When to pick chinese chestnuts?

[Sylvie]

I have a chinese chestnut full of large green burrs. Last year the squirrels made off with most of my nuts.
Can I pick the green burrs to beat the squirrels? I'm probably 2 or so weeks from the burrs falling to the ground.

 

[injunjoe]

I was looking around and I found this.

"For the best quality and size, chestnuts should ripen on the tree until they fall, and then be picked up (harvested) promptly (the quicker the better). Nut drop usually occurs from mid-September through mid-October. They should not be shaken or knocked from the tree until the nut shells have turned brown."

That would give the squirrels the upper hand for sure!
Good luck!



Joe

 

[Sylvie]

Thank you, injunjoe.
I guess I'll have to wait and take my chances.

 

[injunjoe]

I was just thinking, how big are the squirrels?

We have just little itty bitty fellas.


Joe

 

[Greensage45]

I think that same squirrel lives in my yard too!

I have two old pecan trees, and yesterday I sat out there and watched him take one at a time off the tree while green. Up he would go, down he would come, one by one; I swear he could remove 300 pecans a day!

The real kicker is he is using my rabbit' hole to store them. My rabbits love pecans so I am sure they are not complaining.

Such bedfellows I have!

Ron

 

[Sylvie]

I was just thinking, how big are the squirrels?

We have just little itty bitty fellas.


Joe

Big enough to strip the tree!
It is a gray squirrel. And I'm not going to eat it - if that's your next suggestion......lol!

 

[Sylvie]

I think that same squirrel lives in my yard too!

I have two old pecan trees, and yesterday I sat out there and watched him take one at a time off the tree while green. Up he would go, down he would come, one by one; I swear he could remove 300 pecans a day!

The real kicker is he is using my rabbit' hole to store them. My rabbits love pecans so I am sure they are not complaining.

Such bedfellows I have!

Ron

Well, it can't be the same squirrel unless you find my chestnuts in there! It carries them off burrs and all! I have found empty burrs hundreds of feet away in the woods.

 

[injunjoe]

I was just thinking, how big are the squirrels?

We have just little itty bitty fellas.


Joe

Big enough to strip the tree!
It is a gray squirrel. And I'm not going to eat it - if that's your next suggestion......lol!

Oh it is just one critter.
When you see one here there is a group close by.
We have lots of them!

I was not going to suggest eating it, but I was thinking there was a group of them, ... LOL

 

[Sylvie]

Oh it is just one critter.
When you see one here there is a group close by.
We have lots of them!

I was not going to suggest eating it, but I was thinking there was a group of them, ... LOL

You are probably right. I am at the edge of a large track of woods by a river. I won't have a chance at those chestnuts now that they know about the tree.
Want some nice prickly empty burrs?

 

[Greenthumb18]

I was thinking, how can the squirrels eat the chestnuts if the chestnut burrs are prickly, i would think the prickles would keep the squirrels away.