M.K. Dorje Sr.

I have similar problems with squirrels, mice, voles, rats, jays, crows, robins, etc.

But since I love peas and favas , I start mine inside in trays under lights, then transplant them once they get 6-8 inches tall. The peas and favas are transplanted into 40 gallon cloth pots and covered at first with row covers or netting. This  year I also transplanted some big seeded favas into a raised bed and clipped off the cotyledons before transplanting. This plan works fairly well, but it's a lot of work!

False morels (Gyromitra spp.) are common in my food forest this time of year. (Too common!!) Although some people eat them after parboiling, they are still poisonous and eating them can even lead to a rather unpleasant death. Evidently, they contain a compound similar to rocket fuel!

To clarify, it might be a year or two before I'm selling or donating any chestnut trees. (They haven't even germinated yet!)  Plus, I don't do mail order. At least, not yet.  But if you're in western Oregon next spring, send me a mooseage... :)

Here are the trees I have available right now for pickup or delivery in western Oregon:

https://permies.com/t/273705/Fruit-Trees-Plants-pickup-Oregon

Thank you to Jeff, Riona and all our customers! Permaculture Nursery is now open for the 2026 season, check out the newest catalog listing here:

https://permies.com/t/273705/Fruit-Trees-Plants-pickup-Oregon

Delivery is now available in the Cottage Grove, Eugene, Roseburg and Florence areas. Or schedule a visit at the nursery- just a 15 minute drive south of Cottage Grove.

Permaculture Nursery is now open for the 2026 season. A gigantic thank you to all of our customers!

Peach (Salish Summer) on dwarf rootstock; One of the best peaches and a good pick for the Pacific NW. plus dwarf peach companion. 3 gallon for $20.

Plumcot (Flavor Supreme) 3 gallon. An incredibly delicious treat! Sweet and juicy plum/ apricot cross. 3 gallon, 6 feet tall:  $27.

Plum (Bluesjam): classic plum jam variety, late season: big tree in 3 gallon: $27

Apricots (Creswell) Seedlings in 2 gallon: $20

Nectarine (Golden Prolific) Seedling, Delicious dwarf variety: 2 gallon $20

Cornelian Cherry: A fruiting dogwood with small, edible cherry-like fruits. 3 gallon, 6' tall: $25.
 
Figs (Desert King) Most dependable fig of all: 1 gallon: $15- $20 each. also Violette De Bordeaux Fig $11.

Peach (Indian seedlings) Curl resistant, late season, self-pollinating and super delicious! various sizes- $10 - $20 each

Autumn Olive (Eleagnus): Sweet /tart berries: 1 gallon pots $7 each

Black Mulberry: John Jeavons and Illionois Everbearing varieties. The berries are delicious and chickens love'em, too. in 1 gallon pots: $10 each

Strawberries (Hood) June bearing NW variety- several plants each in big pots $15-$20

Perennial Tree Collard in 3 1/2 inch pots: $ 4

Evergreen Huckleberries: 1 gallon pots: $10 each

Hardy Kiwis (Issai): self-pollinating: 1- 1 1/2 gallon: $10-$12 each

Artichokes ( Green Globe): 5 inch pots: $3 each

Asters (New England):  favorite fall plant of honeybees- they love the purple, daisy-like flowers.  1 gallon pots: $4- $5 each.

Thornless Blackberries (Triple Crown), massive fruit harvest with no thorns. 1 gallon pots: $6 each

California Black Oak: 2 gallon, 4' tall $7. Also 1 gallon: $4.

Catnip: 5 inch pot: $2.

Spineless Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus) Luther Burbank selection. The "pads" are used in Mexican cuisine and the red fruits make a delicious jam or drink! 4" pots: $5 each.


Permaculture Nursery is located just 15 minutes south of Cottage Grove, Oregon, just a few miles from I-5. Delivery is also available in Cottage Grove, Eugene, Roseburg and Florence areas! Photos available on request. Please purple mooseage for directions and more info.

I'm doing fine!

I never use paypal- they're on my list of bad companies.

Just give Field And Forest a call tomorrow and they will answer your questions: 1 800 792-6220. They're open 8-4 M-F. They are helpful and informative.

Keep in mind that because of the "Polar Vortex" that is still stalled over the north central U.S., they might be reluctant to ship spawn right now. Good luck!

Thank you for your replies everyone. I'm always interested in hearing about other people who grow chestnuts.

I transplanted two Chinese Chestnuts here about 10 years ago and they flowered for the first time last summer, but no chestnuts formed inside the burrs. I'm hoping for the first crop this year. The trees receive minimal care except for Scotch broom mulch and a bit of organic fertilizer.

The seeds I planted a few weeks ago were from Silverleaf Chestnut, a chestnut that is a predominantly Japanese hybrid variety. I'm trying this variety out because it can produce in the forth year after planting, doesn't get too gigantic and is resistant to blight. If I had the room though, I would like to try some of resistant American Chestnut varieties. They are remarkable trees.

Here's a video called "The Chestnut Grove" from a three part series about chestnuts by Akiva Silver, a fellow permies member, nurseryman, author and chestnut enthusiast:



He's got lots of other  cool videos about growing fruit and nut trees.

I was checking out the Good News Network this morning and found an amazing article and documentary about the return of the American Chestnut in Maine, thanks to Dr. Bernd Heinrich, author of Ravens in Winter and many other great books. Check this out:

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/once-wiped-out-by-blight-thousands-of-american-chestnut-trees-are-thriving-on-biologists-land-in-maine/

The American Chestnut was decimated by chestnut blight in the early 1900s, which killed million of trees through the eastern United States. But thanks to Dr. Heinrich, they are making a comeback in Maine. This article was very inspirational for me because I just planted and began stratifying several dozen chestnut seeds a few weeks ago. I'm planning on planting, selling and donating lots of chestnut seedlings once they begin germinating. Chestnuts are amazing trees and can live for hundreds of years. And they are delicious roasted!

Anyone out there growing chestnuts? What species do you grow and where do you live?

The Turkey Tail mushroom is a proven medicinal mushroom species that is increasing in popularity. Although inedible in the conventional sense, they can be used in capsules, teas and tinctures. They are also added to the new trendy medicinal mushroom coffee blends. They are quite common throughout much of the world, in fact, they often appear on Shiitake logs as a "weed".  But since many people have problems with identification, I've decided to post a video about how to tell the real Turkey Tail from its many lookalikes. This video from Feral Foraging is very clear and should help anyone who would like to harvest and use this species safely:



Below are some photos of Turkey Tails in my garden.

Here's some photos of some Oregon Bellybutton Hedgehog (Hydnum oregonense) mushrooms I harvested on a recent foray. They are sometimes abundant from December-February in western Oregon in older, wet forests under Evergreen Huckleberry, Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock and Douglas-fir. They are almost always found near Yellow-Foot Chanterelles, another choice edible.