[MassChestnutOrchards] Test Plots

[Rufin Van Bossuyt]

We have been planting nuts in test plantings for a few years now. Nuts have been planted in small clearcuts at Quabbin. About 2006 Charlotte and I planted nuts protected by BlueX shelters in a recent selective timber harvest area in the Upton State Forest. Something, maybe a coyote or raccoon, tore up the shelters and it looked like some plastic was actually eaten.Last year one of Charlotte's students planted several plots at Wachusett Reservoir in a clearcut, a selectively cut area and where a timber harvest is scheduled in a few years. Last fall I made several plantings at the edge of the woods at my house in Upton. 
I planted 50 Wrentham open pollinated nuts at the soil surface ( the way a squirrel would plant ) and marked them with red flags. No shelter. I also planted 25 of the nuts more into the woods and put on BlueX Shelters. I put up a motion activated trail camera to see what might go after the nuts. I had one picture of a grey squirrel and a picture of a nice buck checking out the planting. No shelters were disturbed. None of the other fall nut plantings have been disturbed either. However: this is the first winter in about 40 years of bird feeding that I have not seen one gray squirrel. Maybe the fishers have cleaned them out. A few days ago I planted 10 nuts in a former garden area in back of the house and put up BlueX shelters. Something knocked over shelters and ate nuts. I replanted yesterday and mounted the trail camera. I now have pictures of a healthy raccoon going after the nuts.
I checked the fall plantings and no seedlings have broken the surface yet but radicals are growing indicating the nuts survived the winter freezing temps.

Rufin
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