[CJBS2003]

Are Chinese chestnut trees a waste of time in bear country? I have heard that bears basically destroy the trees trying to get at the nuts. They have demolished my mulberry, peach and cherry trees. The leave my sawtooth oak, persimmon, pear and apple trees alone though...

Opinions?

I am looking to plant a few but don't wanna waste my time and money if they're just gonna get destroyed once they start producing nuts.

 

[CJBS2003]

No one has any opinions or experience on this???

 

[Guest]

I have planted them in bear country, but they are probably 7-8 years away from bearing nuts. LOL

I was riding along with a PGC land manager the other year on the Blue Mountain where he had some that were bearing nuts. The bears climbed up the young trees and broke off the branches in order to get the nuts. We just shook our heads. I don't know how those trees are now, but, just be aware of the potential.

 

[Guest]

On a side note, I have a friend that has a plantation of chestnuts and sawtooth oaks that he has fertilized the heck out of that are about 5-6 years old now? Those trees are probably 15-20 ft tall now and bearing.

This pic was taken 2 years ago.

 

[CJBS2003]

I just hate to waste and effort and the TIME waiting for them to mature to only have a bear demolish them like they have to my peaches and cherries. Looks like I'll be sticking with oaks, persimmons and apples.

 

[Sqrlhntr]

These trees look good. What does your friend use for the fertilizer?

 

[Farflung]

I wouldn't figure that apple trees are bear proof. Up here in upstate NY, they often rip them apart. On bigger trees, they do this by climbing up and breaking off branches and pulling them in to where they are sitting. On small trees they try to climb them, but their weight pulls them down.

At our hunting areas, where there are enough apples, they usually just eat the fallen ones. But in a bad year, with few apples, they go up in the few bearing trees and wreak havoc.

 

[CJBS2003]

Bears are just a pain in the [censored]...

 

[Guest]

These trees look good. What does your friend use for the fertilizer?

I think he used 10-10-10 on them. He was lucky, because I think he used a whole coffee can of it on each tree when they were young. It should have killed them!

Wouldn't recommend that.......

 

[magnus]

These trees look good. What does your friend use for the fertilizer?

I think he used 10-10-10 on them. He was lucky, because I think he used a whole coffee can of it on each tree when they were young. It should have killed them!

Wouldn't recommend that.......

Geez!! Good thing that I check in once in a while to protect myself from "friends" (LOL!)... Seriously, I base my fertilizing plan on approx 1/4# of N per #yrs of age. Another guy we both know from VT (Bill M) says 1/2# of N for each inch of trunk diameter. Probably both "recipes" come out about the same. So, going back to your example, if my trees were 2 yrs old, and I hit them with a coffee can of 10-10-10 (5# or so), I'd say that was just about right!

Hey, tonight we just finished eating some roasted chestnuts from that same tree plot in your photo! The sawtooths and chestnuts are really loaded this year.

OK Dutch, get back to some more war stories...

 

[Guest]

LOL Magnus. I still say ya got lucky and didn't kill those trees. Maybe I need to try that on my chestnuts next year..... I probably won't be so lucky tho.

 

[Guest]

Hey, tonight we just finished eating some roasted chestnuts from that same tree plot in your photo! The sawtooths and chestnuts are really loaded this year.

There is also one apple missing down in the orchard, courtesy of your's truly. Figgered you wouldn't mind since Dave M and I seeded those plots for you. Not that we seeded them right, just that we got seed on the ground.

 

[magnus]

Those new plots look great. And the brassica REALLY looks awesome! He top-dressed most of the brassicas with urea a week or so ago but the control areas look amazing too. Buck sightings are sporadic, unfortunately. Always nice when you get a good one taking the same trail most days this time of year. Not happening that I can tell...

 

[Guest]

Those new plots look great. And the brassica REALLY looks awesome

You can thank me, "The Rain Man", for some of that success. LOL

Dave sent me a pic of the brassica Friday. It truly is amazing!

 

[FLDBRED]

Chestnut trees are such a great wildlife tree you should give them a try.I love chestnut trees,and yes I have had some bear damage,but the bears don't kill the tree,plant them you won't be sorry.

 

[Guest]

I planted 15 of them in Potter County, and am just going to cross my fingers that some make it. They do need fertilizer tho.

 

[magnus]

I have to say, I've been planting chestnuts ...Chinese from various sources as well as Dunstans... since '03 or so. I have 20 or so that are producing now. But, it seems like the deer really aren't that interested in the nuts. I'm hoping its kind of like brassica, that they need to develop a taste for it. But, so far its mostly squirrels that eat them. Most deer here in Lehigh County just haven't ever eaten a chestnut before.

 

[magnus]

Dave sent me a pic of the brassica Friday. It truly is amazing!

I went up in there this afternoon at 3:45 and there were 6 deer in the middle of that brassica patch, just chowing down.

 

[Guest]

I wonder if it's because the deer have so many choices in you area?

I'd guess that in my area, they would really take to the chestnuts, along with many other species of wildlife because there is so little mast up there.

 

[magnus]

You'd think chestnuts would taste better to them than acorns...?