the first few months of planting, be certain to remove the remaining nut from the seedling. Rodents will dig up the seedling in or- der to eat the nut.

Scorched growing tip of a BC3F2 hybrid which occurred due to improper hardening off between greenhouse and field planting. The tree eventually grew well, but some amount of growth was lost.

7. Prepare a good home. When planting the seed- ling, make a hole at least 1.5-2 times as large as the root ball of the seedling you are to plant. Chainsaw or tractor mounted augers can make quick work of planting holes. — Depending on the soil type, augers can “glaze” a planting hole, creating a hardpan like property in the hole. When planting the seedling, be sure to aerate the sides of the planting hole with a hand-held culti- vator or plow.
8. Water properly. After transplanting, seedlings need lots of water. Water thoroughly for at least the first month after planting. For best success, water with about 1 gallon per tree every week.
9. Documentation. Record everything you did! Especially note any changes made to a planting plan, if one was made. Label the planting hole properly (see page 13).

MAINTENANCE

Before you plant, you’ll need to determine what sort of maintenance regimen you’ll be employing. Main- tenance considerations include fertilization, water- ing, deer and other pest control, and weed control. As with anything, a decision you make in one section of maintenance will affect and/or limit the choices you have in another area of maintenance. Choose wisely!

The next few sections will cover some of the choices you will have in maintaining your chestnut orchard. Some recommendations are made, some more highly recommended than others. While PA-TACF encour- ages and thrives on experimentation by their growers and cooperators, there are a few things that we have learned along the way. There are mistakes that have been made, ones we hope you will not have to face in your chestnut growing career. Please look over this section carefully and work closely with the

foot, woven wire fence (with 2 foot tubes inside the fence). In some areas, a multi-strand baited electric fence can be effective. Some growers have used 8- foot tall plastic fencing with some success.

For small amounts of trees (about 10-20 but no more than 50, as a general rule), wire cages made from 6’ lengths, hog rings, and electric fence rods may deter deer as well. Four foot tall chicken wire cages have proven effective as well.

The American Chestnut Cooperators Foundation has a website devoted to the construction of wire cages for chestnut trees (http://www.accf-online.org/ cages.htm). The taller the cage, the smaller the di- ameter can be. As a general rule, though, try to use a 6 foot tall fence approximately 3 feet in diameter. We recommend a minimum of 5 feet tall and 2 feet in diameter.

Several growers have erected their own fencing, of- ten proving more cost effective over professional in- stallation. Several examples of these fences are available on the Chestnut Growers website.

Deer Repellents

Deer repellents have proven effective to a certain extent. They must be re-applied biweekly and after any rainfall. You can purchase commercially avail- able repellents based on beef blood or coyote urine or make your own (although collecting coyote urine may prove to be a difficult task). Several reviews of repellents are available on-line, and these are sum- marized at http://chestnut.cas.psu.edu/fencing.htm

Numerous growers have sung the praises of egg- based repellents. It works well -- AS LONG AS YOU PERSERVERE IN ITS APPLICATION. One slip-up and ding ding ding it's dinnertime. During the summer, you should apply the mixture once every two weeks, as well as after any rainfall event. The method is described in detail by PA-TACF member Chandis Klinger in his article titled,

"Protecting Young Plants with Brush and Eggs". The article is in volume 7, issue 1 of the journal (Fall/ Winter 1992), and is available for download from TACF's website: http://www.acf.org/journal.htm, or by contacting the Leffel Center or TACF for a copy.

When using deer repellents, fencing is not a require- ments. Short tree shelters may still be used to protect from rodents and from herbicide damage. Be certain to apply the repellent on a regular basis. Again, fencing is the most effective deer control method.

Buck Rub

Male deer will rub their antlers on the trunks of chestnut trees in the fall. Fencing will help pre- vent this as well as browse. If fencing or wire cages cannot be erected, the installation of two tall stakes on op- posite sides of the tree may help prevent buck rub, as the deer cannot reach the stem with his antlers.

V ARMINT CONTROL

Chestnuts are a prized food of many species, humans not being the least of them. Blue jays, turkeys, bears, deer, voles, mice, squirrels, chipmunks, rac- coons — just about everything will eat chestnuts. In order to protect your planting from would-be ma- rauders, both at the nut stage and beyond, it is impor- tant to employ the right hardware.

In general, PA-TACF employs the use of 1.5-2 foot tall plastic tree shelters. These tree shelters may be of any diameter, although the larger they are, the eas- ier within which they are to weed. When erecting tree shelters, you will need to keep a

This chestnut tree in Philadel- phia has experienced successive years of buck rub.

OTHER

P ESTS

I NSECTS

Besides mammal- ian predators, there are many insects who will jump at the chance to attack your chestnut trees, not the least of which are Japanese beetles.

Bagworms, orange-striped oak worms, cicadas, am- brosia beetles, and gypsy moths are just a few of the insects that have affected our orchards in the past. Be vigilant in keeping an eye out for insect invaders. Consult with your extension agent or breeding pro- gram coordinator to properly identify the pest and the proper control methods.

As of now, the most common and easiest to control pest is the Japanese beetle. Control this pest as soon as they start to attack (mid summer) with the applica- tion of the pesticide Sevin.

Aphids and leaf hoppers typically attack orchards in old fields. Their presence looks bad, as toward the end of the growing season, leaves will curl and be- come chlorotic; however, their infestations are rarely damaging to the trees and, unless the trees are severly damaged in multiple years, do not require active control

PATHOGENS

PA-TACF exists because of the attack of chestnut trees by the chestnut blight fungus ( Cryphonectria parasitic a). Rest assured that your orchard will eventually get attacked by natural infections of the blight. Typically, infection on backcross trees should be left untreated as our major goal in these breeding orchards is to weed out those with poor re- sistance.

couple of things in mind:

1. Keep the tube in place. Most shelters ship with wooden tree stakes. These rot fairly quickly, usually within about 2 years. PA- TACF usually makes fiberglass rods available for growers. The fiber- glass rods are perfect for the job, but if they are unavailable, rebar may be used, or, of course, the wooden stakes as a “last resort. 2) Erect the shelter “right side up”. When shel- ters are shipped, one lip is curved outward — that is the top of the shelter, related to #3 below. 3) Cut shelters. To save money, one may cut down taller shelters into short shelters. Keep in mind that the resulting cut end will be very sharp, and will rub against the tree, producing an area per- fect for blight infection. Cover cut ends with plastic tubing or old garden hose that has been cut in half. Duct tape will only last about one season. 4) Sink shelters in the ground. After planting the nut in the hole (see “Direct Seeding Chestnuts” on page 4), be sure to sink the shelter into the ground about 2 inches. This will serve to protect from voles both at planting time and beyond. The pictures below show damage by rodents to improperly protected trees.

Even when planting seedlings, proper tree shelter application is necessary for protection from rodents and herbicide damage.

Japanese beetles and their damage to leaves of an American chestnut

Improperly protected chestnut stems are open to attack by vari- ous creatures. The tree on the left shows sign of groundhog attack. The tree on the right shows sign of vole attack. Protect the young saplings from a number of hungry vegetarians with the use of plastic tree shelters. The stems are almost com- pletely girdled and also now have wounds that are open to sig- nificant blight infection.

not yet been fully evaluated by the Chapter. Use at your own risk!

N ON-ORGANIC O PTIONS

The most often employed method of weed control by PA-TACF growers is through the use of commer- cially available herbicides. Although we do not offi- cially endorse the use of any one herbicide, most growers use RoundUp or a similarly-formulated broad-spectrum herbicide. There are many generic brands of glyphosphate-based herbicides — check around for different brands. In general, however, check the concentration , read the label well, and get a brand with an included surfactant , which will help the herbicide stick to the vegetation better.

1. Spray when the weather is clear and the target vegetation is actively growing.
2. Spray about 2 times per year, once in the early summer and once in the fall.
3. Keep an area 2-3 feet in diameter around your trees free of grass and weeds.
4. Be certain to protect the bark and leaves of the chestnut tree — 2 foot tall plastic tree shelters work very well for this.

There are other herbicides out there that work differ- ently and have more specific targets than RoundUp. These include chemicals specific to woody- vegetation or preemergent herbicides. Typically, these chemicals require certification or extensive personal protective equipment (PPE) for application.

5. Always read the label and follow instruc- tions on the herbicide. Unless you are fully cer- tified and trained to work with herbicides, con- sult with your local extension agent and breeding coordinator before embarking on a killing spree with a potentially dangerous herbicide cocktail.

FERTILIZATION

There are several considerations that will go into se- lecting the proper fertilization regime for your or-

chard. The first step in planning a good fertilization regime is to analyze the soil of the location on which you intend to plant.

SOIL TESTING

Prior to planting your chestnut orchard you should have a soil test performed by an accredited soil analysis lab. Penn State University, through their Agriculture Analysis Labs (AAL) offers general soil analyses for about $9 per sample. Each spring, PA- TACF offers growers kits which the Chapter receives at a reduced bulk price.

When you receive a soil sample kit from the Chapter, instructions on how to fill out the sample will be in- cluded. If you order one directly from PSU, contact the Leffel Center for a copy of the instructions, or, keep these several things in mind:

1. List the breeding coordinator (Sara Fitzsimmons) at the Leffel Center (address on the back of this manual, e-mail: sff3@psu.edu) as a contact so that she may assist in analysis of the soil sample
2. Crop Name: Use a 10-letter code closest to your Farm Name. Ask Sara if you want a Name de- fined for you.
3. There is no crop code for chestnut. Use one of these codes, depending on your situation: Crop Code : 6100, Crop Name : Group I, Acid Soils, To Plant – if you haven’t planted Crop Code : 6200, Crop Name : Group I, Acid Soils, To Maintain – for older orchards
4. You may want to know more about your orchard location. There are other tests available thoruhg PSU’s Ag Analysis Labs, some of which are in- teresting, but usually unnecessary. Please feel free to consult with Sara and/or the AASL for more information regarding these extra tests and what they will tell you.
5. In 2006, it cost approximately $2.50 to mail the soil sample kit back to the AAS Labs for analy- sis.

Once a soil analysis has been made, and a copy is sent to the breeding coordinator, steps will be made to tailor an amendment and fertilization regime spe- cific for your site. Once you start growing chestnut

trees and applying various products to help maintain the planting, the soil chemistry will change. Try to get a soil test performed bi-annually or, at the very least, the year prior to inoculation.

If you do not use PSU’s AAL, tell the soil analysis labs you use that you would like recommendations on blueberries or rhododendrons: most labs do not have recommendations for chestnut trees.

O RGANIC VS. NON-ORGANIC AND

L IQUID VS. GRANULAR

There are many fertilizer choices out there. Some growers prefer to stay organic, while others do not have such a constraint.

1) Use high nitrogen formulations like 30-10- or 20-10-10. As inoculation year approaches, use a high phosphorous fertilizer such as 0-46-0.

2. Pay attention to all labels on any fertilizer you get. Work with either your cooperative extension agent or Chapter breeding coordinator to estab- lish an effective fertilization regimen. The Chap- ter will also assist in the purchase of materials when possible.
3. Do not fertilize past August 15, particularly in high latitude areas. This leads to tip-die back and will significantly cut growth potential of your trees in any given year.

I NORGANIC

If an easily accessible source of water is available, or, even better, an irrigation system is installed, the use of liquid fertilizer may be the best. For liquid fertilizer, we most often recommend continued appli- cation of 30-10-10 Miracid. In the 1st and 2nd grow- ing seasons, use 30-10-10 Miracid at 1.5 TBSP / Gal- lon of water. Fertilize with 0.5—1 gallon of the mis- ture per tree. Fertilize at least once per month with this formulation.

Broadcast application of granular and slow-relearse

fertilizers is another option, and one of the best for the grower with little time. Keep in mind, though, that little rainfall over a season will require watering of the orchard. Be certain to review the watering methods below.

ORGANIC

Products such as fish emulsion fertilizers and prod- ucts by Espoma such as Tree Tone are available for the organic grower. These products are typically less effective than synthetic alternatives, but are better than nothing.

WATERING METHODS

Be sure to establish your orchard near an easily ac- cessible and utilized water source. Drought will come one day, or you will need to utilize the water source for proper fertigation or dilution of granular fertilizers.

During the discussion of weed control methods, irri- gation methods were discussed. If you decide to use a non-porous weed control method such as black plastic, a drip-line irrigation system should be em- ployed underneath the plastic.

Hi-tech, mechanized irrigation systems can be diffi- cult, expensive, and frustrating to maintain. In many cases, however, installation of an irrigation system can save the “life” of an orchard.

Typically, it is recommended to purchase a large tank, 300-400 gallons, to hold water. The choice of tank will be determined by the truck bed or tractor cart with which you plan to tow the tank around, and how the tank will fit into the scheme. Gravity can be employed to run water from the tank onto the trees as you drive along the rows.

Low-tech irrigation systems have been installed by several growers at relatively cheap cost. By install- ing collecting tanks (about 300-400 gallon tanks) at a higher elevation than the orchard, PA-TACF member

orchard, you most likely have received a planting plan that outlines the planting positions where cer- tain seed go.

Numbering

orchard

positions

and tree

locations

Work closely with the tree breeding pro- gram coordinator to choose a numbering scheme that makes the most sense to you. You may be tempted to alter the num- bering scheme after a year or two of growth, but this makes the life of the tree breeding program coordina- tor very difficult. The tree breeding program coor- dinator urges you to keep a single system of number- ing, and stick with it.

Labeling tree positions

Forestry Suppliers has aluminum tags that work really well for labeling individual tree positions. Find them on-line at http://www.forestry-

Proper record keeping is essential. Thanks to Dave Armstrong and Livy Eck for keeping everything straight at the Reed Run Orhcard. Photo courtesy PA-TACF grower Tim Eck.

Typically when establishing a demonstration, MSR/ CMS, or backcross orchard for PA-TACF, the breed- ing coordinator will work closely with you to estab- lish a spacing and planting plan for you.

However, keep these things in mind when consulting with the coordinator.

1. Farmers often have large tractors that require a lot of room to maneuver. As the trees grow lar- ger, you will have less room to maneuver. Al- though it seems like a lot of room now, you may thank us for larger spacing recommendations later. Typically, this means a 10 x 20 spacing, with 10 feet between trees and 20 feet between rows. 2) If you have fenced a site , be certain to leave enough area between the fence and the planting to turn your equipment around. You’ll often need at least 20-30 feet from the fence to do this. 3) Non-mechanized orchards have seen good growth and maintenance with orchard spacings of 8 x 8 (8 feet between rows and 8 feet between trees). 4) Never, please never, go below a spacing of 8 x 8. The lowest ever recommended is 7 x 15. Again, it may seem like you are taking up too much room now, but wait until the trees grow up!

P LANTING DAY

If you are establishing a breeding or demonstration

This is an excerpt from the most recent Foxhaven orchard planting plan. The blue numbers are the row and position locations within the orchard. The various different genotypes are described by different colored blocks, as well as by codes that relate back to the cross from which the trees are derived. The more trees that are planted in an orchard, the greater the complexity of the map, and the more neces- sary proper planting record keeping becomes.

suppliers.com. One only needs a ballpoint pen and

some time to write out the tree position (row and

number) and the cross or seed lot code for the tree to

be planted.

Unfortunately, many growers attach these labels to

the tree, promising that they will keep an eye on the

label. Those promises are rarely kept. Be certain to

attach your label to something other than the tree.

Attaching them to the cable tie that binds the tree

shelter and the fiberglass stake is a great method.

Another method of labeling tree positions is to write

on a “permanent” stake or tree shelter. Sharpies are

not permanent. Unless you want to annually re-

write the tree’s information, try another method.

Forestry Suppliers sales a product called a “paint

valve marker”, which, in black, stands up to weather-

ing very well.

Label every position at planting time. This will save

you time in the long run, and can help both yourself

and visitors from getting lost out in the orchard.

GOOD LUCK!!

There are other resources available that may help one in establishing an orchard and for further grow- ing:

1. TACF Handbook to Growing American Chestnuts Available from TACF
2. Other TACF growers:::

Join the TACF Growers lists

http://chestnut.cas.psu.edu/mailinglist.htm

3. The Chestnut Growers Website http://chestnut.cas.psu.edu/breeding.html
4. The Northern Nut Growers Association http://www.nutgrowing.org

Contact the Leffel Chestnut Center

at Penn State University

for more information at any time.

Sara Fitzsimmons

PA-TACF Tree Breeding Program Coordinator

sff3@psu.edu

Sue Oram

PA-TACF Administrative Assistant

sko2@psu.edu

Penn State University

206 Forest Resource Laboratory

University Park, PA 16802

PHONE: 814-863-7192 or 814-863-

FAX: 814-863-

e-mail: pachapter@patacf.org

Website: http://www.patacf.org

Well manicured orchard of PA-TACF member Blair Carbaugh showing all preferred methods of maintenance at a chestnut breeding orchard.

1. The site has been fenced and tree shelters protect from her- bicide damage.
2. Tree shelters are held in place with Chapter-donated fiber- glass stakes.
3. The area between the rows is kept well mowed to reduce rodent populations.
4. Within their third growing season, the trees exceed 6-7 feet in height and have sturdy caliper growth because of consis- tent and proper fertilizer application and watering regi- mens.