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Planting and Growing Best Management Practices for Reintroducing to Your Property

Planting and growing chestnut is a rewarding I. THE RESTORATION PROGRAM OF TACF challenge. As with growing anything, there are some As stated above, the goal of TACF is to restore the “rules of the road” that will help with the successful to its original range. TACF works establishment and growth of your chestnut trees. towards this goal with a program that includes breed- The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) is work- ing, testing, and reintroduction. ing to restore the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) There are several efforts underway to restore the to its original range. To do this, we must a lot of American chestnut involving traditional breeding trees! To date, we have planted over 100,000 trees as methods, simple conservation strategies, methods that part of our mission. would reduce the virulence of the blight , as Restoring the American chestnut to its native hard- well as modern gene-transformation techniques. is not a single event, but a process that While TACF dabbles in each method, we focus pri- marily on classical breeding techniques, most specifi- will take generations to complete. Along the way, a cally backcross breeding. While the broadest goal is to blight-resistant American chestnut will face the same restore the American chestnut , the organiza- challenges that today limit regeneration for many spe- tion focuses on two major objectives: (1) introducing cies in the eastern forests. Key among these the genetic material responsible for the blight re- challenges is competition with other , dispersal, sistance of Asiatic species into the American chestnut; and wildlife predation. What we understand about and (2) preserving the genetic heritage of the American these challenges and how the chestnut grows in re- chestnut species by a) planting and native sponse to them is vital to restoring this keystone spe- germplasm before it disappears and b) incorporating cies. that material into our breeding program. By developing a minimum of six breeding generations, I. Restoration Program of TACF 1 along with other techniques, TACF hopes to create a II. Site Selection 2 blight-resistant American chestnut. In 2008, the first III. Site Preparation 3 members of our sixth generation cross were estab- IV. Maintenance 5 lished in forested plots with the USDA Service V. Planting Planning and Execution 8 as part of the testing and reintroduction portion of TACF’s restoration plan. If you plan to join our efforts, please take a few TACF plans to test these initial breeding lines for ap- minutes to review the following information so that proximately 10-15 years, looking closely at growth, you might get the most out of your chestnut planting. morphology, and blight resistance. If this material We hope that by following the recommendations con- passes that extensive testing, wide-scale distribution tained within you will realize the and and planting of material should follow. growth potential of your new chestnut trees, and in But TACF can’t stop with the first material developed turn, improve the value of your property. through our breeding efforts. Volunteer growers con- tinue to plant testing, conservation, breeding, and www.acf.org www.sfiprogram.org 1

demonstration every year. Though the first Figure 1. An open field (A) can be an ideal place to start your chestnut representatives of our sixth generation are being tested, trees. Be sure to manage the sod cover. A recently clearcut area (B) can also the work is far from over. Restoration of a species is be a fine place to start an . The soils are often fertile and the site will have less weed/grass competition than a field. the goal. As such, we need as much diversity in our breeding program as possible. As TACF moves for- they do have ward, it will be vital to incorporate more American some general re- chestnuts, more Chinese and Japanese chestnuts, and quirements. different types of breeding strategies that will help cre- 1. Well- ate a self-sustaining American chestnut population for drained, acidic many generations to come. soil type. This PARTICIPATING IN TACF’S A is *the* most PROGENY TESTING important con- At the time of this writing, TACF currently has several sideration when testing lines of advanced backcross American chestnut planting chest- material available for planting. As “testing lines,” they nuts. Choose need to be put to the test! This means they need to be wisely. Sandy, put out in the field under several varieties of conditions loamy, well including forested sites, non-forested sites, various soil B drained and and climate conditions, as well as different silvicultural somewhat acidic treatments. soil (pH 4.5-6.5) on gently sloping, fertile land is best. Avoid heavy soils or planting in Remember that TACF has only just begun releasing swales. Review your property’s location on coun- initial TESTING lines of mostly American chestnuts ty soil maps from the Natural Resources Conserva- that are expected to have high amounts of blight re- tion Services (NRCS). Many of these are available sistance. Even though some may have high amounts on-line through Web Soil Survey (http:// of blight resistance, there is no guarantee that the trees websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/), but you may will perform as well as we hope. In addition, one can also find them in your local library. be assured that at least some percentage will get the blight*. 2. Test for rot in the south. See subsequent section on Pests and Now that you are ready to help TACF achieve the goal Pathogens. of American chestnut restoration, there are a few deci- sions to be made that may help ensure a well- 3. Exposure. Full sun is often best for growth, vigor established and maintained planting of American and production. A sheltered north-facing chestnuts. slope that provides protection from drying winds and the low sun of winter may be better for cold or

windy sites. Planting on a slope may also help alle- II. SITE SELECTION viate some drainage issues. The first decision that you are going to need to make 4. How many trees / how much area to plant. when planting chestnuts is WHERE to plant your How many trees and/or how much area to plant chestnuts. Typically, chestnuts are a hardy species, but really depends on several factors. What type of trees you’ll be planting, how long you want to have * This is because the focus used in breeding is one of RESISTANCE and not IMMUNITY. Immunity to the blight is currently an impossibility. them on your land, and the amount of land you Even Chinese chestnuts get the blight to varying degrees. have available, which could be the most important

2 Chestnut Reintroduction BMPs v. 2011

limiting factor. (Will you plan on inter-planting chest- nuts with other species? Please see the last section of this BMP for some tips.) Remember that you will need to plant at least 2 chestnuts to get production. Account for some mortality over the years, and plant at least 5. If you just want to plant a few trees, a good amount would be between 10 to 50. For those who want to plant 100s or 1000s of trees, the

economies of scale will set in, of course! TACF often recommends that new growers

start by testing their growing methods and Figure 2. Chestnut growth in response to release. This cookie, taken form a land by planting 10 - 50 American chestnuts in Stahlstown, PA, shows very little growth for the first 32 years. Fol- before planting many and/or implementing lowing a thinning in the 1990s, however, the tree grew almost one inch in large-scale planting projects. This “trial run” diameter per year for the next eight years. can be a very valuable exercise to learn the fin- very closely with ARRI, the Appalachian Regional Re- er points of growing chestnuts. forestation Initiative, to plant on AMLs in the most

appropriate fashion. One of the most important III. SITE PREPARATION things to keep in mind is that drainage is key, and some heavy land manipulation may be required on these Site preparation needed will depend on the condition lands. More information on reclaiming these areas can of the site. If the site is uncultivated, trees and brush be received by contacting TACF and/or ARRI. should be removed, the field mowed, and re-growth controlled. FORESTED SITES Assuming you want maximum growth and nut produc- Forested sites typically have proper mycorrhizal associ- tion, you will be choosing a relatively open site. One ations for trees and may maximize growth potential of the easiest ways to do this might be to plant in an because of their fertility. There are several ways to open field. prepare forested sites for plantings.

OPEN FIELD OBTAINING A FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN Old fields can be easier to maintain, but they often contain hardier weeds that require persistence in man- Before moving forward with any forest clearing pro- agement to control. They can also harbor different jects, TACF recommends consulting with a profes- kinds of pests and vermin. For example, meadow sional and creating a forest management plan. voles are more highly populated in field sites. In addi- Forests are complicated entities, and certain actions tion, in earlier years, pests such as and leafhop- can swing value - either economic or ecological - either pers tend to also be in higher abundance in old fields. up or down. Professional can help manage those decisions by a) establishing baseline information ABANDONED MINELANDS about stands on your property; b) implementing differ- Many areas within the native range of American chest- ent management units and plans based on stocking, nut may be defined as an abandoned mine land (AML). regeneration potential, and landowner goals; and c) Depending on the way the site was reclaimed, refor- making landowners aware of cost-share and other op- estation may be more or less difficult. TACF works

www.acf.org www.sfiprogram.org 3 portunities that can assist them in executing their man- . With a good management plan, agement plan. and well-implemented harvesting and post- harvesting strategies, these can be controlled. Many state bureaus offer some amount of free consulting time with their service foresters. Typically, Shelterwoods: If a full clearcut is not required, some initial consults are free, but the creation of the plan shelterwoods can often be more beneficial to may require a fee. If your state is not one of those that chestnut reintroduction than full clearcuts. Be- offers those services, there are many well-qualified, cause chestnuts are somewhat shade-tolerant, they certified and/or consulting foresters from which to can often out-compete more vigorous species in a choose to create you forest management plan. shelterwood than they can in a clearcut.

FOREST PREPARATION OPTIONS Gaps: Gaps in forested areas may also be used for Even-age forests are created using regeneration cuts single tree plantings. These can be created either that include clearcutting, seed tree and shelterwood. through natural occurrences such as blow-downs While most of us understand the term “clearcut,” or lightning strikes, or through deliberate removal “seed tree” and “shelterwood” may be unfamiliar con- of specific trees. With at least 40% removal of cepts. Simply put, a seed tree harvest is a regeneration canopy over a planted chestnut tree, and with cut where some mature trees are left on the site to pro- proper follow-up maintenance, this strategy can vide seed to regenerate the stand. A shelterwood, on successfully reintroduce the species in your wood- the other hand, gradually removes all the mature trees lands. through a series of cuts. This technique provides both PLANTING ESTABLISHMENT a seed source for regeneration and protects the devel- Once you have determined the site prep necessary for oping understory. All of these systems mimic large your planting, the next decision that will need to be natural disturbances. Tree species that respond best to made is whether to plant or . Before even-aged management include , eastern white planting, be sure to keep your seed in cold storage, , black cherry, and tulip-poplar. such as in a refrigerator, until you are ready to plant. Uneven-aged forest management produces a forest or The colder the storage (but above freezing), the longer stand of diverse ages and sizes. This type of regenera- the seed will keep. DO NOT FREEZE the nuts. tion cut is generally employed to regenerate species that are more tolerant of shade than those regenerated Chestnuts may be directly sown into the ground, but through even-aged management. , Ameri- seedlings may also be available for large-scale planting. can , black and yellow , eastern hemlock, In either case, the best time for planting is often the basswood, and pignut benefit from uneven- spring. Bare-root seedlings can be planted in the fall, aged management. Uneven-aged management mimics but these are most often recommended for more small natural disturbances by selecting individual or southern areas. small groups of trees for harvest. In most cases, landowners planting advanced material Therefore, based on what you plan on having in your from TACF will be planting bare-root seedlings. Be forest, you and your professional forester may discuss certain to follow proper planting protocol when doing the following options for chestnut reintroduction: so, including proper planting time, creating a large Clearcuts: In some cases, a clearcut of a site may be enough hole, and sufficient watering during and after required. Chestnuts and other forest species may plantings. Many cooperative extension programs have do well in a clearcut, but there are some considera- very well-written documents on proper bare-root tions to keep in mind. Clearcuts may allow for the planting. Please contact TACF, or your professional introduction or proliferation of high light-loving 4 Chestnut Reintroduction BMPs v. 2011 forester, for more specific instructions. ing is browse by deer. Not only will deer eat many newly established forest trees, especially chestnuts, they You may also start seed indoors for your own use. may also harm or even destroy them through buck rub. TACF has documentation on any of these methods. These issues may not be as problematic in some areas Simply e-mail for specific instructions if you plan on as others. And, in some cases, a landowner may have using a method other than bare-root establishment. enough land where proper deer management programs Be sure to record everything you did! Especially note can be implemented. As before, a good management any changes made to a planting plan, if one was made. plan, and/or consultation with a wildlife professional

can be of great benefit for proper implementation.

IV. MAINTENANCE Before you plant, you’ll need to determine what sort of DEER MANAGEMENT TO ENHANCE PLANTING maintenance regimen you’ll be employing. Mainte- SUCCESS nance considerations include fertilization, watering, by Kip Adams, Quality Deer deer and other , and weed control. As Management Association with anything, a decision you make in one section of (QDMA) maintenance will affect and/or limit the choices you For tree plantings to be have in another area of maintenance. Choose wisely! most successful, the deer The next few sections will cover some of the choices population should be you will have in maintaining your . managed concurrently Recommendations are made, some more highly than with the habitat. Balanc- others. While TACF encourages and thrives on exper- ing the deer herd with imentation by their growers and cooperators, there are what the habitat can sup- a few things that we have learned along the way. port provides tremen- Figure 3. Continued deer browse of There are mistakes that have been made, ones we hope dous benefits to deer, the sprouts from an American chestnut you will not have to face in your chestnut growing ca- habitat and numerous stump. reer. Please look over this section carefully and work other wildlife species. closely with your forester and/or TACF Staff to The proper number of deer for an area depends on choose the right methodologies for your land and life- many variables including habitat quality, age structure style. of forested habitat, soil quality, climatic extremes, sea- Although planting and growing chestnuts can be very son, landowner’s goals, and many others. rewarding, there are many pitfalls, all of which may not Balancing the deer herd with the habitat is achieved by be covered in a single publication such as this one. annually removing antlerless deer. The appropriate The Chestnut Growers website (http://sfr.psu.edu/ antlerless harvest rate varies by region, but you can cal- public/chestnut) has a section devoted to case studies culate a target antlerless harvest by using an estimate of from growers on their experiences in growing chest- the deer herd or of your habitat quality. Numerous nuts. The site is often updated, so it is recommended population models suggest a harvest of 20 to 30 per- that any grower keep an eye on the site for updates, cent of the adult does (not fawns) in a population will and join the TACF mailing lists to stay up-to-date on stabilize the herd. If your goal is to increase the herd, the newest technologies related to chestnut growing. harvest fewer than 20 to 30 percent of the does. If your goal is to decrease it, harvest more than this per- DEER CONTROL centage. If you do not have an estimate of the number One of the most common setbacks in chestnut grow- of deer in your area, you can use ballpark harvest rang-

www.acf.org www.sfiprogram.org 5 es based on habitat quality. You can stabilize a deer ters). In some areas, a multi-strand baited electric herd by harvesting approximately one adult doe for can be effective. Some growers have used 8- every 25 to 100 acres of high-quality habitat, one adult foot tall plastic fencing with some success. Several doe for every 100 to 300 acres of moderate-quality growers have erected their own fencing, often habitat, and one adult doe for every 300 or more acres proving more cost effective over professional in- of low-quality habitat. As above, harvest above these stallation. Several examples of these fences are rates to reduce the deer herd. available on the Chestnut Growers website.

DEER EXCLUSION AND REPELLING 3) Caging. For small amounts of trees (about 10-20 Other landowners may not have the acreage, or but no more than 50, as a general rule), wire cages enough neighboring, managed acreage, to properly made from 6’ lengths, hog rings, and electric fence manage deer populations themselves. In these cases, rods may deter deer as well. Four foot tall chicken individual deer exclusion methods will need to be im- wire cages have proven effective as well. plemented. The American Chestnut Cooperators Foundation has a website devoted to the construction of wire 1) Tree Shelters. One of the first places many grow- cages for chestnut trees (http://www.accf- ers turn when trying to protect their trees from online.org/cages.htm). The taller the cage, the deer is to plastic tree shelters. TACF typically does smaller the diameter can be. As a general rule, not recommend tall, narrow, plastic tree shelters in though, try to use a 6-foot-tall fence approximately many cases, though this technology is starting to 3 feet in diameter. We recommend a minimum of improve. Depending on other establishment meth- 4 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter. ods employed, i.e. vegetation control, etc., there are other options including several types of mesh 4) Deer Repellents have proven effective to a certain tubes, hardware cloth exclosures, “superwide” extent. They must be re-applied biweekly and after tubes, and others. Each come with their own ad- any rainfall. You can purchase commercially availa- vantages and disadvantages. ble repellents based on beef blood or coyote urine or make your own (although collecting coyote urine 2) Fencing. The most proven method of deer pro- may prove to be a difficult task). Several reviews of tection is an 8-foot, woven wire fence (with 2 foot repellents are available online, and these are sum- tubes inside the fence to protect from smaller crit- marized at http://sfr.psu.edu/public/chestnut/

breeding/pests/deer/fencing When using deer repellents, fencing is not a re- quirement. Short tree shelters may still be used to protect from rodents and from herbicide damage. Be certain to apply the repellent on a regular basis. Again, fencing is the most effective deer control method. Figure 4. Improperly protected chestnut VARMINT CONTROL stems are open to attack by various crea- tures. The tree on the left shows sign of Chestnuts are a prized food of many species, humans groundhog attack. The tree on the right not being the least of them. Blue jays, turkeys, bears, shows signs of vole attack. Protect the young saplings from a number of hungry vegetarians with the use of plastic tree shelters. The stems are almost deer, voles, mice, , chipmunks, raccoons — completely girdled and also now have wounds that are open to significant just about everything will eat chestnuts. And they blight infection. Also remember that vole attacks tend to be worse in field won’t just eat the nuts themselves, but also the stems. situations vs. forested ones. Or, in the case of bear, can break the trees in half. 6 Chestnut Reintroduction BMPs v. 2011

In order to protect your planting from would-be ma- Figure 5. cankers on an American chestnut (A) and a Chinese rauders, both at the nut stage and beyond, it is im- chestnut (B). In A, showing a tree with high blight-susceptibility, one can see the distinctive orange coloration of the blight fungus, on of the only fungi in the native portant to employ the right hardware. TACF employs range of American chestnut that looks like this. The Chinese chestnut in B is the use of several types of protection including several exhibiting a high amount of blight resistance; the canker is barely noticeable. brands of short tree shelters and aluminum flashing. That in C shows some moderate amount of susceptibility with the orange colora- No matter what method you choose, they should al- tion showing through, though only in a mostly superficial way. ways be properly established and maintained. 1) Keep the tube in place. Most shelters ship with wooden tree stakes. These rot fairly quickly, usual- ly within about 2 years. Fiberglass rods are often perfect for the job, but if they are unavailable, re- bar may be used, or, of course, the wooden stakes as a last resort. B 2) Erect the shelter “right side up.” When shelters are shipped, one lip is curved outward — that is the top of the shelter, related to #3 below. 3) Sink shelters in the ground. After planting the nut in the hole be sure to sink the shelter into the ground about 2 inches. This will serve to protect from voles both at planting time and beyond. The pictures on page 6 show damage by rodents to im- A C properly protected trees (Figure 4).

agent for proper identification of diseases and their appropriate controls and/or prevention. OTHER PESTS INSECTS 1) Chestnut blight. TACF exists because of the at- tack of chestnut trees by the chestnut blight fungus Besides mammalian predators, there are many insects (Cryphonectria parasitica). Rest assured that some who will jump at the chance to attack your chestnut trees will eventually get attacked by natural infec- trees, not the least of which are Japanese . tions of the blight. Even Chinese chestnut get the Bagworms, orange-striped worms, cicadas, ambro- blight! The only question is to what degree it will sia beetles, and gypsy are just a few of the in- affect them. sects that have affected our orchards in the past. Be 2) Phytophthora root rot. Particularly in the warmer vigilant in keeping an eye out for insect invaders. Con- climates of the south, chestnut trees fall prey to sult with your extension agent or TACF Staff and another fungus known as ink disease or Phytophtho- growers to properly identify the pest and the proper ra root rot. Currently, the Asiatic species of chest- control methods. nut are generally resistant, but some lines of PATHOGENS TACFs advanced material are not. TACF recom- mends testing in wetter areas and those south of There are a of pathogens that can and have at- central Pennsylvania, when possible, so as to avoid tacked orchards. As with insect attack, be vigilant and infected areas. To date, no confirmed attacks of keen to sudden changes in survival or health of the chestnuts by Phytophthora cinnamomi have been in trees in your orchard. Whenever possible, consult with Pennsylvania or northward. the TACF Staff, growers, and/or your local extension

www.acf.org www.sfiprogram.org 7

VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, Here again is where a consulting forester and/or good FERTILIZATION, AND WATERING planning can help when establishing a restoration Depending on the size of the planting you’ve under- planting. Spacing and establishment protocols for taken, and the type of maintenance plan involved, you each of these species may differ somewhat, so always may or may not want to include fertilization and water- follow species specific planting and site selection ing in your plan. guidelines. MEASUREMENTS Vegetation management, however, is absolutely essential. Weeds will significantly and negatively af- As a final word, because TACF is still in the beginning fect the growth of young trees; grasses in old fields are stages of testing it’s most advanced, potentially blight- especially tough competitors. In any planting, vegeta- resistant material, there is a need for landowners plant- tion must be controlled for at least the first 3-5 years ing American chestnuts to report their findings. following establishment. Growers with most success The degree to which you might participate in the keep a weed-free area of at least 2-3 feet in diameter TACF testing plan can vary from a strict, scientifically around their trees. laid-out progeny test, to simply sending in some pic- You can mow, , use a tarp or other plastic wrap, tures and quick write-up of your thoughts on the plant- mechanically remove, or spray with herbicide in order ing. to manage vegetative competition. Some growers pre- If you are interested in the former, please work with fer to use organic options of weed control, while oth- closely with TACF Staff to properly establish the ers do not have this constraint. planting and to institute a measurement program for With a well-established forest management plan, and your trees. TACF has training programs available for follow-through with trusted professionals, proper veg- those who would like to participate, especially if you etation control can be implemented. have a group of volunteers who can also help.

V. P LANTING PLANNING AND EXECUTION

INCLUDING OTHER SPECIES For more information, please contact: The American Chestnut Foundation IN YOUR PLANTING 160 Zillicoa Street, Suite D Depending on the goals of your chestnut planting, you Asheville, NC 28801 828-281-0047 may consider including additional species. Goals such [email protected] as habitat improvement, hardwood stand development, etc., would influence the species selected to plant Acknowledgements: Many thanks to those who helped write alongside chestnut. this article: Sara Fitzsimmons, Kendra Gurney, and Bryan Burhans from TACF; Tracey Coulter of the PA DCNR; and Kip Adams of Typically, American chestnut can grow well with a QDMA. Extra special number of native Appalachian species, but some of the thanks go out to the Sus- tainable Forestry Initiative best associates are white pine, red oak, white oak, (SFI) for providing the chestnut oak, and tulip tree. As for the mid and under- funding to produce this story, flowering dogwood, Rhododendron, mountain document. laurel, and blueberries often do well with chestnut plantings. This list, of course, is not all-inclusive. Simply look to your own forest or those around you for ideas of species that might work on a site that is also suitable for American chestnut reintroduction.

8 Chestnut Reintroduction BMPs v. 2011