Chestnuts

[bwillaub]

Anyone out there have access to American chestnuts? I am wanting to get a dozen or so trees going on my place. I have ordered six trees from a nursery but would like to get a few started from nuts. I remember gathering nuts from under the eight trees my Grandfather had in Alabama. I would love to have a small part in getting the American chestnut tree established again. I will gladly pay for the nuts.

Four years ago I requested catalpa seeds on here and received enough to start 16 trees that are now growing on my place. A member from Texas mailed me catalpa worms to seed the trees with and now I get multiple hatchings every summer.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Bob

[canebreaker]

I haven't seen chestnuts around here except in the stores.
We will go to my uncle's this weekend to prune the catalpa tree.

[Olgrey]

I believe that I remember reading that there were still some American Chestnuts in Michigan that produced nuts. I can not tell you how to get a supply of the nuts, but I would like some also. When I was young our farm had a lot of large old chestnut snags standing around the woods. We had a lot of chestnut split rail fence but over the years the weather and livestock destroyed them. It would be nice to be able to have some of the American Chestnuts growing there again. I had not thought of those in years. You have brought back fond memories. Thanks

[canebreaker]

Someone on craigslist.org runs an ad for trees. I'll send them a note about them.

[Speck]

I know a guy who has a few trees Bob. I'll check with him.

[bwillaub]

Appreciate it, guys. Thanks.

[Eagle 1]

GOT SOME , GUESS THEY ARE ANERICAN . WILL CHECK TO SEE IF ANY NUTS STILL OUT THERE . WILL PM YOU LATER .

[bwillaub]

Thanks, eagle. I appreciate it.

[charttn]

I doubt that very many people have an American chestnut as the blight wiped them out pretty well. There are still a few hidden patches though. You can get nuts every once in a while but from what I hear, the tree will be infected and stunted. It will grow fine for a while, then die back and try again, never getting much bigger. Dr Hill Craddock here at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is leading a research project where he is trying to cross the American chestnut with the Chinese one that is resistant to the blight and then back breed the offspring till they have most of the original characteristics of the original American Chestnut.
Check out his links page. He is a real Chestnut,,, nut
J Hill Craddock's Chestnut Links

[bwillaub]

Thanks for the info, charttn. I'm aware of the efforts to cross the American with the Chinese. The American chestnut is smaller and much tastier. I am a member of the American Chestnut Foundation and have done extensive reading on the subject. I am no expert by any means but I do know there are American chestnut trees that are thriving out there. Some American trees apparently were resistant to the disease and have provided nuts to propagate trees.