Even though the young chestnut trees have cages protecting them, I have still been excluding them from the sheep when grazing this paddock just to be safe.
We recently used the sheep to over graze the paddock these trees are planted in but I failed to exclude the sheep this time. They ended up completely defoliating the trees.
Thankfully, there has been plenty of rain since the sheep munched on the chestnuts and they are starting to grow new leaves. I think they will be just fine but nearly a mistake which would have destroyed years of work.
#permaculture #permies #homesteading #grownostr #meshtadel #selfsovereignty #silvopasture #chestnut #chestnuttree
quotingWild American Chestnut Seedling
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Found this wild american chestnut seedling just a stones throw away from the large mature wild american chestnut growing here on the homestead. I put some protection around it and have been watching it grow vigorously! I haven't been able to grow and seedlings from the few nuts I collect each year from the tree so this wild volunteer is very welcome.
The other seedling american chestnuts (seeds from twisted tree nursery) are growing well too. They are planted less than 100ft away. My intuition was confirmed on where to plant these chestnut trees when I discovered the large american chestnut. Sandy soil, very well drained, southern exposure. I haven't watered these trees once and even through the late spring drought they have continued to grow.
#permaculture #permies #homesteading #grownostr #selfsovereignty #chestnut #americanchestnut #silvopasture #swales #seedling
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