How To INCREASE Soil Acidity Naturally (4 Simple Steps!) (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=H0_zj2XM2iQ)<\/a><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow Do You Grow a Chestnut Tree?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Now that you know more about the ideal growing conditions for chestnut trees, you may be wondering how to grow them in your own backyard. Follow the steps below to find out how to grow a chestnut tree from seed (or skip to Step 4 if you already have a sapling):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Stratify Your Seeds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n To give your seeds the best chance of germinating successfully, you\u2019ll need to mimic the conditions they would experience in the wild, where they sit in the soil through the winter before growing in spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Place chestnut seeds in a resealable bag with moist peat moss, vermiculite, sand, or sawdust. Seal the bag and use a toothpick to poke several holes in it; this will help with air circulation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nPlace the bag of chestnuts and medium in the coldest part of your fridge, and make sure it is nowhere close to pears or apples; these fruits produce ethylene, which may impact how and when your seeds sprout. The chestnuts should be stratified at temperatures of 32 to 34 degrees F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check the chestnuts about once a week to make sure they are not rotting. If any of them show signs of rot, remove them immediately.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nSeeds should begin to sprout within 60 to 90 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Transplant Seedlings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Once your seeds begin to sprout, you can either direct seed them in your yard or transplant them into pots indoors. Transplanting them indoors gives them the best chance of survival and allows them to grow larger before you plant them outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To plant them inside, choose tall pots, as chestnut seedlings produce long taproots. Fill the pots with a mix of moist (but not wet) vermiculite, peat moss, and perlite.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nMake a six-inch hole in the vermiculite mixture and fill the hole with potting mix. Place one sprouted seed per pot about an inch down in the potting mix, then cover with the vermiculite mixture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Place the pots in a sunny window. Keep the soil and vermiculite mixture damp, but be careful not to overwater, as this may cause your seedlings to rot.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nKeep your plants indoors until they are several inches tall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Harden Off Young Saplings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n In the spring, you\u2019ll want to begin acclimating your saplings to the harsher conditions of an outdoor environment. Do this slowly and gently over a period of at least two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Move your saplings to a sunny porch or sheltered outdoor spot. Leave them there for no more than a few hours the first day, gradually increasing the amount of time you leave them outside to help them build up a tolerance for cold temperatures and windy conditions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 4: Plant Your Saplings Outside<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Once your saplings have been thoroughly hardened off, they are ready to be planted in their permanent spots outside. The best time for transplanting is after the last chance of frost, usually early to mid May depending on where you live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Choose a spot that receives plenty of sunlight and has plenty of room. Many chestnut tree varieties grow up to 100 feet tall with up to a 60-foot spread, so keep this in mind as you choose a planting location.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAnother thing to consider is that chestnut trees cannot self-pollinate. If you hope to have good nut production when the tree matures, you\u2019ll need to plant a second chestnut tree within 200 feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, the tree will do best when grown in loose, loamy soil that drains well and is the appropriate pH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019ve chosen your ideal location, dig a hole about twice as large as your sapling\u2019s root ball, and loosen the sides of the hole for good aeration. Place the root ball in the hole, making sure to cover only the roots and none of the trunk with soil.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nPress the soil down and water in your sapling well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 5: Chestnut Tree Care<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Your young trees will still need plenty of care as they grow and become established. Water them thoroughly every two to three weeks; during periods of drought, you may need to water more often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using a soaker hose or drip irrigation system is the best way to water your trees, as you don\u2019t want the soil to become overly wet or waterlogged. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIf your soil conditions are less than ideal, consider applying a granular nitrogen fertilizer about once a year, following the directions on the package. Apply this fertilizer no later than July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep the weeds down in a three-foot radius around your tree to help it become established and encourage nut production later on. Don\u2019t weed-whack too close to the trunk, however, as this could produce wounds that could weaken the tree.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nPrune your trees over the first few years to help them grow into the proper shape. To learn more about pruning chestnut trees, check out the following video:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S-S0hwAwfeQ<\/a>Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Bringing Back the Chestnut: Soil Amendments and Pruning (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S-S0hwAwfeQ)<\/a><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\nConclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Chestnut trees grow best in warm temperate climates and can be found in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9. If you live in one of these types of climates, follow the steps above to grow your own chestnut trees.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Want to grow a chestnut tree or two? Maybe you\u2019re hoping to start a grove of them to grow chestnuts as a cash crop. Or perhaps you\u2019re simply curious. Either way, you\u2019re wondering: what climate is best for chestnut trees? Do they need a lot of sunshine? What kind of soil do they grow best … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":13029,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13038"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13038"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13041,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13038\/revisions\/13041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13029"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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