Hi folks, I just wondered how many of you have American chestnut trees? I have the real deal, yes they can get the blight but I have been lucky so far, they are not as big as other chestnuts, but they are the very best tasting nuts in the world, if you like chestnuts.
I have a nice stand up by the house and have them scattered all over the property, they are the most beautful trees you could ever want to see.
I planted many of them by nuts, just stick em in the ground in the fall and they will usually sprout the following early summer.
Some progress has been made to get a blight resistant variety, but not much progress because it requires out crossing to either the european chestnuts, Japanese or even chinese chestnut trees..so..if anyone here has some, I would be glad to share notes!!
At one time, the american chestnut was more abundant than oak trees, which is a distant relative..they are almost indestructable, I have mowed many over to have them pop right back up!
What a shame a little micro organism can wipe out something so resiliant!!
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applestar
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That sounds great! I hope you can succeed in re-populating the American chestnut. I have a book on NJ native trees that describes the sad demise of these once abundant trees here.
A couple of years ago, I found some store bought chestnuts starting to sprout and grew them out. They grew well in the house that winter and out in the garden for a while the next season, but sadly did not survive. I don't know what killed them frankly, since I had health issues and were not able to care for them.
I doubt that those were American chestnuts though, do you?
It would be interesting to try again. There were a few other members here trying to grow chestnuts from seeds that joined in the discussion at the time. I hope they were more successful than I.
So you are trying to develop hybrids resistant to the blight? Much longer-term project than tomatoes, huh?
A couple of years ago, I found some store bought chestnuts starting to sprout and grew them out. They grew well in the house that winter and out in the garden for a while the next season, but sadly did not survive. I don't know what killed them frankly, since I had health issues and were not able to care for them.
I doubt that those were American chestnuts though, do you?
It would be interesting to try again. There were a few other members here trying to grow chestnuts from seeds that joined in the discussion at the time. I hope they were more successful than I.
So you are trying to develop hybrids resistant to the blight? Much longer-term project than tomatoes, huh?
applestar wrote:That sounds great! I hope you can succeed in re-populating the American chestnut. I have a book on NJ native trees that describes the sad demise of these once abundant trees here.
A couple of years ago, I found some store bought chestnuts starting to sprout and grew them out. They grew well in the house that winter and out in the garden for a while the next season, but sadly did not survive. I don't know what killed them frankly, since I had health issues and were not able to care for them.
I doubt that those were American chestnuts though, do you?
It would be interesting to try again. There were a few other members here trying to grow chestnuts from seeds that joined in the discussion at the time. I hope they were more successful than I.
So you are trying to develop hybrids resistant to the blight? Much longer-term project than tomatoes, huh?
No, I want to keep them pure but, in order to develop resistance, you would belive it or not have to treat each tree individually becuase thats how the blight works, different structure for each tree, in other words the DNA is different in any given tree, it is hard to explain, and I do not have enough education to try.
But it is almost like a virus in a human, and thats the bad thing, science has never cured a virus yet.
DH and I visited a distant relative of his in Downieville, California, in the mid-'90s. She pointed out an absolutely stunning tree (it was October) four or five houses away.
It was an American chestnut. Very tall, single-trunked, broad laterals, with the classic "tall gentle triangular" shape. We walked along the river bank and picked up a few chestnuts, took them back to her house, warmed them up in the oven for a while, and ate them.
They were amazing. Not sweet, but different from the other nuts that mature in the fall. Not like the ones I buy steamed and peeled in glass jars this time of year, either.
What a loss. I hadn't known that they were more numerous than oaks before the blight; what an amazing landscape that would have been to see. Perhaps it was a chestnut that inspired the famous poem, "I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree...."
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
It was an American chestnut. Very tall, single-trunked, broad laterals, with the classic "tall gentle triangular" shape. We walked along the river bank and picked up a few chestnuts, took them back to her house, warmed them up in the oven for a while, and ate them.
They were amazing. Not sweet, but different from the other nuts that mature in the fall. Not like the ones I buy steamed and peeled in glass jars this time of year, either.
What a loss. I hadn't known that they were more numerous than oaks before the blight; what an amazing landscape that would have been to see. Perhaps it was a chestnut that inspired the famous poem, "I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree...."
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Are you sure they were American Chestnuts? Because a sweeter chestnut I have not tasted, and if any of you are interested I sell the nuts in the fall but you have to give me advanced notice because they go fast, sorry I have to sell them but they are far to rare to give away.
American Chestnuts are very small compared to the hinese and Japanese types, bigger yet are the European however, the colossal chestnut need a polinator and will not reproduce on its own, I may start some of these.
Colossals are just that GIANT.
American Chestnuts are very small compared to the hinese and Japanese types, bigger yet are the European however, the colossal chestnut need a polinator and will not reproduce on its own, I may start some of these.
Colossals are just that GIANT.
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!potatoes!
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as different cultivars of many things will give you very different fruit, I have doubts that all american chestnuts would taste the same. just like with hickories - some species are generally tastier, but individuals (or 'varieties') within each species can be better or worse than that average.
I live in blight central here, where Am. chestnuts used to be 80% of the overstory. trying to develop a diverse asian & european population instead.
I live in blight central here, where Am. chestnuts used to be 80% of the overstory. trying to develop a diverse asian & european population instead.