I should also mention I live in ConnectiCan't (where capitalism goes to die) so they were stratified.

Plants for a Future database...

Castanea dentate (chestnut) PFAF.org - Seed - where possible sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or in a seed bed outdoors. The seed has a short viability and must not be allowed to become dry. It can be stored in a cool place, such as the salad compartment of a fridge, for a few months if it is kept moist, but check regularly for signs of germination. The seed should germinate in late winter or early spring. If sown in an outdoor seedbed, the plants can be left in situ for 1 - 2 years before planting them out in their permanent positions. If grown in pots, the plants can be put out into their permanent positions in the summer or autumn, making sure to give them some protection from the cold in their first winter

Sounds like a good candidate to sow in Fall, not winter.

This post was edited by morz8 on Thu, Nov 27, 14 at 10:14

Oh so they are a bit fussy! That would explain my failure. Thanks Bro.

As said here above they are best sown immediately after harvest and better not be stored.

When sown in pots: use a well draining sowing compost with enough sharp sand or perlite otherwise the seeds may rot. Plus: seedlings must not be kept in a pot for very long or they will develop girdling roots.

This post was edited by GardenPrince on Sun, Nov 30, 14 at 3:01

Good to know!

Last winter I had bought Chinese Chestnuts from S.Store and had them in the fridge, I ate some and found that this variety was better raw not roasted. Some of them were already past prime, these ones if you pressed on the shell they would collapse a bit. So when I started to germinate them I used the best that I had, I also noticed that they had up to four parts. This can cause problems because some of the seed may not be viable and they rot even though part of it germinates. So out of perhaps 20 I ended up planting 4 seedlings in the ground in different spots. One plant was very vigorous and grew to about 14" by the end of the season. In my zone 3 they are unlikely to survive the winter but it was just an experiment to pass the winter. DIDTO about trans planting, they grow very long root system very fast.

This is a pretty interesting thread... because I pull chinese chestnuts out of my yard all summer long because they grow like weeds! I used to try to give the seedlings away, but no one ever wanted them- so now they get pulled and tossed into the back meadow where I don't care if they live on or not.

But if my yard is any indication.. they like a loamy sandy soil. Cold stratification with fresh seed is a good thing, because the squirrels bury them in the fall and not too deep either- and all spring into summer they pop up. Heck, I've sometimes pulled out seedlings that the seed was barely buried with soil at all, and you could see part of the seed exposed.

It is true they can develop a good root system pretty fast. The seedlings I pull are a good foot tall, got their first set or two of true leaves- and still have a great deal of the nut, with a nice tap root growing out of it.

beesneeds, i would be interested in trading for some of your Chinese chestnuts, when you have some available. i know they would be big for shipping, but i gather some interesting tree seeds throughout the year, if thats something you are looking for....or we could trade...2-3 of something smaller --->for one, or something to make it worth your extra postage...i would send postage too, if you wanted.

i do sometimes start certain things from commonly available markets, though the better markets/farmers market with more organic/natural foods, generally go better. with nuts, they need to be completely raw and fresh....unfortunately not many available for sale in stores are...but theres some companies that i think do truly raw nuts, that might be fresh enough for planting. tree seeds are trickier, they usually need cold strat, and only are viable for about a year...

i have sucessfully started nuts anyway, chestnuts, pecans and hazels and even some walnuts...though these were either totally fresh from people with nut trees, or purchased. the easiest way is plant them fresh in the fall, let winter have its way with them, and in the spring they pop up, at least a few out of dozen or so....this last week in California the trees i started last fall just started popping up =)

but i am a big fan of experimenting, the worst that can happen is it doesnt work, thats not so bad! so keep trying...

i would love to put in a big order for tree seeds, nuts and fruit from one company i know of... ummm heres a link -

F. W. SCHUMACHER

Castanea = Chestnut

if you have extras from stuff like that you might be able to sell them for seed. chestnut and other nuts seeds go for a lot and are hard to find for those of us who want to plant nuts...

Later summer/early fall is when chestnuts start dropping around here, so yeah, keep in contact and I can get ya some fresh seeds.

I don't know if I could sell the seeds- heavens knows I've offered them for trade every fall here on GW for years and no one was interested. I do have an etsy shop though, maybe later this year when they start falling I'll give it a shot to seed if the seeds sell or not.

coolio =) yeah look me up.

i know what you mean, though, i have offered some interesting tree seeds, that i was really psyched about having, to my trade lists and not had anyone interested. its not what most people are into...

i guess its a smaller niche...but its my favorite thing these days, any perennial, but especially fruit and nut trees. a lot of people are kinda biased against trying to start things like this from seed too...theres some good reasons to....in most peoples ideas about it (limited and without experience).... not know about what comes "true to type" etc...but many kinds of fruit and nut do come up true to type, or at least very close, while a handful dont (apples are the most well known example, but others too). seems like the genetic variability of apples/etc makes people think you cant get any good fruit or nut tree from seed...while thats not true. certain types of fruit and nuts are fine (stone fruit for instance and many nuts) but they wont even open up to the idea.

ah i have wandered far from our topic, sorry!
but i dont think the OP is here? anyway....

and well i have looked online for nut seeds...and the above was the best place i found especially for larger amounts.......but yeah i have seen people selling chestnut for seed on ebay for 5 bucks + for just a few....

I hear ya on sometimes folks aren't too keen on trying fruits and nuts from seed. Me, I like trying it. Like this year I'm trying thimbleberry from seed- I'm extra keeping my fingers crossed about the thimbleberry because I'm extra dying to have those growing on the back 40- I winter sowed two containers and I'm also starting some indoors- just to keep my best up to get a go on those. I'm also trying goji berry that I got in a swap too. Sooner or later I want to get some more nut trees planted in on the back 40- almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts... if I could source out American chestnut that isn't all crazy I will.

And shoot, 5 bucks for just a few chestnut seeds? Maybe I should open an ebay account, lol.

I DID IT --- with you all's help. I was the one that started the thread asking about my chestnuts. Well I put them in the fridge in a cheap plastic tub with a damp paper towel as recommended and checked and washed them every week. Changed the wet paper towel. Same method I used for peach pits and Iris seed, apple seed etc. That did the trick.

Well the big one is about 7 inches from nut to tip. Looks like the cat ate half of one leaf. None of the nuts spoiled. Two are still in the fridge just starting to put out their roots. The rest are in the windows.

I will separate them given what some of you said about the roots this weekend.

Thanks again everyone!

I don't know what kind they are. I got them out of a big barrel at Walmart and we even had to guess at the price at the checkout. They were marked from Italy though. They are going in the woods and someday we are going to have some very happy fat squirrels.

hey thats fabulous =)
it is such a satisfying feeling getting tree seeds to sprout! it's always great to see new sprouts, but with the baby trees its especially nice feeling =)

i just got 6 new peach trees and a few plums...so far, and its really early. cali is super warm this early spring...so theres more that are hopefully ready to sprout any day now =)

Congrats Leila! I got two plums myself. One just sprouted last weekend. The other last fall (Plum from the supermarket).

I was so proud of my plum, it grew like 6 inches and my cat decided to eat all the leaves! I was furious and I really thought he killed it but it has made a miraculous recovery. Now keep it where "Piggy" would have a very hard time getting to it.

Maybe you can answer me something else. I have had some peach pits in the fridge using the same method and finally one split open. There was a seed inside and it was all white and it splitting in two. I took this for normal and planted it in a pot on a sunny window. That was more than a week ago. It did not have roots it was just very delicate and halving itself. Is this normal or was it rotting on me?

hmmm....that sounds normal, but sometimes they do fall apart. its hard to say.

with peach (plum, cherry, apricot and whatever other STONE fruit, as well olives, citrus,and others) some people say to remove the outer part of the seed.
that outer pit part, isnt the seed, its the covering for the seed, so it gives some protection. some people take nut crackers or pliers and open them up, then just plant the seed. with lemons and citrus theres like a jacket the seed is wearing, with olives its very difficult....but with peach sometimes i do that.

i figure tho the seed likes its little "jacket" it gives protection. but it can also prevent enough moisture getting in there...so sometimes i just "nick" them or open it a little, wait for the rest to come off naturally

part of what winter does to it is to swell up and open the outer covering...so i think this is better as a sprin planting method, or with really dry older seed. or you go throuh the ones that didnt sprout and open those up, sort of a last ditch try. its tricky and hard not to smush the seed inside, but i have done it well...and lose a few out of a bunch...

anyway one of the most awesome things about plums (besides yumminess =) is how strong and tough they are! you cut them up heavily and they just resprout, people sculpt them even !

you can also take cuttings and then lay them HORIZONTALLY in soil, or somethin soil like...and they sprout whole new trees. they are good for pleaching and making hedgerows. not like other fruits, which can be a lot more fussy.

Wow I will have to try that with the plumbs!

i would also someday like to play with this =) but i have more ideas than i have time =) you know!

Pleaching: The art of training trees

Pooktre: The Art of Shaping the Living Trees

Living structures

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=587

i did do some experimenting with willow...making fences and weaving them, it is really slow going....but plum is one of the best IMO