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Chestnuts
Posted on October 4, 2020 8:00 AM by Gerry Trout
 
 
Have you seen these on the road down by the creek?  They are Chinese Chestnuts.  
 
I had heard about the American Chestnut blight, so I sent a sample branch with leaf buds and a few leaves to the American Chestnut Society a few years ago.  They sent me back information about American Chestnuts:  there are indeed some American Chestnuts making a comeback, but the Chestnut trees down by the creek are probably Chinese Chestnuts, a different species, and more disease resistant.  I've even seen that scientists are cross-pollinating American Chestnut with Chinese Chestnut, to breed a stronger, more disease resistant strain of tree.
 
 
The trees down by the creek seem to be cyclical in their fruit bearing.  Some years they are loaded and other years, sparse.  Anyway, this year I've already seen the husks on the ground, and some nuts have already popped out of the hulls.  FYI:  we have discovered (the hard way) that inside each chestnut there is a little worm.  Left at room temperature, they will eat their way out of the nut, leaving a little hole.  We just put them in the freezer for a day or two, then roast them.  
 
DO NOT PICK UP THESE HULLS WITHOUT GLOVES!!!  As you can see, they are quite prickly.  Learned that the hard way too.
 
I only collect a few nuts for a treat, and leave the rest for the deer and turkeys to eat.  They are probably an excellent source of fattening food for the critters.  Maybe the squirrels will plant some of the seeds, and we'll get more Chestnut trees.  It sure works with the Hickory nuts.  
 
HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
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