1. The seed from an Ozark Chinquapin cannot be saved from the fall of the     year and then be planted in the spring of the following year.

2. The seed from the Ozark Chinquapin grows a root late in the fall or in the early part of the winter.

3. The seed MUST be kept from drying out. It is very sensitive to drying and the germ will die if it becomes too dry. As soon as the seed comes out of the burr, husk or seed pod it should be kept damp, either in a plastic bag filled with peat moss or placed in a growing pot.

4. The seed should not be placed under soil as it is subject to molding, which will also kill the seed germ.

5. The seed should not be frozen in the fall, it does not require stratification. Freezing the seed causes a percentage of the seed to ferment, which also kills the seed germ.

6. The pointed end of the seed is where the roots grow out of. This pointed end should be placed One Quarter of an Inch into the soil. A good quality potting soil with micronutrients should be used.

7. The highest percentage of germination can be obtained by placing the seed in a gallon plastic planting pot, One Quarter of an Inch into the soil with the pointed end down into the soil. The seed and soil must be kept damp from early fall until the spring of the following year. The pots should be kept either indoors or someplace where the temperatures stay above 40 degrees. The trees should be taken out of the pots only when all danger of frost is past. We recommend May 10 as a transplant date (Southern Missouri).

8. The seed can be forced into germination by keeping it in a very humid and warm environment. The temperature should be 75- 90 degrees. Green growth can usually be seen by Christmas. This encourages some people to care for their trees better. This seems better than seeing a seed sitting there for six months. The Young seedlings will have to be kept by a window where they can get sunlight.

1. The tree that you grew from a seed and planted will now have to be protected.

2. Cattle will browse your seedling and kill it, deer will browse your seedling and kill it, rabbits, mice, voles, sheep, and even hogs will kill your seedling. It must be protected.

3. There are many ways to protect your seedling and it is beyond the scope of this article to list them all. This author recommends a wire mesh screen with holes small enough that a mouse cannot get through or the nearest you can find at the time. The wire mesh screen should be 2 feet in diameter and 6 feet tall. A sturdy metal rod should be driven into the ground to tie the wire mesh to. This keeps the wire mesh from being knocked over or blown over. The wire mesh can be obtained from most farm supply stores. The metal rod can be obtained from most hardware stores, concrete rebar works well. Metal fence post will also work well. This will protect your tree for 2 years from most browsers. Deer are very fond of all chestnut seedlings, one way that helps discourage them is to get some human hair from your local barbershop or beauty salon and put it in small bags. Tie the bags to the wire mesh. Window screen wire works well to make the bags out of. I know this author will get some mail questioning his sanity over this one. Your tree is all set to grow well and make you very proud that you have helped to save a species from extinction.

Robert L. Barnes

A major distinction needs to be understood in relation to the Ozark Chinquapin tree of the 1950"s and the Ozark Chinquapin tree of 2006.

The Ozark Chinquapin tree in 1950 grew to a height of 40-60 feet tall. The Ozark Chinquapin tree of 2006 rarely attains a height of over 20 feet.

The reason for this is a fungal blight that attacks the tree and keeps it from ever reaching its normal size.

This is important in that if the tree is planted in deep woods setting, it cannot compete with the oak and hickory for the available sunlight. The trees will invariable die completely for lack of sunlight.

When the tree is planted in the open and is not shaded by other trees or buildings, it can live for up to 55 years. This will not be as a single stem tree. After approximately 6 years, the blight will attack the main stem and possible kills it. This will not completely kill the tree. This tree will re-sprout from the root collar. This tree has an almost uncanny ability to re-sprout from the root collar. In many trees the blight will be killing one stem while a new stem is growing to take its place. Pictures show this better than it can be explained. Some people, this author included has observed that this tree has a will to live. The Ozark Chinquapin has a slight resistance to the blight and the stem that it attacks can live for approximately 7 years before being killed by the blight.

The location where this tree will be planted is also very important. The tree should not be planted in a low-lying area, as it does not tolerate standing water. The best site would be a south facing slope or hillside for the sun and drainage.

Two holes will have to be dug, as two trees will have to be planted for cross-pollination. The trees are self-infertile and to produce seed two trees within 100 feet of each other must be planted. As a general rule, the closer together the better.

A small hole can be dug and the tree planted in it. The tree will probably survive and grow. If the following directions are followed, the tree will do much better; Dig a hole at least three time bigger than you think it should be, approximately three feet wide by two feet deep. Remove any large rocks from the hole and discard. The following soil additives will greatly help; potting soil, ironite fertilizer, a box or carton of rolled oats, sphagnum peat moss, and topsoil. Mix all of the ingredients together in a wheel barrel if possible. Use one-quarter cup of ironite fertilizer, one half gallon of peat moss, 1 full box of rolled oats, 1 gallon of potting soil, and 1 40 pound bag of top soil. Fill the hole and tamp the soil down to within 2 inches of the surrounding soil. Place the tree into the soil and water until the mixture is the consistency of watery mud. The planting is complete. In the first year a very low content of nitrogen should be used. High nitrogen can burn the plant and is an oxidizer. Nitrogen also causes the tree to produce a lot of leaves which you do not want the first year. The tree needs to grow a good root system in the first year so it can support more leaves the following year. You have not planted an ordinary tree, you have planted an important piece of Missouri

History.

If possible water the tree during the months of July, August, and September.

Robert L. Barnes

Many animals will attempt to pull the still attached nut from the plant if they can get to it. This will eventually cause the plant to die. An assortment of rodents will try to get to the seed and a wire enclosure is recommended. A wire mat to keep armadillos from digging them up is also a good idea.