Chestnut

[jerryatric]

So I found a small patch of mature Chestnut. I know there was a small amount of them that were resistant to the fungus that wiped them out but, I'm usto seeing them as saplings and then dieing off. These are 15" bhm and Healthy. Well as healthy as a chestnut looks Knarly and Evil looking. The owner says he's gonna cut the one down because it's on top of his quarry and the stone under it is worth  "X". Curious if there is anyone that knows how to safely remove and transport and retransplant a tree that size. I should say I know it's possible the better question is would anyone be willing to do it. Kinda an Icon tree in this day and age. They usto be the "Redwood" of the east coast.

[Tom]

Chestnuts are fighting a battle to keep from becoming extinct.  If, in fact, these chestnuts you have found are blight resistant,  They may be some of the few in the world left.   The people who are trying to save the trees would be very interested in getting nuts (seed) and cuttings from the tree. 

It would be a travesty for someone to take down one of the last of the chestnuts.

Get hold of your county forester for help.

You might also get hold of the American Chestnut Foundation for help.

Keep in mind that the Chinese Chestnut was brought here to this country to help to replace the lost American Chestnut and to help in bringing the American Chestnut back.  Find an expert to examine these trees to make sure that they are the American Chestnut. 

If they are an American Chestnut, they might not be worth a lot of money, but they are invaluable to future generations of Americans who never saw the Chestnut Forests, built with its wood or ate its nuts.

[5quarter]

A very large tree spade can safely relocate it, but cost is prohibitive. you should contact a forester to examine the tree to verify that it it is an American Chestnut and then contact the ACF as Tom suggests. At 15" dbh, the tree is probably about 20-25 years old. They grow very fast. most succumb around 9 or 10 yrs so those have so far beaten the odds. Most of the truly resistant tree still alive show scarring from the blight. if these trees are clean,, it may be that they have not yet been attacked.

   The chinese chestnut is a markedly different tree. it is generally smallish and crooked with a large crown. American chestnut tends to grow fast and straight and is a much more handsom tree. Also, do not publically disclose the exact location of the trees. only those who need to know should have knowledge of their exact location. I know of 3 American Chestnuts in NY that are without a doubt resistant, and as of last year when I was there, they are all in good health. as far as I know, only 2 people know their location...the property owner and myself.

   As a side note, I have often thought one could plant a field of several hundred trees for the nuts. nuts sales for several years would generate some nice income and as they died off, They could be cut and used or sold for post and rail fencing. Chestnut behaves like white oak with regard to rot. I think with the right planning and soil and climate conditions, one could make a good living or side income in this way.

   By small patch, how many trees are there? are there any saplings? You may be able to graft a branch from one of the best trees to the root stock of one of the saplings. Saplings you cannot guess as to their degree of resistance to blight, the largest trees May in fact be demonstrating resistance. Would really like a few photos and an update.

Chet

[Ianab]

Probably more important than the tree itself is it's genetic material.

Even if you can't save the tree, some cuttings, seeds and saplings from around it are probably even more important than the tree itself.

If the tree species is to be saved it will be from those disease resistant trees. Even if their offspring are not fully resistant, one or two percent may survive. Next generation will hopefully get better, until you can get a cultivar that can fight off the disease. Might take 100 years to achieve. But if those trees with at least some resistance are lost, it will never happen.

Ian

[letemgrow]

Can you get some pics of the tree?  I sure hope it is a pure american chestnut, but it may be a hybrid or a pure chinese.  Is its more tree form or like an apple?