Silviculture & Improvement of Sweet

(Spanish) Chestnut

Karen Russell, FTT Chestnut Group Secretary

Introduction to Chestnut (Castanea sativa)

• Non-native

• Long lived, multipurpose species

• Prefers sheltered & fertile sites

• Relatively easy to establish

• Good apical dominance & rapid growth

• High forest or coppice - short rotations

• Windfirm

• Natural durable, versatile & valuable timber

• Suited to climatic change predictions

High Forest

• Fertile, free draining soils

• Plant with nurse species &

create understorey

• Stump back poor trees

• Use natural pruning

• Crown thin to favour large

crown

• 6m or more clean stem

• Target 40-45 DBH at 50 years

• 150 – 200 trees/ha final crop

High quality timber uses:

• Veneers

• Furniture and joinery

• Structural timber

• Wine/port barrels

Coppice

• Wider range of soil conditions

• Avoid frost prone & wet sites

• Density 1200-1500 stems/ha

• Cut at 5-7 years initially

• Grow as pure crop for

maximum yield

• 14 year rotation

• 110 -130 tonnes/ha average

• Multiple uses

• High wildlife benefits

Potential Constraints

• Shake

• Diseases: Ink Disease (and Chestnut Blight)

• Pests: Squirrels (and Oriental Gall Wasp)

• Lack of culture

FTT Chestnut Group: Objectives

• To identify, conserve & utilise seed stands and

outstanding ‘plus’ trees

• To increase the quality, quantity & use of timber and

coppice

• To improve industry & public awareness and support

• To provide industry with high quality seed and

seedlings

Progress to Date

• 206 plus trees identified – 56 in Ireland

• Nearly all chestnut in Ireland is within the Coillte estate

Collection & Propagation

• 195 plus trees propagated – 53* Irish trees

Seed Orchards & Clonal Archives

• 2 orchards: Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford, & Torry Hill, Kent

• 2 archives: Mucklagh, Co. Wicklow & Shenmore, Herefordshire

Registered ‘Selected’ Seed Stands

• 3 Coillte stands in Kerry,

Waterford & Wicklow, 8.6ha in

total

• 5 stands in southern Britain

including 3 on private estates,

27.5ha in total

Finger-jointing & Glulam Technologies

Industry & Public Awareness & Support

• FTT presentations, events, articles

• Publications

• Wider industry and public engagement

• Trials and demonstration plantings*

• Members’ own activities in promoting

the species and its use

• British Standard mark for chestnut

structural timber

Acknowledgements

• ABFI, Loughall

• Coillte

• COFORD

• DAFM

• Ellen O’Connor

• Ellen Parkinson

• John Leigh-Pemberton

• Ted Horgan

• Teagasc

• University College Dublin

• Charitable Trusts

• Other FTT members &

supporters including private

landowners