This is a great place for purchasing trees:
http://www.chestnuthilltreefarm.com
From their website:

Chestnut Hill Tree Farm was started in 1981 by R.D. Wallace and his wife, Deborah A. Gaw in Alachua, Florida, and was originally called Chestnut Hill Nursery. Wallace is the grandson of Dr. R. T. Dunstan, noted plant breeder and the first person to hybridize the French Vinifera wine grapes and the American muscadine. Dunstan also developed the Dunstan Hybrid Chestnut, a cross of a surviving American chestnut discovered in Ohio in the 1950s and USDA selections of Chinese chestnuts. Today, the Dunstan Chestnuts are the most widely planted chestnut varieties in the US, hold the only US Plant Patents ever given to chestnuts, and Chestnut Hill Tree Farm is a national leader in the developing U.S. chestnut industry.

Captturbo,

I bought the two live Chinese Chestnut trees on eBay from a seller that had very good feedback ratings. I looked recently and do not see him/her offering any, most likely because it is now winter, the ground is frozen and they cannot dig trees.

I do however see Chinese Chestnut tree seeds up for bidding on eBay, click on the link below.

Lou

Here is a link that might be useful: Chinese Chestnut Tree Seeds

Hi Captturbo

I get my very good chestnuts every year around August from a nearby farm in Howie in the Hills near my house.
Still have some in the refrigerator that I can send you if you want to try to start them.
You do need a lot of space for them, they are very tall! I am also including a link for this website that I order before, you can read some of the info that they have. And if you want a few chestnuts that I have, send me your address to my email.

Here are some pictures

Let us know what you decide...

Silvia

Here is a link that might be useful: chestnuts

Captturbo,

I finally found Chinese Chestnut trees from a nursery in Georgia.
I bought trees from them before and they have sent me some beautiful fruit trees.
I somehow missed their Chinese Chestnut trees when I searched from them earlier.

Lou

Here is a link that might be useful: Chinese Chestnut Trees

I sure want to thank all of you for the fast replies!

GatorMom: I sure wish I had room for big boys like the Dunstan trees would be but I'm in a residential development. I checked in on the Dunstan trees a short while ago when Lou offered me some saplings he plans to propogate. I was so excited about the prospect until reality crashed in on me about the size of those things!

And thank you Sylvia for your post and wonderful pictures! I wonder if you can tell me what variety of trees you are getting that are so tall? I know the American and Dunstan hybrid trees are monsters. Too big for my residential lot. I do believe that the Chinese chestnuts would only get to 30 to 50 feet and not have more then perhaps a ten inch diameter trunk. I certainly could be wrong but if I am, I could always do some pruning to keep them in bounds if I should live so long as to see such a problem.

Hi Lou! Thanks for brakin' my heart! LOL. I was hoping that you had purchased your trees from someone I could reach. I hate to say it but the last link you put up is one that seems to have declined in dealings and service. It seems (from my searches on GW) that some of the employees from this firm broke away from a nursery that was the worst and for a short time gave good service and had some happy customers. It's all about as clear as milk but from what I have read, the place you refer to is for sale and I'm guessing that much of the bad press they got was from the former nursery (where some of their employees came from) that has been mistreating customers for decades. I still might order from them if I find no other option. Oh, I haven't checked out the first link you posted but will do so as soon as I get my reply posted. Thanks to all of you for taking the time to help me figure which way to go!

If you got lost reading that don't feel bad. I'm confused just reading back my own scribble.

Please forgive me for spelling your name wrong Silvia. Long day and I'm a lousy speller in the first place. The pictures you posted seem almost unreal. Those tiny plants have nuts on them? How can this be? Oh wait, ... Because the greenest of green thumbs is growing them! I sent you an email.

PS: If you do send some seeds would you please cast a "green spell" on them so they behave like the things you plant? You are amazing!

Captturbo,

Now you've gone and done it... If Sylvia puts the 'green spell' on those seeds, they will grow into 200 foot tall trees and have a 20 foot girth trunk. The chestnuts will grow the size of coconuts and probably kill somebody when they fall.

Lou

Hi - You guys are so funny! I think I did not explained well, I have a farm near by and I go to pick chestnuts sometimes in August, the variety they are growing are very successful here, the farm is old so I assume the trees are old, they are just a touch bigger than their persimmons. I think Tom that is a native Floridian said the last time that chestnuts do well down south, again maybe he can clarify this.
About the edible nursery I had ordered from them before other kind of small plants, my yard is already packed, let the farm grow the chestnuts for me.lol
Capt, I got your nice email this morning, some chestnuts will be on the way, last time I picked a lot.
The people at the u-pick farm are really nice, maybe you can ask them some questions? I am including the link for you.

Silvia

Here is a link that might be useful: valley view vineyards

You have a point there Lou about Silvia's green spell causing CA Redwood sized Chestnuts however I think I will need her to bless these seeds anyway to get them started in their first few years of life. My brown thumb of death will be an offsetting factor. I will have years to care for and stunt the poor things back to something like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree. LOL

Oh, and if chestnuts really are $5.00 per pound as I read somewhere, I think I would like to have them the size of coconuts! There are a few people I know that I would like to invite to sit in the "shade" under those buggers! Hee!

Silvia, I can't thank you enough for going to the trouble to send those precious chestnuts my way. I'm surprised at how excited I am about this endeavor. I hope it is a success. I hope you and Lou might coach me getting them planted. Should they be planted as soon as I get them or must they go back in the fridge for a while? I know that I'm a good bit South of you all and in a different and warmer zone.

I don't know of a single chestnut tree anywhere near me and I have called all the nurseries and none of them grow them or have heard of anyone growing them here. One in particular that I called and maybe one of the largest in the state, Pine Island Nursery in Miami told me that they don't grow them because they aren't zoned for here.

It would be interesting to know where the the Southernmost chestnut tree lives. Maybe they will be here at my house? That would be very cool!

Capt, you are welcome! About the growing from the seed, I have not tried it. Lou is the Master of the seedlings and a very good coach! The seeds have been in the fridge since August...
By the way, how about Echo? maybe they have some info?

Silvia

Captturbo,

Plant the seed with the root shoot down or on the flat side if there is no root yet. Planting chestnuts in the ground is usually futile because of rodents. The way to get the trees established is to plant the seed in a garden-type setting, a seed grow bed or large pots which are protected from mice, squirrels, chipmunks, woodpeckers, blue jays, etc. Then the trees can be transplanted when they are older to their permanent site. You will want to start them in large (tall) pots, temporarily, until transplanted. Plant the seed about one inch deep, and when the seedling is about 8 inches tall, around 4 months the tap root will also be 8 inches long, it can be planted in a permanent site. If using a pot, make sure the pot is tall enough so that the tap root does not become root-bound because they grow a long taproot equal to what is growing above ground. Twist off the old nutshell before planting outside. You may want to make a hardware cloth tube type cage around each tree to protect the young trees from the rodents chewing the bark off. Believe me, every dang thing will attack the young tree until older.
NOTE; Zone 10 may be too far south but it won't hurt to try.

Lou

Silvia, I did call ECHO yesterday and they were not able to help but it was a good suggestion. Thanks.

Thanks for the tips Lou. I have my back yard garden area fenced with white PVC fencing. It's much like Silvia's pictures except for all the healthy plants! LOL. Anyway, my dogs spend a lot of time back there which seems to keep the tree rats and wabbits at bay. When the time comes to set the trees into their final homes I will need wire protection for sure because the squirrels are numerous on that side of the house.

I will start them in pots as soon as they arrive if that sounds right to you. I sure do hope they can live here in zone 10 and will try my best to see to it that they do. I'm thinking now that it is perhaps best not to purchase saplings which might die and cost a lot in the failed attempt. If the seeds sprout and do well I will consider buying saplings which are farther along to speed up my first harvest.

Oh, and another question: Should I soak the nuts for a period of time before putting them in the pots or just tuck them into the soil and water?

Captturbo,

I would just tuck and keep it moist, not wet.

I will explain the way I like to start seeds in pots;

I thread a COTTON clothesline rope through the pot bottom.
I fill the potting soil while holding the rope inch or two below the rim.
I place the pot on two bricks with a deep dish between the bricks.
The rope from the pot bottom wicks up the water the pot needs from deep dish.
It's very easy to see when to add water in the deep dish.
The pot maintains a perfect moistness.

I hope this helps,
Lou

That sounds wonderful. I must keep my eyes open for those deep dishes. I doubt I will have them on hand by the time I need them though for this effort. I will pot them up with the rope though and hope I can score the water dishes. Such a great idea!

I feel like a little kid and can't wait to get those seeds! Then I will be impatiently waiting for them to sprout, and then I will be jonsing for them to grow leaves, and then I will be tapping my foot waiting for them to ... hahaha!

I don't know about you all but it has been raining a lot here today. I have been sneaking out whenever it stops for a few minutes to harvest my collards and mustard greens. Will have another blanch and freeze session tomorrow. Aphids have exploded on me so I'm trying to harvest my way out of trouble. I love gardening but I hate these bugs!

You see Capt I was right on the money with Lou, he has it all figured it out! and I like the way he explains, he is a good teacher.

Your idea about growing them from seed first to see if they make it it is a good one. Even the bare root trees that I buy I let them grow for a year in the pot before I put them in the soil.

I don't have squirrels, moles or any other visitors, lol, not with my 3 dogs patrolling the yard and the fence. The backyard opens up to the trail where all the wildlife is.:)

Silvia

Yes Silvia, you did nail it. Lou is the go to man for getting trees started. Two dogs here and they own the place. I just pay the taxes. My one dog is a mix of Great Dane and German Shepherd and she with her deep voice and 115 pounds keeps the bad people away. My other brat is an English Chocolate Lab. At only 65 pounds she can run down a bullet so the tree rats don't even think about playing back there but the birds do sneak in an peck my poor tomatoes. Grrrr!!!

Oh Praise the Lord, I'm going to have chestnuts to plant! It's like sugar plums dancing in my head. I know Christmas has passed but thanks to our Silvia it seems to still be going strong for this 50 year old child. LOL

Silvia,

When I was much younger I did teach for a short time, I guess the ability never leaves a person. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with whoever will listen.

I have plenty of spare squirrels, moles, armadillos, mice, rats, rabbits, raccoons, foxes, opossum, gopher tortoise etc. etc. Just let me know how many of each you would like ;-)

Lou

Holy Cow! They are here! I can't believe how fast they got here! Thanks Silvia! Also you were so generous with the number! I opened three of the newspaper wraps and put the fourth in the fridge incase I need another try. I dumped the three into a pail of water and only had six floaters so I think that means that most are good seed!

I got eight of them into their first pots and will work on more tomorrow. This is going to be a lot of fun and I appreciate the impute that each of you has offered and can't find words to thank Silvia for sending the chestnuts here. I sure hope it works and will do my best to care for them.

Of course I will keep you all updated.

Hi Capt

You are very welcome and I hope that they do well for you, when the persimmons are ripe at the farm, that is the time for chestnuts, we have to pick with gloves.
Good quality chestnuts I always bought around Christmas time in another states that I lived and the imported ones from Italy were one of the best, the owner of the farm said that when he was in Venice they were selling chestnuts with the pricky coverings on like in the above picture that I took at the farm, the tree is much bigger size than what I show but you can always trimmed it back, all my fruit trees are kept small size except the plum and avocado, my family would not let me cut those.
With Lou's instructions I am sure you will just do fine growing the seedlings, patience is required.

Silvia