Description and Uses
Castanea sativa (Sweat Chestnut) is a
temperate
tree from
North West Europe . It is mainly grown for its
nut crops
, which have a
medium shelf life. The crop is harvested by
ground gathering. It starts flowering after
17 -
25 years. The yield will be
30 kg/tree/year, but in its top season there will be a yield of
60 kg/tree/year. Other crop types include;
nut, ornamental, mulch, timber, . The
seed/nut is used as
delicacy . The
flower is used as "
{missing data} " with
tannic acid (? -
?) as its significant
phytochemical. There is
Wild chestnut oil extracted by
steam distillation from the
tree's
seed/nut yielding
2.20% -
2.30% oil. The
tree's wood is called
{missing data} and has a density of
560 -
600 kg/m³. Regarding firewood production the
tree's growing speed is
medium, it's energetic value is
4200 ckal/kg and the wood's drying speed is
medium. After
80 years the
tree can be totally removed as it reached its commercial and ecological goal.
Castanea sativa has a lifespan of
1,500 years.
Environmental limitations
The tree is
30 meters tall with a crown of
26 meters wide. The
tree prefers a planting distance of
1,200 cm and a row distance of
1,200 cm. It is
fast growing and
partial shade tolerant.
Castanea sativa has a
shallow root-system and it has symbiotic associations with the
Pisolithus tinctorius fungi
(ecto-mycorrhiza). It is
not able to fix nitrogen with
"any bacteria. The name(s) or string of bacteria include(s)
"not applicable ". The
tree's flower-morphology is
monoecious and is pollinated by
bees.
Castanea sativa is
deciduous in dry season and
not allelopathic and has
no thorns.
Castanea sativa thrives in an altitude of
0 to
800 meters above sea-level
(temperate). The minimum temperature is
0°C; optimally between
15 -
24°C. The optimal rainfall is
1350
mm/year. Without irrigation the annual rainfall should be between
600 -
1500mm (L/m²). The optimal soil-pH is between
4.0 -
6.0 in a soil texture of
sand. To salt it is
intolerant to wind
tolerant and to fire
a bit tolerant.
Pests and Diseases
Castanea sativa is susceptible to the following pests:
. And it's susceptible to the following diseases:
(missing data) ,
,
.
Seed Propagation
Seeds are
stratificant and can be stored for
0 months. There are approximative
0
seeds/kg. The seeds can be propagated as followed:
- (1) Store harvested seeds moisty at a chilling temperature of 3-7 degrees C for 1-2 months
- (2) Soak the seeds overnight in warm water before sowing.
- (3) Remove the seeds from cold to a permanent warm temperature.
