We've had a pretty good stretch of very hot weather in April. It has been 90 degrees and hotter, Saturday through today, with temps beginning to lower by Wednesday. So how is this affecting the trees? Our concern about purchasing the tubes was about heat collection in the tube. However, although the tubes are called "grow tubes", they are ventilated. About 18" from the ground the ventilation begins and is about 12" from there. Hopefully this will be enough to allow heat to escape and prevent the tree from burning. We'll let you know in about a week how that is working out.
2 comments:
Hi,
I grow Chinese chestnuts here in Missouri. The Qing and Peach nuts for the seedlings you planted last year probably came from me (via Greg Miller).
Now that your growing Dunstan Hybrid seedlings, let me clue you in on how they do. They tend to not be as winterhardy as Qing and Peach, though that may not be that much of a problem in VA. Many Dunstans have large nuts and the kernel quality is good. They tend to have leggy growth with somewhat sparse leaves. By culling down the road you can overcome some of this.
I gave up on tree tubes over 10 years ago and yes tried the ventilated tubes as well. Watch out for the bamboo stakes rotting at ground level all too quick causing the tubes to fall over. Expect only one year out of the bamboo stakes. Also expect paper wasps to use many of the tubes as a home. The trees tend to get overly spindly inside a tube that is 5 feet tall. The best senerio is to have the tubes short enough for the tree to grow out the top by late in the growing season. Of course, then you lose your deer protection. That's why we have gone to welded wire cages secured by a 4 foot length of rebar. The cages are 4 or 5 foot tall and cut in 5 foot lenghts then made into a hoop and placed over the trees. This gives you the deer protection without getting spindly trees. Spindly trees are more susceptible to wind breakage and are not as winter hardy.
Also just figure on tank watering the trees to keep them in good condition. You want trees that are thriving, not just surviving. That means tank watering once a week once hot summer weather hits and soil conditions become somewhat dry. Then during droughty conditions plan on tank watering twice a week. Basically adding 4-5 gallons per tree each time.
Weeds and grass need to stay 3 feet from the tree also.
You are making progress I can tell, and keep up your enthusiasm, its a fun project with great rewards when you get those delicious nuts.
Greg, thank-you for your comments and advice. Our largest hurdle, by far, has been the deer pressure. We planted about 30 acres of trees, so the tubes seem like the best and most cost effective decision for us at the moment. But we will watch for tree quality as they grow in the tubes.
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