[PCA] Guidelines Requested for Germinating American chestnuts

[Craig Tufts]

This weekend I ran the Blue Ridge from Rt 7 in Loudoun County VA north
to the PATC's Blackburn Trail Center. Along the way, I was overjoyed to
find two or three American Chestnuts, heavily cankered, but producing
what appear to be viable nuts. I see hundreds of root sprouts throughout
northern Virginia and twice before found trees large enough to bear
fruit-- but the nuts within were not viable. 

If anyone can direct me to best practices for maximizing germination,
I'd like to get some new trees out into old chestnut habitat. In the
least, they have some tolerance to the blight. Worst case scenario is
that I tried. 

The trees had been producing for two or more years based on older husks
on the ground. Watched one gray squirrel with a chestnut in its mouth.
How many gray squirrels can say they've done that in the last 100
years?

Craig 

NWF's mission is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our
children's future. 

Craig Tufts - Chief Naturalist
Director of Citizen Science Programs
National Wildlife Federation
11100 Wildlife Center Drive
Reston, VA 20190-5362
www.nwf.org

Phone: 703-438-6438  Fax: 703-438-6468  Cell: 703-608-6726  Email:
tufts at nwf.org

www.nwf.org