Fruit and Nut
Chestnuts
Chestnuts are propagated by stooling or grafting,and unlike seed-grown trees will always come true to variety. Seed-grown trees are generally unreliable for nut production (see further information below).
Our chestnuts
Our chestnuts are grafted under contract and grown on at our nursery in fully organic conditions from Year 1 onwards.
Supply of chestnut trees
Owing to Europe-wide restrictions on the movement of chestnut trees, we have had problems with supply in recent years but are now back on track and will have trees available again for the 2020/21 season.
Barerooted trees |
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| Unit Price (euro) | ||||||
| 1 tree | 2 trees | 3-9 trees | 10-49 trees | 50-199 trees | 200 trees+ | |
| Chestnut named varieties 45-70 cm | n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
17.50 |
15.75 |
14.20 |
| Chestnut named varieties 70-100 cm | n/a |
25.00 |
22.50 |
20.00 |
18.00 |
16.20 |
| Chestnut named varieties 100-140 cm | n/a |
32.00 |
29.00 |
26.50 |
24.00 |
P.O.A. |
| Chestnut named varieties 140-180 cm | n/a |
40.00 |
36.00 |
33.00 |
30.00 |
P.O.A. |
Cultivars
Belle Epine
Mid season to late variety, adaptable to wide variety of climates and soils. Widely grown in western France. Fruiting from 5th or 6th year. Partially self fertile but also pollinated by Bournette, Maron Goujounac and Marigoule. Very good pollinator for other varieties.
Bouche de Bétizac
Early to mid season variety, adaptable to wide variety of climate and soils. Highly resistant to disease. Widely grown in western France and Brittany. Fruiting from 5th or 6th year. Self sterile. Pollinated by Belle Epine, Bournette,Maron Goujounac and Marigoule.
Bournette
Early to mid season variety. Widely grown in W. France and Brittany. Fruiting from 3rd or 4th year. Grafted onto disease resistant rootstock. Partially self fertile but also pollinated by Belle Epine, Maron Goujounac and Marigoule.
Marigoule
Early to mid season variety, adaptable to wide variety of climate and soils. Very vigorous and highly resistant to disease. Widely grown in western France and Brittany. Fruiting from 5th or 6th year. Partially self fertile but also pollinated by Belle Epine, Maron Goujounac and Bournette.
Marlhac
Early to mid season variety. Widely grown in W France. Performed well in trials in Devon. Fruiting from 5th or 6th year. Self sterile. Pollinated by Belle Epine, Marigoule, Maron Goujounac and Bournette.
Maron Goujounac
Early to mid season variety. Indigenous to W France. Cropping only fair but extremely good pollinator. Pollinated by Belle Epine, Marigoule, and Bournette.
Marsol
Mid season variety. Widely grown in W France. Vigorous and disease resistant. Good cropper with high quality nuts. Fair pollinator. Pollinated by Belle Epine, Marigoule, Maron Goujounac and Bournette.
There is a very high demand for named varieties of chestnut. Supply from outside Ireland is restricted owing to (very justifiable) concerns about the spread of chestnut blight and chestnut gall wasp. It is advisable to order as early as possible.
Sweet Chestnut Seedlings
Castanea sativa - Sweet Chestnut
The seedlings have been raised at our own nursery from seed originating in England. Unlike the named cultivars of Castanea sativa, these seed-grown trees are unlikely to produce good crops of nuts. However they will grow into fine large specimen trees suitable for fuel, stakes or posts or timber production. They may also be used for grafting purposes. Supplied as 3yr trees 100-140cm. Further details here
Castanea crenata x sativa - Sweet Chestnut hybrids
These have been raised at our own nursery from seed originating in England. They are the seed of trees regarded as stable hybrids between the European and Japanese chestnut. Like the seed grown trees of Castanea sativa, listed above, these trees are unlikely to produce crops of nuts comparable to trees propagated from named varieties by vegetative means.Neverthless. the seed will carry some good nut bearing characteristics.
Most Castanea crenata x sativa hybrids are more vigorous and more disease resistant than C.sativa, and are generally a better choice than C.sativa for use as rootstocks for named cultivars. Supplied as 3yr trees 100-140cm. Further details here