Silviculture & Improvement of Sweet
(Spanish) Chestnut
Karen Russell, FTT Chestnut Group Secretary
Introduction to Chestnut (Castanea sativa)
• Non-native
• Long lived, multipurpose species
• Prefers sheltered & fertile sites
• Relatively easy to establish
• Good apical dominance & rapid growth
• High forest or coppice - short rotations
• Windfirm
• Natural durable, versatile & valuable timber
• Suited to climatic change predictions
High Forest
• Fertile, free draining soils
• Plant with nurse species &
create understorey
• Stump back poor trees
• Use natural pruning
• Crown thin to favour large
crown
• 6m or more clean stem
• Target 40-45 DBH at 50 years
• 150 – 200 trees/ha final crop
High quality timber uses:
• Veneers
• Furniture and joinery
• Structural timber
• Wine/port barrels
Coppice
• Wider range of soil conditions
• Avoid frost prone & wet sites
• Density 1200-1500 stems/ha
• Cut at 5-7 years initially
• Grow as pure crop for
maximum yield
• 14 year rotation
• 110 -130 tonnes/ha average
• Multiple uses
• High wildlife benefits
Potential Constraints
• Shake
• Diseases: Ink Disease (and Chestnut Blight)
• Pests: Squirrels (and Oriental Gall Wasp)
• Lack of culture
FTT Chestnut Group: Objectives
• To identify, conserve & utilise seed stands and
outstanding ‘plus’ trees
• To increase the quality, quantity & use of timber and
coppice
• To improve industry & public awareness and support
• To provide industry with high quality seed and
seedlings
Progress to Date
• 206 plus trees identified – 56 in Ireland
• Nearly all chestnut in Ireland is within the Coillte estate
Collection & Propagation
• 195 plus trees propagated – 53* Irish trees
Seed Orchards & Clonal Archives
• 2 orchards: Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford, & Torry Hill, Kent
• 2 archives: Mucklagh, Co. Wicklow & Shenmore, Herefordshire
Registered ‘Selected’ Seed Stands
• 3 Coillte stands in Kerry,
Waterford & Wicklow, 8.6ha in
total
• 5 stands in southern Britain
including 3 on private estates,
27.5ha in total
Finger-jointing & Glulam Technologies
Industry & Public Awareness & Support
• FTT presentations, events, articles
• Publications
• Wider industry and public engagement
• Trials and demonstration plantings*
• Members’ own activities in promoting
the species and its use
• British Standard mark for chestnut
structural timber
Acknowledgements
• ABFI, Loughall
• Coillte
• COFORD
• DAFM
• Ellen O’Connor
• Ellen Parkinson
• John Leigh-Pemberton
• Ted Horgan
• Teagasc
• University College Dublin
• Charitable Trusts
• Other FTT members &
supporters including private
landowners