[nuteski]

Hi all

I'd like to establish a new, productive windbreak at the front of our property so that I can get rid of the Leylandii the previous occupiers established, and am thinking of trying sweet chestnut as the first (large) layer.

Has anyone any experience of sweet chestnut? The area drains well but we're in the bottom of a valley so it does get quite wet and potentially frosty. Time isn't too much of an issue as we can plant them and keep the leylandii until they are established, hopefully they can provide some cover for some other fruiting smaller trees and shrubs to make a decent bump for the wind to get over before it gets to our house and veggies.

All advice welcome from a pair of proper novices

Al & Cath

[clydesdaleclopper]

I will be looking with interest at any responses as I also fancy growing some. agroforestry Research Trust have a few varieties suitable for the UK so may be worth dropping them an email to ask advice.

[darkbrowneggs]

I planted an avenue of sweet chestnut.  Lost quite a few through water logging in wet seasons and drying out in hot summers.  They will even die when quite well established.  I was still loosing the occasional one even after nearly twenty years of growth when the trees were about twenty to thirty foot high.


On the plus side they looked beautiful when they came into leaf.  Lovely delicate flowers and loads of beautiful chestnuts.  Not all the trees were terrifically productive, but the ones where they were happy did well almost every year.  Could have probably collected twenty or thirty buckets full of shelled out chestnuts if I had bothered to beat the squirrels to it.  Good sized fruit as well and they were not a special named variety.


In the autumn they turned a glorious golden yellow.

[Fleecewife]

Loads in my brother's woods down in Norfolk, coppiced forever.  Coppicing may be the way to go, as enormous trees might be as bad as Leylandii.  I don't think they are a particular variety.  They are in an area of woodland sheltered by walls, in a quite dry area, on sandy soil.

[nuteski]

Thanks, some really useful advice here - I'll definitely check out the research trust and we were looking for coppice anyway for the reasons you mention here.

We don't have squirrels and if nut trees attract them well that's just something else for the pot  I am a little concerned about the potential for waterlogging as it can get get very moist around here, think it may very well be worth the risk though.

Cheers all, loving this forum!

Al & Cath