Do the burrs on your Dunstans open when they’re ready? Most of mine don’t!

I’d say at least 80% of the burrs on this tree fall to the ground having never opened or get hung up in the tree and never fall to the ground. The other 20% only partially open or open fully allowing access to the nuts. If this tree were in a wildlife setting my critters would have a very hard time gaining access to the nuts or even knowing what they are. Something to think about when planting chestnuts.

[@DouglasCorrell1]

Somewhere on youtube I've seen a video from a commercial grower who notes that his local whitetails quickly stomp open burrs that fall intact. My young dunstans are few years from bearing burrs, so I'm learning what i can from my neighbor's massive chinese trees,

[@MattPatterson1411]

I sure hope my deer will learn to do the same.

[@sagedyal5411]

I think there is a ton of variation in dunstans from tree to tree. My cousin has many planted in the deer woods and about 4 in his yard. The ones in his yard (they are the only ones I have seen during drop time) seem to drop most of the burs when they are almost completely opened. The nuts sometimes come out of the burr when it hits the ground. Walk under the trees and there will be tons of nuts out of the bur and some still in but it is mostly opened. This is kind of rare to me, as any chestnuts i have almost always need to be rolled under your foot whether they are opened fully or partially, to get the nuts out fully. I have heard otherwise from some friends who have some as well so as I said I think they vary a ton from tree to tree. This really isnt a good thing as you never really know what to expect from the dunstan tree(in my opinion). For example I collect nuts from a BC3F3 hybrid that seem to be mostly closed when they fall but (if the squirrels do not get them) they tend to open a good bit a few days later. But it seems like that last ones to fall are always almost fully opened.

[@MattPatterson1411]

I think you’re correct about there being a lot of diversity from tree to tree. The trick is to find those trees where the burrs open fully and collect nuts to grow more trees. This is especially important for those of us who are growing these for wildlife. My problem is that I don’t think that I have a single mature tree that does this. I planted a few more Dunstans this year from a different source so it will be several more years before I know the fate of those.

[@jamesbarron1202]

How well do your big chestnut trees take drought compared to your pecans? I just wonder how they’ll do in a year like this without watering them. My small potted ones sure can’t take drought even in shade from noon to sunset but being potted can make a drastic difference than being in ground. I never water trees the size of those your showing here. I water smaller newer trees. I just got all 3 of Alberts Pineapple Guava varieties delivered in the mail today and planted a new fig yesterday. I’m getting quite a fig collection.

[@MattPatterson1411]

I hardly ever water my pecans. The chestnuts on the other hand are a different story. My big trees had so many burrs this year it would have been rough on them had I not watered. Even with me watering once a week I have one tree that lost a significant amount of leaves and I think most of the nuts are going to be trash. It’s one of my late droppers too that people are wanting nuts off of. Bummer.

[@jamesbarron1202]

@@MattPatterson1411 everyone says they can’t take saturated soil and that’s got me wondering where to plant mine. Up on the bone dry shallow rocky sand hill or down in my lower section where the sand is deeper and a little better moisture but during flood conditions it gets just like the sand you sometimes see on the Red River where when you step on it the entire ground moves because it’s floating on water. You sure don’t drive your truck on it when it’s wet. My dad and my friend both stuck their 4x4s in my pasture. I doubt they’d survive in that lower elevation (if it ever floods again) seems like we’re turning into a desert. I’m still below 1” of rain total since May. 4 small showers and each less than 1/4”. I’m going to be watering and mulching my young trees all day today.