Contents

1.1 Description of the Plant

Castanea mollissima—marketed in Canada as **“Soft Chestnut”** for its thin, easy‑to‑peel shells and tender kernels—is a medium‑sized deciduous tree (12–18 m) with a broad crown. …

1.2 Historical and Cultural Context

Cultivated in China for over two millennia, the species spread along Silk Road trade routes and ultimately reached North America in the early 1900 s. Crucially, Chinese chestnut carries **strong genetic resistance to chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica)**, the fungal disease that devastated North America’s native American chestnut. Because of this resistance, Chinese/Soft chestnuts are presently the only reliable edible chestnut that can be grown at scale in Canada. They anchor modern blight‑resistant breeding programs and serve as hardy, productive orchard trees for cold climates.

1.3 Edible, Medicinal, and Useful Properties

Edible: Nuts are  50 % carbohydrate, 5 % protein, and low fat (%). High in vitamin C and manganese, they have a mildly sweet, chestnut‑honey flavour.

• Roast whole at 200 �C for 20 min after scoring shells.
• Grind dried kernels into gluten‑free flour for cakes, cr�pes, or thickening stews.
• Simmer peeled nuts in plant milk, pur�e, and sweeten with maple syrup for chestnut cream.

Medicinal/Utility: In Traditional Chinese Medicine, inner bark teas were used to soothe coughs. Leaves contain tannins suitable for natural dye baths (soft yellow‑brown). Timber is rot‑resistant, medium‑density, and excellent for outdoor carpentry, fencing, and furniture.

Ecology: The tree supports pollinators with pollen‑rich catkins and offers habitat and mast for wildlife such as wild turkeys, squirrels, and deer.

Overwintering Options (Chestnut)

If keeping young chestnuts in pots:

• Unheated Garage or Shed: Store pots in an unheated, sheltered space (garage, shed, root cellar) where temperatures remain between and . Ensure good ventilation to prevent mold. Avoid spaces that warm above , which may break dormancy.
• Bury the Pot: Sink the entire pot into the ground to the rim in a well-drained, protected area. Apply a 10–15 cm mulch layer (wood chips, leaves, or straw). This buffers freeze–thaw cycles and keeps the taproot from drying out.
• Cluster and Insulate Above Ground: Group several pots tightly together on bare soil (not concrete). Surround with straw bales, wood chips, or leaf bags for insulation. Wrap exposed sides with insulating material (foam, corrugated plastic, or burlap). This reduces root kill from deep cold.
• Rodent Protection: Chestnut stems are highly attractive to voles and rabbits. Always use a hardware cloth guard (6 mm mesh) around each stem, buried 5–10 cm. Above-ground clusters should also be wrapped with mesh to exclude rodents.
• Keep Dormant: Chestnuts defoliate in autumn and require a true cold dormancy period. During winter they need no light, but soil should be kept slightly moist. Check every 4–6 weeks and water sparingly if dry.
• Avoid Heated Spaces: Do not overwinter in basements, heated garages, or indoors. Warm temperatures disrupt dormancy and weaken spring flush.

2 Planting Outdoors (Castanea mollissima)

1. Site Selection — Full sun; well-drained loam or sandy-loam, pH 5.0–6.5. Avoid heavy clay or waterlogged ground. Chestnuts are highly taproot-sensitive, so deep, loose soil is essential.
2. Spacing — 8 m between trees (≈150 m per mature crown) for orchard layouts. Plant at least two unrelated cultivars or seedlings within 25–30 m for reliable nut set, as chestnut is self-incompatible.
3. Soil Preparation — Rip or loosen top 40–60 cm. Incorporate 5 cm compost and 1 kg rock phosphate per planting hole to support root and burr formation. If soil tests > 6.8, apply elemental sulfur to lower pH. Do not lime.
4. Pollination — Ensure overlapping bloom between at least two unrelated trees. Chinese chestnut requires cross-pollination for nut production.
5. Companion Planting — Works well with nitrogen-fixers (goumi, Siberian pea-shrub) at the drip line; understory of shade-tolerant herbs or berry shrubs can be added once trees establish.

Additional Planting Notes

• Drainage > fertility: Chestnuts hate wet feet. Prioritise drainage and deep loosening over heavy amendments.
• Overwintering in containers: If holding past 3 L, shift by mid-August into 10–15 L fabric and cluster/bury to the rim or surround with mulch/straw bales on soil—not concrete—to buffer freeze–thaw.
• Frost pockets: Avoid low spots; slight mid-slope is best to reduce spring frost damage on new shoots.
• Wildlife pressure: Expect heavy deer, rabbit, and vole interest in years 1–2. Use 6 mm hardware cloth around the stem and a 1.5–1.8 m deer cage (≈60–75 cm diameter). Bury the cage base 5–10 cm.
• Watering & feeding: First summer—deep, infrequent watering. Moderate nitrogen only; stop high-N feeds by mid-July to harden growth.

5 Ongoing Plant Care

1. Watering — 20 L weekly during first two summers; mature trees tolerate brief droughts but crop best with  25 mm rain equivalent per week in midsummer.
2. Mulching — 8 cm wood‑chip ring (keep 10 cm clear of trunk) to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
3. Fertilisation — Each spring broadcast 150 g balanced organic fertiliser per trunk‑diameter cm; excess nitrogen reduces flavour.
4. Pruning — Train central leader for first 4 years; thereafter thin crowded interior branches in winter to boost light and airflow.
5. Pest/Disease — Monitor for chestnut weevil; collect and heat‑treat dropped nuts at 49 �C for 30 min, or encourage poultry to glean fallen burs.

6 Harvesting and Storage

• Harvest Time — Nuts drop free of burs Sept–Oct; rake daily to deter rodents.
• Processing — Remove burs with leather gloves; cure nuts 7 days at 15–18 �C, 60 % RH to sweeten starches.
• Storage — Refrigerate in breathable bags 0–2 �C, 85 % RH up to 3 months; or freeze peeled kernels for year‑round use.

7 Propagation

• Seed — Sow fresh stratified nuts 5 cm deep in seedbeds protected from rodents; 50–70 % germination.
• Grafting — Whip‑and‑tongue scion grafts onto 1‑year seedlings in late spring for named cultivars.

8 Recipes and Uses

Classic Roasted Chestnuts:

Score shells, soak 10 min, roast at 200 �C for 20 min, peel while warm.

Pressure‑Cooked Chestnuts:

Score shells, place on a trivet with 2.5 cm water, cook at high pressure 10 min, allow natural release 10 min. Peel—the skins slip off easily while hot.

Chestnut–Pumpkin Soup:

Simmer 250 g peeled chestnuts with 500 g pumpkin, 1 L vegetable stock, sage, and salt; blend until velvety.

Chestnut Flour Pancakes:

Mix 150 mL chestnut flour, 150 mL light spelt flour, 5 mL baking powder, 1 egg, 250 mL oat milk; griddle until golden.

9 Summary

Blight‑resistant Soft Chestnuts thrive where American chestnut cannot, making them the premier edible chestnut for Canadian orchards and food forests. Plant a pair for dependable autumn harvests, wildlife support, and rot‑resistant timber that will serve generations.