The Regional Science Coordinators of The American Chestnut Foundation have developed a best practices approach and illustrated documents to optimize the planting of chestnut, especially American chestnut. These fact sheet are used by orchard managers to develop a plan for their site that will give them the best germination rates, highest growth, and lowest risk of fatality. They can and should be used by anyone looking to plant even a small number of chestnuts, to assist with choosing the right location and planning ahead to provide the best chance for survival. There are many considerations when purtting together an orchard plan. What is the layout? How will the seedlings be protected from voles and deer? Does the soil need amendment? What do we do if we need to irrigate? Can we (do we want to) use chemicals, what will be used and who, how will that be applied? How often do we need to weed? How often do we need to inspect for insect pests? And what pests are we looking for?

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Each of these questions has been addressed numerous times, and the expertise is there to help the orchard manager draft their plan or help an individual consider what they need to to plant just a few seeds or seedlings.

We have both the original full-length manual as well as a condensed version. There is also a Best Management Practices document specifically targeted to those seeking to grow BC3F3 seeds. All of these documents are worth printing out and reviewing as you plan your planting.

Those of you reading this and wanting to get material to plant should consider joining TACF as an annual sponsor. Planting advanced breeding nuts such as the BC3F3 does require signing both a research participation and germplasm agreement agreeing to provide the American Chestnut Foundation annual metrics on the health and vigor of your tree.