| Recommended Varieties | 1002, 1005, 1015, Disk II, Mayrick King, Mayrick Queen |
| Climate | Not fussy, as long as they are clear of salt spray |
| Soil | Critical. Must be free draining down to 2 metres. Soil fertility not usually a problem. |
| Markets | Nuts mostly exported and local market is fully supplied, but expanding. Overseas markets pay highest prices for processing quality nuts, but this has not yet happened here. A recent development is the production of chestnut meal in NZ for the food industry. Chestnut timber is also highly sought after overseas. Timber from C sativa is naturally ground durable. |
| Harvesting | The nuts fall to the ground and must be harvested within a day to avoid deterioration. Prickly burrs present a problem. Various machines (vacuum and hedgehogs) available to pick up nuts |
| Post-Harvest | Chestnuts are starchy and taste rather like kumara. They can be dried for use like flour. Usually stored moist in cool stores. Processing into meal involves cooking and pressing |
| Orchard layout | Minimum spacing is 6x6 m. Some growers are allowing much more room. Chestnuts must not be thinned by cutting trees down. Dying roots would cause fungal infections in the remaining trees. (Therefore dig trees out). Most growers are planting 3 varieties. Harvest has to be by variety. Nut quality is modified by the pollinator. |
| Orchard Management | Very little is required except for mowing or spraying under the trees to enable easy nut collection. |
| Pests and diseases | Puriri moth, grass grub beetles, cicadas and opossums can cause serious damage on young trees. Very palatable to livestock. The fungus phomopsis affects storage of the nuts. At present no sprays are registered for use on chestnuts. |
| Shelter and Irrigation | Shelter is helpful in exposed situations. Irrigation can make establishment easier and increase crops. Both are important in severe climates. |
| Payback period | Grafted trees will start to bear after a year and should be giving an economic return by age 4. The pure Japanese varieties take a year or two longer. |
http://www.treecrops.org.nz/knowl/archives/cairnse/chsnutable.html
Wednesday, 27 August 2003 - Updated: 2009 May 31