American Chestnuts make a male and female flower. They are not self fertile. Two mature chestnut trees are required to make nuts.
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Controlled cross-pollinating to make second generation all-American intercrosses on 3-year-old Miles and Ruth grafts: volunteers put Ruth pollen on Miles flowers and Miles pollen on Ruth flowers.
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Bags keep stray pollen away from the Miles and Ruth flowers. This all-American intercross has the best chance, at present, of producing chestnuts that breed true for blight resistance. We plant these for testing.
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Meanwhile, this same cross, as well as other interesting combinations, may turn up at random among the open pollinated seednuts we distribute to our growers.
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"Dedicated to the Restoration of American Chestnuts"
To join our efforts contact Ed Greenwell