Chestnut Trees

Its no secret that deer absolutely hammer apples and crabapples, and we’ll go as far to say there may not be a more effective “draw and hold” to deer than a big grove of them. However, a big orchard of fancy named varieties can be a rather expensive and time consuming chore for the weekend warrior or gamekeeper to undertake…meaning less time and money spent managing the rest of your property when you are busy spraying for bugs and diseases that high end apples often require. To those who can put forth the extra effort and expense to plant and manage the larger, grafted cultivars we applaud you. That being said, we have a solution we believe may be a better option for most wildlife oriented folks, and it’s available in our super stout, yet seedling-sized “wild” crabapple. Our “wild” crabs are actually seedlings from our favorite crabapple selections and wild types such as: Dolgo, Transendent, Chestnut, Centennial, Whitney, and Prairie crab. Having a mixed bag of genetics and drop times from hardy, heavy bearing, disease tolerant favorites in an economical, and simple to establish and maintain rapid mast seedling should be a no-brainer to anyone wanting to spread some apple madness on their place. With our “wild” crabs, combined with tree tubes and a little extra TLC for the first few years of growth, expect flowering and fruiting to occur on some trees in as little as three or four growing seasons, with the remainders putting on heavy crops no later than seven or eight years. So if you’re looking for heavy crops of highly preferred apples dropping from late summer and on into fall, but don’t want to put your county extension agent on payroll, try our “wild” crabs on for size. Zone: 4 - 8 Soil pH: 5.0 - 7.5 Wildlife Value: Excellent. Site Preference: Full sun. Fruit Maturity Date: Late Summer, Early Fall Fruit: Pale green blushed yellow

This red oak is a sure-fire winner for ducks, deer, and folks who don’t think they have a green thumb! Nuttall oaks are easy to establish, and grow like a weed as a young tree. Even better, Nuttalls can tolerate poorly drained sites more so than any other red oak. Wait there’s more! Many of our Nuttalls don’t even think about dropping until December, which means one of the highest carb acorns (about 45%) are on the ground when ducks and bucks need energy the most. Deer people: Plant Nuttalls in the back corner of your favorite big late season food plot, or along their favorite trail leading to that plot. Duckers: Establish Nuttalls in areas that can be flooded most every winter. Remember all duck holes need an occasional break from flooding. Call our MOLES staff for more help on establishing and managing oaks in your timber holes. Nuttall oak is definitely on our top five list of favorite oaks! Type: Zone: Red Oak section 5 - 9 Soil pH: 4.5 - 6.5 Mature Height: 100' Wildlife Value: Acorns are a favorite to deer and wild turkey. Also important to squirrels because acorns remain in the tree well into January when most habitat is flooding. Site Preference: Naturally occurs on poorly drained bottom sites. Tolerates intermittent flooding during the dormant season. Thrives when planted on moist, fertile sites with good drainage. Nut Maturity Date: November to January (varies) Alias: Texas Red Oak, Red Oak, Red River Oak, Pin Oak, Striped Oak