The most promising chestnuts for the United States are the Chinese chestnuts (Castanea mollissima) which are blight-resistant.
While their nuts are not quite as large as the European chestnuts shipped here in the fall, their flavor is considered better.
Chinese chestnuts make interesting lawn trees. However, if nuts are desired, there should be two or more trees. A single chestnut tree will bloom and make burs, but these will be empty.
The many spiked chestnut burs are protected from squirrels which are often a problem in cities. While squirrels will harvest other nuts BEFORE they are ripe, the chestnut is left to mature.
As the nuts ripen, the burs split, usually wide enough to free the nut from the bur. If these fallen nuts are not gathered promptly, squirrels will haul them off.
Grafting Chestnut Tree
Chestnut trees require cross-pollination to produce filled burs. This does not mean that two ‘Nanking’ grafted trees will do the job.
The second tree must be of a different clone. (A clone is a single sexually produced plant that is reproduced by vegetative means … in this case, by grafting or budding.)
It can be a seedling or one of the other grafted varieties such as ‘Meiling’ or ‘Abundance.’ (“Ching Chow” is not a grafted variety but a strain of seedlings.)
Where space is limited, a nearby homeowner may be interested in planting the second tree, or another clone can be grafted into the one tree. Since insects, not wind, carry the chestnut pollen, the trees should not be too far removed.
Planting Seedlings
Another possibility is planting three different seedlings (or different varieties) in the same large hole, allowing them plenty of room to spread out in all directions from the planting site.
This “clump” type of planting is being done in Spain with filberts, apricots, pears, almonds, and plums to provide cross-pollination and a succession of varieties in home plantings.
In a few years, the chestnut “trio” will make a nice place for children to climb between the trunks.
The advantages of planting grafted trees are that they begin bearing sooner, and one is assured of good nuts.
While some seedling trees begin bearing when they are four or five years old, others may not bear until they are fairly large trees.
A few commercial growers and many hobbyists have planted seedling trees and then grafted them to named varieties after the trees were established.
Recommended Spacing
Chinese chestnut trees generally bear at an early age, like peach trees, and require similar types of soil, well-drained and elevated sites. However, they do make spreading trees larger than a standard apple tree.
Recommended spacing is at least 40′ feet for single trees or 60′ feet between clumps.
In an orchard, chestnut trees could be interplanted with peach trees, which are short-lived and would be gone by the time the chestnuts were large enough to require the full space.
Late Blooming Chinese Chestnut
In some areas where blossoms on peach trees are frequently caught in a late spring freeze, the late-blooming Chinese chestnuts should make a much more reliable crop.
Winter temperatures lower than 10° degrees Fahrenheit below zero kill peach flower buds, but Chinese chestnut trees are not so tender.
Because they ripen early in the fall, they can easily beat the later ripening imported European nuts to the American market. With high shipping costs, Midwest growers, close to their market, would have another advantage.
All chestnuts are perishable and unfit for use if not properly handled. Most grocers have much to learn here.
If the nuts are gathered and stored too wet, they may mold. If they are permitted to become too dry, they will be nearly as hard as rocks.
Experienced growers will harvest their nuts and dry them slightly in the shade for a few days. Then they may be packed in plastic bags and refrigerated.
Sometimes large cans are used with a few nail holes in the lid. Curing for a few days or a week brings out the sweet flavor.
Perishable Chestnuts
When chestnuts reach the grocery store, they are ready to be used. The sweet Chinese chestnut can be eaten raw, but most prefer to roast or cook European chestnuts.
Both grocers and home consumers should bear in mind that chestnuts are perishable. They will, however, keep it for several months in a closed plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Until quite recently, nearly all Chinese chestnut seed grown in the United States was being purchased by nurseries to grow more trees. Now the surplus is being offered for sale to some of the large production houses.
All too often, they merely dump it in with the imported chestnuts so that the consumer doesn’t know which he is buying.
Homeowners who already have a few trees in bearing might explore the possibilities of marketing their surplus at a local specialty store or delicatessen.
Chestnut Blight
The chestnut blight, caused by the fungus Endothia parasitica, was introduced from the Orient some 120 years ago. It has taken nearly all of our Native American chestnut trees.
The blight hit China centuries ago, and through natural selection, the Chinese trees which survived developed a resistance to it.
Tree of The Future
A great deal of work has been and is going on to find or breed a tall type chestnut tree like our American native.
While we are waiting for this future tree, we can enjoy the resistant Chinese chestnut as a landscape tree and its sweet nuts.
Not a tall timber tree, it fits in well with our ranch-style houses.
44659 by Clarice Hicicox