Buy Chinese Chestnut Tree for Sale Online
The Chinese Chestnut Tree, botanically named Castanea mollissima, is attractive, easy to grow, produces sweet nuts, and is a great choice for wildlife planting!
It is common to see hunters or animal enthusiasts grow Chinese Chestnut Trees for deer and wildlife food plots. Not only do deer, squirrels, birds, and other animals adore to have a chestnut treat but they are also consumed by humans around the world! You may see them at holiday parties or being sung about in a familiar Christmas song being roasted on an open fire.
The tree boasts large branches with a full canopy of dark green foliage and leaves. It is a deciduous tree meaning it will lose the green leaves in winter but not before it puts out a gorgeous display of fall colors to prepare for dormancy. In late spring, creamy white flowers will open up and eventually mature into spikey burs that house the sweet chestnuts inside for you to enjoy.
How to Grow Chinese Chestnut Trees That You Bought Online
Growing Chinese Chestnut Trees is becoming more and more popular amongst gardeners! If you live in the United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness zones 4-9 you can successfully grow these nut trees in your landscape. They prefer a planting spot with full sun to produce bounties of chestnut nuts. Moist, well draining soil is best with a slightly acidic soil pH. However, they are adaptable to many soil types and planting sites (excluding clay soils).
A thick layer of mulch will help to retain moisture during the warm summer seasons as well as deep, scheduled waterings. Be sure to water well the first year of planting to establish a strong root system. Castanea trees are drought tolerant once established and watering can be decreased in winter.
In late summer and early fall, the chestnut fruit will begin to fall to the ground and split open. You can also gently shake the trees to encourage them to fall so you can scoop them up for eating. They have a good storage life and can last several months in a dark, cool place with their shells on.
American Chestnut vs. Chinese Chestnut
Chinese Chestnuts are extremely disease resistant, especially to the devastating culprit called chestnut tree blight that plagued hundreds of American-grown trees.
Additionally, the Chinese chestnut leaf shape is rather different than the American chestnut leaf. Chinese Chesnut leaves are more oval and American Chesnut leaves are oblong and skinny. Both have pointy ridges at the edges of the leaves.
The fruit on the Chinese cultivar is an inch or two larger which means more sweet tasting nuts for you to enjoy!
Chinese Chestnut Growth Rate
The Chinese Chestnut Trees size at maturity is up to 40-60 feet tall and wide making it an excellent shade tree. The growth rate is up to 1-2 feet per year. An annual application of slow release fertilizer will assist in helping the tree grow tall and strong.
Do Chestnut Trees Need a Pollinator?
You do need two chestnut trees to cross pollinate and make nuts. You can do two of the same species or choose an American Chestnut tree to plant nearby for pollination.
Chestnuts can be enjoyed fresh (raw) off the tree or roasted for a savory sensory event.
Shop the Chinese Chestnut Tree for sale today to grow delicious edible nuts for both human and wildlife consumption!
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