Castanea (dentata)

John Vandevender Center Manager USDA NRCS - Appalachian Plant Materials Center P. O. Box 390 Alderson, West Virginia 24910 304-445-3005 John.vandevender@wv.usda.gov http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/wvpmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Fagaceae
Family Common Name:	Beech
Scientific Name:	Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.
Common Name:	American chestnut
Species Code:	CADE12
Ecotype:	American Chestnut Cooperators Foundation
Known Invasiveness:	None
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Bareroot (field grown)
Stock Type:	1-0
Time To Grow:	1 Years
Target Specifications:	A second spring seedling ranging in height from 8" to 16" with a 1/16" to 3/16" caliper stem and a compact, well developed tap root system.
Propagule Collection:	Seeds are collected from established seed orchards in the fall immediately after the burrs (spiny husks) have split open to expose the nuts.
Propagule Processing:	Chestnut reproduces readily from seed. Seed has no physiological dormancy and should be sown immediately upon harvest for best results. Fall sown seed typically exhibits >90% germination, while seeds stored overwinter exhibit greatly reduced germination; typically <50%.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Seed may be floated in water to help determine viability. Seed that floats is normally poorly filled and has low or no viability. Floaters are discarded, while the seed that sinks is retained for planting.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Best germination and growth of seedlings is in raised beds or sandy soil with adequate moisture. Prepare beds by deep rototilling or other tillage methods that achieve thorough loosening and mixing of soil. Seed are placed into 3/4" to 1" deep furrows scribed into the tilled soil. Furrows are spaced 2" apart and seed are placed 1" apart within furrows to optimize seedling development. Seed are covered with soil to a depth equal to 1and 1/2 times the average diameter of the seed; usually 3/4" to 1" of soil. Beds should then be covered with a 2 - 3 inch thick layer of straw to insulate against frost heaving. When seedlings begin to emerge, one-half of the straw should be removed.
Establishment Phase:	A radicle is produced in the fall soon after planting. Top growth is initiated the following spring.
Length of Establishment Phase:	4-6months which includes the overwintering period.
Active Growth Phase:	Plants require little maintenance during active growth other than application of at least 1 inch of water per week during drouth conditions and elimination of weed competition. Weeds must be removed during early growth phases to avoid uprooting the chestnut seedlings.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	6-8 months
Hardening Phase:	Since the plants are grown outside, no additional hardening is required.
Length of Hardening Phase:	None
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Seedlings are harvested in late winter while dormant. The best harvesting method employs a nursery bed lifter/shaker which undercuts the seedlings and gently loosens the soil around the roots. Bare root seedlings are then plucked from the loosened soil by hand. Refrigeration is employed to maintain seedling dormancy after harvest until shipping. Optimal temperatures for maintenance of dormancy are 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit. Root dessication during storage is prevented through packing in aged, moistened hardwood sawdust.
Length of Storage:	1-2 months
Other Comments:	Chestnut is moderately resistant to chestnut blight. Seed orchards should be fenced to minimize browsing by deer and livestock. Root collars may be necessary if girdling of woody plants by rabbits is a problem. Chinkapin is not resistant to herbicides that control broadleaf weeds such as 2,4-D, dicamba, picloram, and silvex. However, it may resprout following herbicide treatments.Trade namae and control measures appear in this protocol only to provide specific information. USDA-NRCS does not gurantee or warrant the products and control methods named, and other products may be equally effective.
References:	USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Citation:

Vandevender, John. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Bareroot (field grown) Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh. plants 1-0; USDA NRCS - Appalachian Plant Materials Center Alderson, West Virginia. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/01). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.