1. How much does a chestnut seedling cost?

According to Mr. Li, a chestnut grower, the price of chestnut seedlings on the market is 0.4-1 yuan per tree.

2. When should chestnut seedlings be planted?

Plant chestnut seedlings about half a month before germination in spring (mid-to-late March in southern Shandong), and the survival rate is higher. In addition, the survival rate of chestnut seedlings is also very high when transplanted about 10 days after the leaves fall in autumn.

3. How to cultivate chestnut seedlings?

(1) Chestnut planting environment

1. Temperature: Chestnut is suitable for growing in the annual average temperature range of 10~17℃. The average daily temperature during the growing period (April to October) is 10~20℃, the winter temperature is below -25℃, and the suitable temperature during the flowering period is 17~27℃. If it is lower than 15℃ or higher than 27℃, pollination and fertilization will be affected. and fruit setting. During the fruit enlargement period from August to September, average temperatures above 20°C can promote nut growth.

2. Moisture: Chestnuts can be planted in places with an annual rainfall of 500 to 2000 mm, but places with an annual rainfall of 500 to 1000 mm are most suitable. Different phenological stages have different requirements and responses to water, especially during the chestnut grain-filling period in autumn. Sufficient water is beneficial to the substantial growth of nuts and the increase in yield.

3. Light: Chestnut is a light-loving tree species and requires sufficient light during its growth period. In valley areas where the average daily lighting time is less than 6 hours, the trees grow upright, with thin leaves and thin branches, low yield and poor quality. Therefore, when choosing a garden site, establishing planting density, pruning methods, and other aspects of cultivation and management, chestnuts should be considered based on their strong light-loving characteristics.

4. Soil: Chestnut is suitable for growing on sandy loam soil with high organic matter and good ventilation, which is conducive to the growth of root systems and the production of a large number of mycorrhizae. It does not grow well on soil that is heavy, has poor aeration, and has poor drainage in rainy seasons (easy to accumulate water). Chestnut is sensitive to soil pH. The suitable pH range is 4 to 7, and the most suitable is slightly acidic soil of 5 to 6. The weathered soil in limestone mountainous areas is mostly alkaline and is not suitable for chestnut development. The weathered soil of granite and gneiss is slightly acidic and well-ventilated, making it suitable for chestnut growth.

(2) Chestnut cultivation technology

1. Garden site selection: Chestnut garden should choose sandy loam soil with low groundwater level and good drainage. Avoid planting in places with saline-alkali soil, low humidity and easy waterlogging, and strong winds. When developing millet orchards in hilly areas, you should choose mountainous areas with gentle terrain and thick soil layers. Later, you can gradually expand to areas with poorer conditions.

2. Variety selection: Variety selection should be based on locally bred excellent varieties. According to different food requirements, roasted chestnut varieties should be the main ones. Appropriate development of excellent vegetable chestnut varieties should be done. Taking into account foreign trade exports, we must also take into account domestic market demand. At the same time, a reasonable mix of breakfast, lunch and dinner varieties is achieved.

3. Pollination tree configuration: Chestnut trees mainly rely on wind to spread pollen. However, because chestnut trees have heterosexual male and female flowers and autoflowering, single varieties often produce empty buds due to poor pollination. Therefore, the newly built chestnut orchard must be equipped with 10 pollinating trees.

4. Reasonable dense planting: Reasonable dense planting is the basic measure to increase the yield per unit area. A plain chestnut orchard should have 30 to 40 plants per mu, and a mountain chestnut orchard should have 40 to 60 plants per acre. It is planned to plant densely planted chestnut orchards with 60 to 111 plants per acre, and then gradually thin out rows and plants.