1) Optimum container size depends on relationship between size of plant and how fast your soil drains. The faster the soil, the larger the container can be w/o concern for root issues. 2) The best mix would probably be 2/3 larger inorganic particles & 1/3 pine bark, but you could use a basic mix of pine bark, peat, perlite at 5:1:1to2 and expect good results. 3) Intervals between root-pruning will vary with your growing skill and container size. I'm guessing about every third year. 4) Regular pruning will be as required to keep the tree compact & in check size-wise. Best done before leaf-out or late summer while tree is developing and then, to keep it compact, in the first rest period after spring flush of leaves matures. No on the pollarding, but you will need to develop reasonable pruning skills to keep the tree looking good. 5) Chestnuts bear on wood that has acquired a particular ontogenetic age. Cutting back trees from seed would "reset" the age of the wood to a younger age (ontogenetically, not chronologically) and prevent flower/fruit. 6) Seedling/grafted - no matter. Get your "growing legs" under you any way you can. ;o) 7) Many chestnuts are susceptible to various disease & insect problems. Some are more resistant than others. This would be a good thing for you to research before deciding on a particular species, even genus, of tree. Al

I don't grow them(wish I did!), but both of the edible species, Shagbark(Carya ovata) & Shellbark(Carya laciniosa) Hickory's are native to Georgia, but not as widespread as in some of the other southern states. Commercial production of Hickory nuts is very limited, as most nut producers choose to grow it's close relative, Pecan(Carya illinoinensis's many cultivars). If you decide to grow them, it's best to plant a grafted variety, which can produce nuts within 8-10 years, whereas a tree on it's own roots will probably require 15 years to produce. Although each tree produces M/F flowers and is self fertile, at least 2 trees, spaced about 25 ft. apart, are recommended for cross-pollination and increased fruit production. Like corn, they are wind pollinated. They also have a deep taproot, making large specimens difficult to transplant. Early spring & late fall is best time to plant and available trees are usually shipped bareroot in the spring and should be planted immediately upon receipt. Potted specimens may be available, but I haven't found them at any of my haunts. Deep fertile soil is necessary and adequate moisture, but not bog conditions, is required during establishment and when fruit set is occurring. As you are probably aware, Pecan & Hickory nut meat is one of the healthiest foods available and can be used to replace, ounce for ounce, meat and fish for protein, is high in vitamins and contains unsaturated fats and no cholesterol. Has been suggested, but not approved, by the FDA, as part of a low fat, low cholesterol diet, for those of us with aged tickers! If you have space for some additional shade trees, they would be an excellent choice. Rb

Valerie, after looking at the Pioneer Woman's post on baklava, I think I can see a couple of reasons why you may have had difficulty with the cutting. First of all, of course, is not using enough butter -- between each sheet of fillo and especially on the top layer and around the sides and corners. The melted butter starts to immediately solidify a bit, so it keeps all the sheets intact and together, providing an easier surface for cutting. Secondly, I think there aren't enough layers of fillo on the top. That makes the top section thinner and harder to keep together. Also, I noticed that the nuts were coarsely chopped rather than ground or finely chopped. My mom and grandmother would always use one of those old fashioned metal hand cranked grinders for preparing the nuts for bakalva. With a thin layer of fillo on top and a bumpy layer of nuts underneath, I can see that it might be difficult to get nicely cut pieces. Finally, my mother & grandmother always divided the nuts into 2-3 sections, each separated by a few sheets of fillo. So we didn't have to cut through a single thick layer of nuts. Having the nuts more finely ground and separated into layers makes it easier to cut. I like to bake my baklava until it is a fairly deep golden shade. I really dislike the super pale, almost undercooked baklava I sometimes get at restaurants. I find that with the many layers of top fillo, the baklava stays crispy/sticky on top and sticky/moist on the bottom. To me, it's a perfect combination of textures. I don't care for dry baklava. And I really do not like baklava made with a sugar syrup. But that's because my grandmother was adamant about using all honey. She always felt that was what distinguished her baklava from other recipes.

Baklava is a bit time consuming, but easy to make. Try to get the freshest filo as you can - a Greek or Mid Eastern market will have the best filo. Otherwise, grab a frozen package from the back of the freezer section - it is more likely to have stayed frozen, thus making it more likely for the sheets to be whole. You can use filo sheets that have split, but it will take longer for you to put the baklava together. It is very important that you keep the stack of filo leaves covered with wax paper and a damp towel so that the leaves do not dry out. Filo often comes in different thicknesses; use the thinnest filo for baklava. Baklava I generally use pecans, but walnuts and/or almonds can be substituted. I use a large baking pan for this recipe. If you use a 13x9 inch pan, halve the ingredients. 2 pounds nuts 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup sugar 2 pounds filo 1 pound butter, melted Whole cloves Syrup: 5 cups sugar 3 cups water Juice of two lemons 2 cinnamon sticks To prepare syrup: Combine syrup ingredients together and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture starts to boil Lower heat to medium and let syrup boil for 15 to 20 minutes or until a dab of the syrup on a cold plate forms a thin, sticky syrup. Let syrup cool. Set aside. To assemble Baklava: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grind or chop the nuts and mix thoroughly with the cinnamon. Brush a 18x12x2 inch pan with butter, lay a sheet of filo in the bottom of the pan, brush with butter, and then repeat process until you have used about ten sheets. Spread one thin layer of the nut mixture on top of the filo, cover with a sheet of filo, brush with butter, cover with a second sheet of filo, brush with butter, cover with another layer of nuts, and repeat this process until all the nuts are used. Then cover with the remaining filo sheets, brushing each sheet with butter. With a sharp knife, cut the baklava into triangles (cutting diagonally across the pan). Insert a clove in the center of each triangle. Bake at 300F for 1-1/2 hours or until the baklava is browned and has pulled away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and let cool. Pour � of the syrup over the cooled baklava and cut through each piece so that syrup will penetrate the baklava. Let baklava sit for 30 minutes or so and check to see if syrup has penetrated to the bottom of the baklava. Add remaining syrup as needed. Cover baklava with foil and let it sit overnight. Cut into pieces and store in a tightly covered container. Baklava lasts a long time in the refrigerator and can be frozen.