Chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) - Botany, cultivation, and use of a traditional sort

The European or Spanish chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) belongs to the family Fagaceae, and other species with edible nuts are the Chinese chestnut (C. mollissima), Japanese chestnut (C. crenata), and American sweet chestnut (C. dentata), once the most important forest tree in the eastern USA. These deciduous trees have a crown height of 20 m to 40 m. They prefer a deep, friable, well-drained, lightly acid soil. Scions are budded or grafted onto seedlings. The flowering time is in June, so no frost damage occurs. The plant is monoecious. The flowers are pollinated by insects and wind and mostly need cross pollination. The fruit development needs a long warm period of about 75 to 120 days. The nuts are enclosed by a spiny husk (burr) which opens when the nuts mature to expose the shiny brown shell. Yields are in the range of 100-150 kg per tree, but large, old trees can yield up to 300 kg. Chestnuts are harvested at 1-2-day intervals over about 2 weeks. They can be mechanically harvested, but removal of burrs is a problem. Mold in storage is reduced by a hot water bath, and the chestnuts may be stored for about 2 months. For long storage, they are best air-dried for a few days, placed in vented polyethylene bags, and kept under refrigeration at 3-5°C. The starchy nuts are used in many ways including roasted, boiled, baked, and in sweets, and cakes are moister and keep longer with the addition of chestnut flour. The tannin-rich wood of chestnuts is used for the production of wine casks, stakes in vineyards, and furniture. © Springer-Verlag 2004.