Brian Cady

Goldenrod, - Isn't that allelopathic? Maybe chestnuts suffer by goldenrod.

Brian
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Should lean rabbit be balanced with chubby woodchuck? I was told woodchuck is delicious by someone I trust.

Note: I  added a new working link to the web archived original page previously linked first below:

Brian Cady wrote:Across the Firth of Clyde from Glasgow, near Dunoon, is Kilmun, where many trees were trialled in little plantations many decades ago, starting in the 1930s. See More Here
There's a report of which did well, with ratings from 1 to 3 of an enormous number of tree species from cold, wet, windy spots around the world:
Report
Some of the results surprised me.
It might guide cool maritime tree plantings, in Koppen climate code ET/Dfc/Cfc climates.
EDIT: that report isn't the one with the 1 to 3 ratings, sorry. I'm still searching...I think this is the one, but the server's down now:  http://www.rsfs.org/images/journal1947-2005/53/530407.pdf
Brian

2nd Note: I found a paper with ratings of trees there: https://reinfforce2.plantedforests.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Mason-2018.-What-alternative-tree-species-can-we-grow-in-western-Britain.-85-years-of-evidence-Kimun-Forest-Garden.pdf

Nancy Reading wrote:... I have korean pine and monkey puzzle which are both doing well, as are my hazel trees.

That's exciting, Nancy,

Korean pine seems to suffer here in NorthEast North America, from what I've heard.
I've wondered if it might be grafted onto the NENA native White Pine, which I think is related.

Will you taste and evaluate your individual cultivars of monkey puzzle, Korean pine and hazel?

Brian
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Nancy Reading wrote:Given that this thread was started in late October, I wouldn't worry too much about the yellowing leaves, just looks like autumn to me!

Interesting that the comments say that chestnust prefer acidic soil, as I thought that was one reason my trees (European chestnut) haven't been doing so well. My soil is rather shallow, but generally moist, so I don't think drought is my problem either. I came to the conclusion that chestnuts just don't like Skye.

Hi Nancy,

1. I noticed yellowing leaves on potted chestnuts I'd just bought, mentioned this to a chestnut luminary, and was told "'end-of-season' disease, don't worry". I was seeing chestnuts in full, green leaf nearby, but I accepted this and didn't worry until the next spring, when, after foolishly repotting using alkaline coir instead of acidic spagnum moss, the chestnuts leafed out their second spring with yellow leaves again. Then I worried again, and contacted an extension agent. Agent Sam suggested foliar-feeding with trace minerals, especially iron. That greened them up within weeks.

2. Could your chestnut trees there on Skye perhaps be suffering amidst a bacteria-dominated grassy soil, where a fungi-dominated soil might nourish them? An acquaintance suggested simply piling woodchips around young trees would convert grassy soils to fungal dominance. (But you might avoid piling chips against the young trunk in winter, to leave any trunk-nibbling voles exposed to predation).

Brian
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Will Bonsall wrote about homestead oil crops, and the petiba oil press, here: https://www.mofga.org/resources/gardening/vegetable-oil/

Brian
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There's discussion in David Jacke and Eric Tonesmeier's 'Edible Forest Gardens' about grassy areas having bacteria-dominated soils, while forests have fungi-dominates soils, and that trees struggle to establish in bacteria-dominated soils.