Critical Factors in Establishing Chestnuts in the Pacific Northwest

Chestnuts are a highly productive orchard crop that can be grown in the Northwest on better soils. Small planting and individual trees were brought to western Oregon by pioneers and British sailors, where they have grown well for over 100 yr. Ideal orchard soils should be deep, well drained sandy loam or loam mixture. Irrigation is recommended in Oregon due to tree establishment and nut sizing in late fall when weather is normally dry. Chestnuts can be harvested mechanically and improved varieties can produce from one-to-two tons per acre yearly at maturity, if planted and grown properly. Marketing fresh chestnuts can be extended for several months through cold storage. Dried or frozen products can be marketed year round. Although acreage is growing slowly, some growers are enthusiastic about potential with $4 to $6 per kg versus $84 for hazelnuts. Multiple harvests in October would place high quality fresh products in the market before exports arrive from Korea and Europe. Available varieties include `Colossal,"Layeroka,' `Myoka,"Skookum,"Silver Leaf' and others. Italian and Euro-Japanese hybrids were recently released from the Extension Service to nurseries. Although relatively free from insects and blight, Pseudomonas spp. and secondary fungi have presented problems. Propagation studies showed early summer wire ringing of juvenile shoots surrounded by moist sawdust was the most successful and commercially acceptable propagation method of trees.

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Author(s): Robert Rackham

Publication: American Chestnut Proceedings - 1992