The document provides guidance on site selection, preparation, and planting practices for American chestnut, emphasizing the importance of selecting well-drained soils, managing vegetation and pests like deer, and using shelters, fencing, or repellents to protect young chestnut trees from wildlife browsing. Recommendations are given for soil testing and amendments, clearing sites, controlling competition, and installing young chestnut trees with proper planting techniques and supplies for optimal growth.

1. AMERICAN CHESTNUT
PLANTING PRACTICES
SITE SELECTION,
P R E PA R A T I O N A N D
PLANTING
Kendra Gurney 1

2. American Chestnut: The Tree
 Major component of eastern forests
 Fast growth, large, extremely rot resistant
 High-value timber species
 Nuts valuable to wildlife
 Tannins used in tanning leather
 Nuts valuable to people and livestock
 Culturally significant

3. Spread of the
Chestnut Blight…
Approximate
movement of 20 to
50 miles per year
because of
American chestnut’s
density and almost
complete
susceptibility to the
blight.

4. What is the blight?
A fungal disease caused by
Cryphonectria parasitica, introduced
from Asia.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Tom Volk, UW
• The blight fungus enters the tree
though the cracks typical of
chestnut bark and through
wounds.
• It forms a canker and quickly
girdles the tree.
• Affects cambium, not roots.

5. Chestnut Survival
Data
FIA 2010 data
Map courtesy John Scrivani, VADOF, VA-TACF

6. SITE SELECTION
C ONSIDERATIONS FOR SELECTING THE RIGHT
SITE FOR AMERICAN CHESTNUT
Kendra Gurney 6

7. References
 Chestnut Growers Website
 http://ecosystems.psu.edu/research/chestnut/meetings/forest
 All presentations will be put here:
 http://ecosystems.psu.edu/research/chestnut/meetings/forest/2011-
training/Phase%20I
 Fertilizing Woody Ornamentals
 http://ecosystems.psu.edu/research/chestnut/meetings/forest/2011-
training/Phase%20I
 Penn State Soil Analysis
 http://www.aasl.psu.edu/SSFT.HTM
 NRCS Web Soil Survey
 http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm
 Official Soil Series Descriptions (OSD)
 https://soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/osdname.asp
Sara Fitzsimmons

8. Site Selection
 Type of site selected could be:
 Field
 Forested –
 Recent clear-cut
 Shelter wood
 Regneration
 Other
 Highly disturbed site –
 Mine reclamation
Kendra Gurney 8

9. Site Selection
Field Forested
 Good access to light  Light availability
 No clearing necessary dependent on level of
 Turf and other vegetation
clearing
to manage  Often little understory
 Lack of beneficial
vegetation to manage
mycorrhizae likely  Beneficial mycorrhizae
present
 Interaction with forest
Kendra Gurney 9

10. Soils
 Soils appropriate to chestnut are:
 Well-drained
 Drainage
 Saturated hydraulic conductivity
 Slightly acidic
 Soil pH of 4.5-5.5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kalmia_latifolia_species.jpg
Ericaceous plants, like mountain laurel and
blueberries, are good indicators of acidic soils,
though a soil sample is the best way to know
for sure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blueberries-Littleisland.jpg
Kendra Gurney 10

11. Soils
 A soil test is the best way to determine soil pH and learn
more about the nutrient components
 Most land-grant Universities offer soil testing for a minimal fee
 Select blueberries or Christmas trees as the crop being grown, unless
you know chestnut-specific
recommendations are available
 Use NRCS’s Web Soil Survey to
look at the site in question
 Explore many soil properties
 Drainage, Permeability (Saturated Hydraulic
Conductivity (Ksat)), Hydrology, etc.
 Download results to keep on-file
Kendra Gurney 11 http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm

12. Soils
 Possible soil issues to look out for:
 Compaction
 Check land-use history
 Old log landings
 Previous construction
 Ledge/depth to bedrock
 Roots need room to grow
 Depth to bedrock:
4-6 feet minimum
 Fragipan
 Subsurface soil layer
 Restricts flow of water and
root penetration
Empty up-hill rows were planted over ledge.
 Bx or Btx in soil descriptions
Chestnuts sprouted but quickly died.
Kendra Gurney 12

13. Soils
 Land-use history can be very important during site
selection:
 Compaction from pasture, old log landings or construction work
 Nutrient levels – either high or low – from previous agricultural
practice
 On-site accidents or spills could leave
behind toxins
 Best to know what happened in
the past to identify any potential
issues early on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:290X2Forestry.JPG
Kendra Gurney 13

14. Microclimate
 Microclimates are areas with climates differing from the
surrounding area:
 Warmer/colder
 Wetter/drier
 More/less prone to frost
 Can be large or small
 Look for: Local knowledge can
help identify on-site
 Cold valleys microclimates
 Large bodies of water
 Topography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Frost_on_a_n
ettle,_Netherlands.jpg
Kendra Gurney 14

15. Phytophthora infection
 Phytophthora cinnamomi
 ink disease/root rot
 Relative of Sudden Oak Death (SOD)
 Phytophthora ramoram
 Especially a problem in the South
 And Europe and Australia
 Strong program in TACF’s southern
region to breed resistance into advanced
backcross material
http://www.unitus.it/dipartimenti/dpp/progetti/cost/
phytopht.htm
15

16. Introduction and Distribution
Becky Bernard,
 Introduced about 200
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/pp318/profiles/pc/
pc.html
years ago • Introduced to US about
 Wiped out chestnut from 200 years ago
many low-lying areas • Wiped out chestnut
 Most likely eradicated from many low-lying
chestnut from piedmont of areas in the South
South prior to introduction
• Most likely eradicated
of chestnut blight fungus
chestnut from
piedmont of South
prior to introduction of
Crandall, Gravatt, and Ryan. Phytopathology 35: 162-180, 1945
chestnut blight fungus.

17. Identification of
Phytophthora cinnamomi infection
 Need to cut dying or
*freshly* dead tree
 Examine tissue near base of
tree for distinctive black
streaking just under bark
 Send sample in for testing
Photo courtesy Paul Sisco, TACF
17

18. Sending Samples for
Phytophthora Testing
 If you have not yet planted, have the soil tested if you can:
 Refer to local institution’s instructions for further info
 Most Land Grant Institutions have pathology labs that may be able to do
testing
 Also check with local USFS State and Private Forestry Office
 If you’ve already planted:
 Dig up a dying (not dead) seedling with roots and some soil.
 Put the roots and soil in a plastic bag to keep them moist and
send to our local plant pathology lab
 Be sure to put information about location of the seedling and
contact number.
18

19. Preventative measures
 The best way to avoid Phytophthora infection is just that
– avoid it!
 Rule #1: DON’T plant in SWALES
 The ultimate defense is to plant in sandy, well-drained soils,
avoid low-lying and flat land (unless the soil is sandy), and
also, avoid old fields in the Piedmont.
 In cases where the soils are ordinarily well-drained but are
heavy in texture, unusually wet conditions can slow the
drainage to create a Phytophthora problem.
 If diagnosed early, fungicide drench is possible
 Ridomil or Subdue
 Expensive! Labor-intensive!
 Rule #2: DO NOT PLANT in areas IDENTIFIED
to HAVE PHYTOPHTHORA
 Seed grass there to contain spread of fungus Photo courtesy Paul
 Do not plant in death holes or downhill from death area Sisco, TACF
19

20. SITE PREPARATION
PLANNING FOR PLANTING
Kendra Gurney 20

21.  Develop a timeline
Site  Identify site preparations needed and target
Preparation dates for completion
Begin planning for  Develop a budget
a planting at least  Research options and begin purchasing
one year in advance materials
It can take careful  Work on time-consuming projects
planning to prepare
an orchard site
like:
 Pricing/planning for deer fencing
 Extensive clearing or pre-planting vegetation
management
 Experimental design or planting layout
Kendra Gurney 21

22.  Forest site prep:
Site  Large existing vegetation to remove/manage
Preparation  Clearing, stumping, rock removal
Vegetation  Field site prep:
management can be
 Herbaceous vegetation to remove/manage
a big part of site
preparation  Herbicide, black plastic, landscape fabric,
mulch
Identify any
invasive species
early on - these will
be the most
difficult to remove Pre-planting row
and control cover can help
kill vegetation
prior to planting.
Kendra Gurney 22

23.  Your soil test results should include
Site recommendations for your crop
Preparation
 Follow site preparation and
Soils should be a
management recommendations,
big consideration
when selecting a some of which are best done 6-12
site months before planting
A soil test is the  Soil amendments
best way to confirm  Adjust the soil nutrition or pH to be most
that the soils on-site beneficial to growing chestnut
are appropriate for  Fertilization plan
growing chestnut  Use the on-site soil nutrition to develop an
appropriate fertilization plan
Kendra Gurney 23

24. PLANTING
R E C O M M E N DA T I O N S F O R I N S TA L L I N G A N D
M ANAGING YOUR C HESTNUT P LANTING
Kendra Gurney 24

25. Soil Preparation
 There are many ways to prepare the soil for planting
 Soil preparation will depend on the site and equipment
available
 Field sites:
 Big equipment: plowing, disking or use of a soil auger/post hole digger
 Hand equipment: hand digging, bulb planter, dibble bar
 Forested or rocky sites:
 Big equipment may be more difficult to use
 Hand equipment: hand digging, bulb planter, dibble bar
Kendra Gurney 25

26. Planting Supplies
 A weed-free planting mix is often used
 Reduces competition
 Provides more balanced moisture
 Recommended planting mixes include:
 1/3 each peat, perlite and vermiculite
 Scott’s Miracle-Gro® Moisture Control ® Potting Mix
 Sun Gro® Metro-Mix® 560 SUN-COIR
 Including a small amount of forest soil may contribute
beneficial mycorrhizae
 Most important in field sites where beneficial mycorrhizae are less likely
to be present
Kendra Gurney 26

27.  Select shelters based on the expected
Planting wildlife pressure
Supplies  The shorter the shelter, the better
Shelters provide  Tall shelters prevent trees from forming
reactionary wood
important
protection against  Many options for 18-24” shelters
wildlife  TREE PRO, Tubex, Blue-X ®
 Make your own – flashing, mesh, etc
 Sink shelters ~2” to protect the base
of the trees
 Deer protection may best be
provided by fencing
 8-feet – woven wire, electric, etc
Kendra Gurney 27

28. Deer
 Fencing
 Repellent
 *NO* tall
tree
shelters
28

29. D’oh! A Deer!
 Deer are greater problems in some areas more than
others
 10-20 trees: use wire cages – about 4’ in diameter
and 4’ in height. ACCF website has instructions on
building cages.
 Narrower diameter will require higher cages.
 Highly recommend against using plastic tree shelters
greater than 2.5’ to 3’ in height.
29

30. Museum of Tube Horrors
30

31. Other options
 Protection from deer should stand
about 5-6 feet in height.
 Some mesh type tubes are available.
 The Massachusetts Chapter recommends
use of hardware cloth cages.
 Stemsand lateral branches may still get nipped
 Grow through holes and rub against metal
 Be certain to check these protectors to
be sure they are standing or have not
been crushed by wind, rain, hooligans.
31

32. More About Deer
 Deer repellents
 Must be applied to all new growth and after any rain event.
 Approximately every 2 weeks
 Homemade egg sprays
 Mix a cocktail of 3 eggs to 1 gallon water in a blender
 Strain through a cheese cloth (optional)
 Apply with a backpack or handheld sprayer.
 Commercial repellents
 Bitrex, Plantskydd
 Fencing options
 Baited electric fencing
 Woven wire (galvanized steel) fencing
 For especially large plantings
 Plastic fencing
32

33. Planting Supplies
 Stakes may be needed to secure shelters
in place or mark the location of trees
 Wooden stakes are the easiest to find but
do need to be replaced over time
 Options include:
 Hardwood
 Pine
 Bamboo
 Fiberglass A post-pounder is a
 Metal handy tool for
installing stakes.
Kendra Gurney 33 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tpost1.jpg

34. Planting Supplies
 Many vegetation management plans involve the use of
some type of physical barrier
 Often in addition to, or replacement of, herbicide
 Can encourage rodents/voles – be mindful
 Landscape fabric
 Woven fabric or plastic
 Heavy-duty is best for long-term durability
 Can be run down rows or around individual
trees (competition mats)
 Mulch (if using)
 Around individual trees is best
 Most attractive to rodents/voles
Kendra Gurney 34

35. Planting Supplies
 Whether nuts or seedlings, make sure all sources are
clearly labeled
 Nuts
 Most common way to plant
 Store somewhere cool until ready to
put in the ground
 Seedlings – could be bare-root
or potted
 Bare-root seedlings require special care Remember: you can’t plant much
to make sure they do not dry out before without the chestnuts!
planting
Kendra Gurney 35

36. Plant Seed vs. Seedlings?
 Several experiments
underway
 May be personal preference
 Observationally
 Seedlings lend little height advantage in
long-term
 But both do well if plots are well-
managed

37. Direct Seeding Chestnuts
 Plant as soon as you can work the soil
 Pea-planting time
 May have sprouted by that time
 Plant radical down
 If no radical, plant with pointy part to the side
(parallel to the soil
 Use a light-weight planting mix
 Mix w/ native soil
 Don’t plant too deep!

38. Planting Chestnuts Indoors
•Plant inside as
early as February
•Outplant after
danger of frost
has passed.
•Be sure to
harden off
seedlings

39. Planting out Seedlings
 Be sure to harden
off seedlings
between setting them
out in the cruel
world
 Dig hole about 1.5-2
times as large as root
ball
 Water!!
 About 1 gallon per tree
every week for one
month if no rain.

40. Making holes for planting
40

41. Tracking the Planting
 It is important to randomize your chestnut planting
 Often planting several sources of interest
 Sources planted together may suffer from a local site issue or other
geographically-oriented stressor (remember the activity?)
 Randomization also reduces site effect on performance
 Genetic x Environment (G x E)
interaction
 Allows for a better snapshot of
blight-resistance
 Performance of an entire line not
dependent on potential stress (or
lack of stress) in one part of the
planting
Kendra Gurney 41

42. Tracking the Planting
 Chestnut plantings usually include several different crosses
or species
 Need a way to distinguish what goes where on the ground
 Especially important with a large group of planters
 A color-coded layout works well
 Plastic flags
 Painted/colored stakes
 Can be done pre-planting or on planting day
 If time to do prior to planting, this is a great prep
task http://www.forestry-
suppliers.com/product_pages/V
iew_Catalog_Page.asp?mi=1115
&title=Plain+Vinyl+Stake+Wire
+Flags#
Kendra Gurney 42

43. Tracking the Planting
 Mapping the planting is crucial to knowing what is planted
in each space
 Most of our plantings are really experiments
 Must know what the tree is for it to be of use
 Mapping can be done pre- or post-planting
 Pre-planting: develop a randomized planting plan and layout the
planting according to that plan
 Verify in the field, make any changes or corrections needed
 Post-planting: layout the planting in the field and then record what
ended up in each space
 Make sure to capture this on planting-day!
Kendra Gurney 43

44. Tracking the Planting
 Beyond mapping, there is a need to track the planting over
time
 Yearly mortality, growth, performance, additional measures
 Work with Regional Science Coordinator to develop a
format and set expectations
for data collection
 TreesDB in under development
 Should be available “soon” to help
track the trees in your planting
Kendra Gurney 44

45. Tracking the Planting
 In addition to mapping, labeling your trees is very
important, though how to do it is not always an easy
choice
 Paint markers: write on the shelter, stake or tree itself
 Permanent marker fades over time – not recommended
 Timber crayons: write on the tree itself
A better option once the trees get larger
 Need to go over the crayon about every year or two
 Tags: aluminum or other plant/number tag
 DO NOT HANG ON TREE!
 Staple to stake
Kendra Gurney 45

46. Management Recommendations
 Protecting the base of the tree is important, especially
while the trees are small
 Shelters should be removed BEFORE they begin to girdle the tree
 Good vegetation management will discourage rodent predators and
make it easier for raptors to keep populations under control
 Deer browse can be a problem until the trees grow
beyond browse height
 Fencing is key on high-pressure sites
 Tall shelters can also be used
 Deterrents – examples: Plantskydd®,
Tree Guard® with BitrexTM, Deer-Off!®
Kendra Gurney 46

47. Management Recommendations
 Watering is important, especially during establishment
 Should have a water source available, even if it is trucked in
 Know your site:
 Chestnut is fairly drought-tolerant but should be watered during dry periods
 Seedlings will need more water while their root systems catch-up
 Fertilizing can enhance growth or provide lacking nutrients
 Use an acid-loving fertilizer
 Follow label instructions
 The amount needed will go up as the tree
grows
 Water-soluble is good while trees are small
 Granular is better as they get larger
Kendra Gurney 47

48. Management Recommendations
 Weeds and other competing vegetation can be a big threat
to chestnuts, especially during the first 3-5 years
 A 3’ diameter vegetation-free zone around each tree is
ideal
 Herbicide – requires a couple applications/year
 Be careful spraying – avoid spraying the trees
 Follow all label instructions!
 Landscape fabric or other mulches
 May require maintenance over time to maintain
effective control
 Can provide cover for rodents – keep vegetation
next to fabric or mulch short
Kendra Gurney 48

49. Why Plant American Chestnuts?
1. To preserve native germplasm
2. Early successional habitat
3. Nuts for wildlife (and you!)
4. To accustom oneself to the care and maintenance that chestnut
trees require. Side effects of planting and growing chestnuts can
be several:
 nut crops--yummy!;
 wood for making stuff;
 have a place where people can learn about the tree and,
 learn about how quickly the fungus can attack and kill a tree with no
intervention.

50. Haun Orchard Project

51. Haun Harvests
51

52. Superior Trees
mudpack to keep many alive

54. Administrative Offices
Asheville, North Carolina
Meadowview Research Farms
Meadowview, Virginia
New England Regional Office
South Burlington, Vermont
160 Zillicoa Street, Suite D North Central Regional Office
Asheville, NC 28801 Penn State University
828-281-0047 Mid-Atlantic Regional Office
Charlottesville, VA
fax 828-253-5373
chestnut@acf.org Southern Regional Office
www.acf.org Asheville, NC