In the classroom we learn about the Sweet Chestnut. We learned that those chestnuts are actually seeds that the tree drops so that new trees grow out. At home I put my collected chestnuts in a pot of soil and watered them, but nothing grew. What did I do wrong?
Answer
Best,
Great that you are trying to grow chestnuts. What went wrong is that the seeds have dormancy or winter dormancy. Nature has provided for that well. Germination rest ensures that the seeds do not germinate for the winter. The young plants could freeze to death. Seeds of many plants, including many native trees, therefore need a cold period. One speaks of vernalization with a difficult word. The cold ensures that dormancy is lifted. To germinate your chestnut nuts, you can either leave them outside during the winter so that they can germinate in the spring just like in nature, or you can keep them in the fridge for a while to break the winter dormancy.
When the seeds in your pots of soil are still good, put them in the cold and be patient until spring.
Good luck!
borrow.
Answered by
dr.ir. Lee Lee
Plant breeding, plant genetics, ornamental plants, horticulture
Burg. van Gansberghelaan 96 box 1 9820 Merelbeke
http://www.ilvo.vlaanderen.be
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