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[Jwlehman@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/4/2009 9:59:42 AM Eastern Standard Time, qazingulaza@gmail.com writes:

I have about 10 lbs of chestnuts stratified in my fridge &they are 
getting a mold that has lots of red color in it.  I even washed them 
off once &put them back in bags with peat but the mold which is 
extremely sticky to the touch is coming back again.  Does anyone know 
if I can freeze these &get similar germination rates of +90%?  In the 
five or so years I've been collecting nuts from my trees I've never 
seen mold on the nuts before.  Or maybe mold wouldn't be an issue...

Hello, mIEKAL,

No, don't freeze as freezing will kill them. This statement depends on at what temp, and I can't answer that. But in the normal freezer at zero F will kill them. Mold is always a problem with chestnuts. Especially if stored too wet.

May I suggest, but don't guarantee this. Wash them off again and let them dry for about 24 hours. Power them well with Captan, add slightly dampened milled sphagnum. If you can ring out water it is way too wet. But they may have already been killed. Open a few and see if they are rotting. I might suggest a storage temp of 30 degrees. Same goes for long tern scion wood storage, especially Prunus. Normal refrigerators are too warm. And too much moisture is also an enemy.

Jerry 

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