3rd Annual
Indoor American Chestnut
Nurseries in Appalachian Schools
February 2011

Lake City Middle School, Anderson Co., TN
White Oak School, Campbell Co, TN
Clairfield School - Claiborne Co., TN

Visit our
American Chestnut pages to

learn more about the process

CLICK HERE TO learn more about the
American Chestnut from Charlie Chestnut!


image from blog.jackburchett.com

These were proud, GIANT trees at one time!!

View the progress at each school
in photos below!

The U.S. Office of Surface Mining (OSM) and the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) are conducting research on whether American chestnut seeds should be planted directly on mine sites prepared by the Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) or whether they should be grown in a nursery and then transplanted to FRA sites as bare-root seedlings.  Students at Lake City Middle School, White Oak School, and Clairfield School will expand the OSM/TACF study by growing chestnut seedlings in indoor nurseries and then evaluating the success of transplanting potted seedlings at mine sites prepared by the Forestry Reclamation Approach.


Image from www.cooperativeconservationamerica.org


Forester Vic Davis, with the Office
of Surface Mining (OSM), instructs
students on the best way to
plant nuts in the pots


Thanks to teachers Sara Malicoat &
Ms Griffin  (Clairfield School),
Juanita Melton ( Lake City
Middle School), and
Ashley Ogg (White Oak School).

Rather than merely planting American chestnut seeds in plastic pots, students are researching and experimenting to engineer a better chestnut pot.  Experience shows that bigger pots allow better root development to reduce transplant shock.  However, bigger pots are more expensive in terms of potting soil, nursery space, transportation, and labor to dig holes deep enough at FRA sites to accommodate the bigger potted seedlings.  American chestnuts prefer loose, rocky ground.  The loose part will make the digging easier, but the rocky part will present problems. 

(A big THANK YOU to Greg Miller, owner of Empire Chestnut Company for providing us with the nuts for our indoor nurseries!!

If a seedling can be grown in a biodegradable container, then the seedling can be transplanted without being removed from the container.  The theory is that transplant shock for seedlings grown in smaller biodegradable cylindrical containers will be comparable to seedlings grown in larger pots, but can be done at lower cost.

The step-by-step procedure used to make the paper pots can be found HERE!


Barry Thacker, PE, distributes nuts for students
to plant in their pots to grow for spring planting

Kopper Glo Fuel, Inc. has invited students to plant their American chestnut seedlings at its mine site in Clairfield, which is reclaimed by the Forestry Reclamation Approach.  Details of the mining and reclamation process at the site can be found at http://www.coalcreekaml.com/MineRecLesson3.htm.

Data gathered during the growing and transplanting will be compiled and documented on this web page. 

The goal here is to gain experience for the day when blight-resistant hybrids are ready for planting.  We want to have a high survival rate because there won’t be a lot of hybrid nuts available in the beginning.  Also, there won’t be seedlings to plant that first year, only nuts, so we want data to justify which techniques to use.

Additional photos and details are shown below.

LAKE CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL PHOTOS: 
(Be sure to view White Oak School and Clairfield School photos below the Lake City Middle School photos)

 

POTTING MIX RECIPE:  12 quarts peat moss, 12 quarts vermiculite, 12 quarts perlite, 2 tablespoons lime, and 3 tablespoons Terra Sorb

FERTILIZER:  ¼ teaspoon (i.e. a pinch) of Miracid will be dissolved in a gallon of water for combination watering and fertilizing.


WATERING:  We want the potting mix to maintain the feel of a wrung-out dishrag and will water to maintain that consistency.  If the pot becomes saturated, then we will know to cut back on the amount of water.  Also, water that accumulates in the bottom of the container should be emptied.  Chestnut seedling roots may rot if they grow into standing water.

 

Equivalent Measures

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon = 1/3 cup
8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup
12 tablespoons = 3/4 cup
16 tablespoons = 1 cup (8 ounces)
2 cups = 1 pint (16 ounces)
4 cups (2 pints) = 1 quart (32 ounces)
8 cups (4 pints) = 1/2 gallon (64 ounces)
4 quarts = 1 gallon (128 ounces)

 


Image from kitchengardeners.org

WHITE OAK SCHOOL INDOOR CHESTNUT NURSERY:

Group shot!
     
Watch them grow!!
UPDATES: March 14th

CLAIRFIELD SCHOOL INDOOR NURSERY SET-UP!

"
Group shot!

Principal Thomas
Zachary always professional
in his white shirt & tie
     

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