1	Starting a Chestnut Orchard American Chestnut Foundation Tennessee Chapter 3rd Annual Meeting 2/22/2004 Clint Neel
2	The Sower
3	Orchard Options
4	Location
5	Location Hillsides or well-drained bottom lands are best Chestnut thrives in well drained but moist soils Avoid chronically wet sites Sandy, gravelly, or loamy soils are best Heavy clays are less desirable, but tolerated if not wet
6	Tilled or No-tilled
7	Planting Considerations Faster/ easier after disking ground Seasonal/ soil moisture effects Starting seeds indoors is the most reliable Direct seeding requires protection from animals
8	Types of Cover Crops Legumes such as ledina clover & spiny vetch Temporary annuals such as wheat & rye grass Permanent cover such as fescue
9	Pesticides versus Organic Weed Control - Round Up or Mulch and Hand Removal Insect Control - Sevin or Traps Ink-root Disease - fungicides such as Banrot, Alliette, Subdue or relocation
10	Fertilizer Application Industrial fertilizers or compost Acidic soils (pH 4.6 to 6.5) use 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 For more alkaline soils use higher nitrogen such as 20-6-6 or 30-10-10 Apply 1 lbs of granual fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter, half in spring & half in early summer Osmocote +Miracid at 1/4 tsp per gal water
11	Mulch or Bare Ground Mulches include plastic, bark, and organic matting Bare ground aids in prevention of vole damage Weeds/ grasses should be kept away from trunk
12	Spacing Requirements Seed orchards ~30 trees/acre Row spacing based on age at innoculation Backcrosses spaced 7 feet (5 yrs old) Intercrosses spaced 2 feet (3 yrs old) Between row spacing depends on mowing equipment
13	Types of Herbivore Protection Tall deer fences Electric fences Plastic tree tubes Aluminum flashing Repelents/ predatory decoys
14	Beersheba, Tennessee
15	Irrigation Meadowview System ($30,000+) included pump/ filter & concrete pad, semi loaded with mainline & lateral pipes, trenches, valves, saddles, riser lines, wiring, & glue Simpler systems may be devised
16	Supply List for 1/2 Acre with 300 BC3 Trees Plus Controls Wire Flags (4 packs of 100) Plastic Mulch (4’ wide x 2400’ long) Slow Release Fertilizer (100 lbs) Long Handle Bulb Planter/ Spade Vermiculite (Two 4 cubic feet bags) Perlite (Two 4 cubic feet bags) Peat Moss (Two 3.8 cubic feet bags) Aluminum Flashing (4- 10”x50’ rolls) Labels/ Record Keeping
17	Some Supplies...
18	Planting Mix
19	The Goal
20	The End