Growing Chestnuts Commercially?
- Thread starter lafn96
- Start date
My cousin started out thinking that way as well. He's the one that got me started on planting them. I'd imagine there's a huge start up cost in equipment to do it commercially. Need these to produce before I even start thinking that way
DaveB
Well-Known Member
I wish there was a market for red oak acorns. I mean besides the squirrel mafias.
Seriously, I believe the plant to market time line is not correct for most fruit/nut trees. Lets say you are going to plant these sweet chestnuts. Do you plan to dig a hole and drop a seed? Or dig a bigger hole and plant a bare root or barely rooted container tree?
Okay, you do that when you are growing veggies? No. You test the soil and get it into the correct range. You work the soil. you give the veggies an easy time to grow a big healthy root system. You fertilize because a growing plant needs food.
I applied this to my fruit trees in California soil that was officially defined as degenerating or weathered granite. The spring/summer prior to planting bare root trees was when I started digging holes. The hole for a bareroot was 4 feet on a side and that deep. Half the dirt was mixed with quality topsoil and more fertilizer than you would believe. The rest of the dirt was used to terrace a small hill. I watered weekly. Why so early? I wanted the K-mart bags of fertilizer to be broken down well ahead of the bare root plants. And yes, I staked the trees N, S, E, & W beyond the hole as it was too soft to hold a stake.
I had growth rates and harvest quality and quantity beyond belief. All trees had substantial harvests the second year. For nectarines and plums this was less than half the time to harvest in the books.
If you do your soil prep correctly and far enough in advance you can place a seed or bare root and have confidence in the results. If your first crop comes in in half the time you have been told to expect your soil prep expenses will be covered. If it arrives just a year early you are still in the black.
Seriously, I believe the plant to market time line is not correct for most fruit/nut trees. Lets say you are going to plant these sweet chestnuts. Do you plan to dig a hole and drop a seed? Or dig a bigger hole and plant a bare root or barely rooted container tree?
Okay, you do that when you are growing veggies? No. You test the soil and get it into the correct range. You work the soil. you give the veggies an easy time to grow a big healthy root system. You fertilize because a growing plant needs food.
I applied this to my fruit trees in California soil that was officially defined as degenerating or weathered granite. The spring/summer prior to planting bare root trees was when I started digging holes. The hole for a bareroot was 4 feet on a side and that deep. Half the dirt was mixed with quality topsoil and more fertilizer than you would believe. The rest of the dirt was used to terrace a small hill. I watered weekly. Why so early? I wanted the K-mart bags of fertilizer to be broken down well ahead of the bare root plants. And yes, I staked the trees N, S, E, & W beyond the hole as it was too soft to hold a stake.
I had growth rates and harvest quality and quantity beyond belief. All trees had substantial harvests the second year. For nectarines and plums this was less than half the time to harvest in the books.
If you do your soil prep correctly and far enough in advance you can place a seed or bare root and have confidence in the results. If your first crop comes in in half the time you have been told to expect your soil prep expenses will be covered. If it arrives just a year early you are still in the black.
Swampster
Well-Known Member
Before spending a minute or a penny, I would research the heck out of the market and supply chain process.
