Sweet Chestnut Plant - Grafted
Sweet Chestnut (Castanea Sativa)
Note that plant is matured and large size some to 1.6m tall. Plants has started flowering again.
Did you know that Sweet Chestnut can live to 700 years? Although the sweet chestnut is confused with the horse chestnut, it is related to oak and beech. Everything about the sweet chestnut is more beautiful than the horse chestnut: the edible (versus toxic) fruit, the tightly packed coat of spines, the elegant glossy, serrated leaves, the swirling, deeply fissured bark.
The leaves are dark green, turning yellow in autumn before falling. The flowers are quite insignificant, but are followed by the tasty nuts.
Unlike the nuts of the horse chestnut, those of the sweet chestnut are edible to humans and can be roasted and used in a variety of recipes, including stuffing for poultry, cake fillings, nut roasts and much more. The Romans ground sweet chestnuts into a flour or coarse meal.
Sweet chestnuts are a rich source of vitamins C (the only nut that is) and B, and minerals including magnesium, potassium and iron. Their high level of starch is similar to that of wheat and twice as high as the potato.
Plant Care
- Soil: Prefers deep, well-drained, acidic soil; tolerates a wide range but flourishes in sandy loams.
- Watering: Water regularly during dry periods to keep the soil moist, particularly important for young trees.
- Temperature: Hardy in temperatures as low as -20°C but requires warm summers for good nut production.
- Light: Full sun is essential for vigorous growth and nut production.
- Fertilising: Use a low nitrogen, high potassium fertilizer like 5-10-10 annually in the early spring.
- Pruning: Prune during dormancy in winter to maintain shape and remove any dead or crossing branches.
- Mulching: Mulch to keep roots moist and cool in the summer.
- Pest Control: Look out for chestnut blight and leaf spot. Manage these issues promptly with fungicides where appropriate.
- Flowering and Fruiting: Produces catkins in summer which, if pollinated, develop into chestnuts by the fall.
- Potting: Not typically suited for potting due to its large size and extensive root system.
- Feeding Regime: Additional potassium helps in the development and quality of the nuts.
We ship our plants and garden supplies throughout New Zealand. Due to the increased costs of shipping and packaging, we now apply a minimal delivery charge. After offering free shipping for three consecutive years, we find it necessary to adjust this policy to align with current market conditions. However, we have lowered our prices to help offset this change.
Please note, we do not ship plants or garden supplies internationally from New Zealand. We do export plants and tissue culture materials from our overseas nursery, which requires a minimum order. Please contact us at hello@exoticanz.com to discuss your specific requirements.
Shipping (per plant)
Auckland & Northland: $20
Rest of North Island: $25
South Island: $35
Rural Address: Additional $5
Shipping Garden Supplies
Auckland & Northland: $10
Rest of North Island: $15
South Island: $20
Rural Address: Additional $5
Delivery
- Our plants are available for shipment throughout the year, depending on stock levels. Typical delivery times range from 5 to 7 business days, although they can take up to 10 business days depending on the destination.
- We take extra care in packaging; most of our plants are secured in bespoke inserts and shipped in individual boxes to ensure they arrive undamaged.
- Deliveries are scheduled once a week, typically on Monday. If you place your order over the weekend, we aim to dispatch your plants on the following Monday. This scheduling allows our team to prepare your order thoroughly and ensures the courier has sufficient time to deliver your plants safely, avoiding any unnecessary delays over the weekend.
- All orders are shipped via courier track and trace service (not signature required)
- We cannot deliver to PO Box addresses.
- If you have a rural address, please contact us beforehand to discuss the best delivery options and avoid any potential issues.
Additional Delivery Information
- We dispatch our plants year-round, as most are shipped with soil. During the winter months, we closely monitor weather conditions and may temporarily delay shipments if the weather is particularly severe. Our packing process includes adding insulation when necessary to protect the plants against temperature extremes.
- In summer, we ensure that plants are thoroughly watered before they leave our nursery. Occasionally, we may need to ship plants bare-rooted, particularly when they cannot be comfortably re-potted into smaller packaging for shipping. We will always discuss this with you in advance if your plant needs to be shipped in this manner.
- It's important to note that shipping can be a stressful experience for plants, often due to spending several days in a dark, confined space. While most plants withstand this with little to no stress, some may experience leaf drop. However, they generally recover quickly with some additional care, including proper watering and gradual reintroduction to light after arrival.
