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[Charles Paradise <machelp@attglobal.net>]

Obviously I made a mistake when I said I'd attach "female" blossom to the
pole, I meant "male" blossom.  [to reach up and pollinate the female
Monster flowers high up]

Does anyone know if chestnut tends to have overlapping female & male blossoming periods on the same tree, or is it like some pecans where the female & male on a single tree tend to have different flowering periods?

My four mature chestnuts here on this property are blooming in mostly successive periods from each other and not overlapping.

The wet weather here now may stop pollination efforts in any case.  But the idea of having possibly a cross between two superior varieties, say Monster x Qing is kind of an interesting idea....not to mention getting to have more big Monster burrs with big Monster nuts in them.
Charlie Paradise

Jwlehman@aol.com wrote:

In a message dated 7/14/2004 1:40:54 PM US Eastern Standard Time, machelp@attglobal.net writes:
 

I have a grafted Luvall's Monster chestnut.  Big [say 1.5" round] blooms are evident on laternal branches just out of reach of step ladder.  But I can reach it with a tree pruner or stick.  What are the chances I could tape some female bloom of a different variety to a stick and reach up to the bloom on the Monster, shake some pollen onto the bloom and increase my chances of a set on those particular blooms on the Monster?

Hello,

Wouldn't help at all.

You would need to use catkins which are the male (staminate) flower where pollen is developed. Another point, chestnuts are mostly air pollinated, but some insects help also. You might collect a large amount of pollen from the donor tree, easy to do,  then using a leaf blower at low speed blow it up into the tree when no more than a light breeze is blowing.  Or after collecting the pollen hand apply it to the female (pistillate) flowers using a small paint brush or Q-tip.

Anyone else?

Jerry
 
 

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