Chestnut Blight Life Cycle – Tips On Treating Chestnut Blight
In the late nineteenth century, American chestnuts made up more than 50 percent of the trees in Eastern hardwood forests. Today there are none. Find out about the culprit-- chestnut blight-- and what’s being done to combat this devastating disease.
Chestnut Blight Facts
There is no effective method of treating chestnut blight. Once a tree contracts the disease (as they all eventually do), there is nothing we can do but watch it decline and die. The prognosis is so bleak that when experts are asked how to prevent chestnut blight, their only advice is to avoid planting chestnut trees altogether. Caused by the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica, chestnut blight tore through Eastern and Midwestern hardwood forests, wiping out three and a half billion trees by 1940. Today, you can find root sprouts that grow from old stumps of dead trees, but the sprouts die before they are mature enough to produce nuts. Chestnut blight found its way into the U.S. in the late nineteenth century on imported Asian chestnut trees. Japanese and Chinese chestnuts are resistant to the disease. While they can contract the disease, they don’t show the serious symptoms seen in American chestnuts. You might not even notice the infection unless you strip the bark from an Asian tree. You might wonder why we don’t replace our American chestnuts with the resistant Asian varieties. The problem is that the Asian trees are not of the same quality. American chestnut trees were extremely important commercially because these fast-growing, tall, straight trees produced superior lumber and a bountiful harvest of nutritious nuts that were an important food for both livestock and humans. Asian trees can’t come close to matching the value of American chestnut trees.
Chestnut Blight Life Cycle
Infection occurs when spores land on a tree and penetrate the bark through insect wounds or other breaks in the bark. After the spores germinate, they form fruiting bodies which create more spores. The spores move to other parts of the tree and nearby trees with the help of water, wind, and animals. Spore germination and spread continue throughout spring and summer and into early autumn. The disease overwinters as mycelium threads in cracks and breaks in the bark. In spring, the entire process begins again. Cankers develop at the site of infection and spread around the tree. The cankers prevent water from moving up the trunk and across the branches. This results in dieback from lack of moisture and the tree eventually dies. A stump with roots may survive and new sprouts may emerge, but they never survive to maturity. Researchers are working to develop resistance to chestnut blight in trees. One approach is to create a hybrid with the superior characteristics of the American chestnut and the disease resistance of the Chinese chestnut. Another possibility is to create a genetically modified tree by inserting disease resistance into the DNA. We’ll never again have chestnut trees as strong and plentiful as they were in the early 1900s, but these two research plans give us reason to hope for a limited recovery.
Gardening tips, videos, info and more delivered right to your inbox!
Sign up for the Gardening Know How newsletter today and receive a free download of our DIY eBook "Bring Your Garden Indoors: 13 DIY Projects For Fall And Winter".
Jackie Carroll has written over 500 articles for Gardening Know How on a wide range of topics.
-
Reese Witherspoon’s Natural DIY Wreath Beams With Festive Joy – Here’s How She Made It
Be inspired to recreate Reese Witherspoon's beautiful holiday wreath using greenery from your garden with our step-by-step guide to getting the look.
By Melanie Griffiths
-
Growing Spotted Bee Balm: Find Out How To Grow Horsemint For Your Pollinator Garden
For anyone looking to cultivate native flowering plants that attract pollinators, spotted bee balm is a must! We show you how to grow horsemint for friendly garden visitors
By Tonya Barnett
-
Chestnuts On An Open Fire - And Other Ways To Cook The Holiday Favorite
Roasted chestnuts are not the popular treat they once were, but it’s a worthy endeavor to bring back an old time feel in the home.
By Bonnie L. Grant
-
European Chestnut Care: Tips For Growing Sweet Chestnut Trees
Great forests of American chestnut trees died from chestnut blight, but their cousins across the seas, European chestnuts, continue to thrive. Beautiful shade trees in their own right, they produce most of the chestnuts Americans eat today. Learn more about them here.
By Teo Spengler
-
Chestnut Tree Problems: Learn About Common Chestnut Diseases
One of the chestnut diseases is so serious that it has killed off a large percentage of the chestnut trees native to the United States. For more information on chestnut tree problems and tips on treating a sick chestnut, this article will help.
By Teo Spengler
-
Pruning Chestnut Trees: How To Prune A Chestnut Tree
Chestnut trees grow just fine without pruning but that doesn't mean that cutting back chestnut trees is a waste of time. Pruning chestnut trees is not difficult, and this article will help with why and how to prune a chestnut tree.
By Teo Spengler
-
American Chestnut Tree Information – How To Grow American Chestnut Trees
Chestnuts are rewarding trees to grow. With beautiful foliage, tall, strong structures, and often heavy and nutritious nut yields, they're a great choice if you're looking to grow trees. Learn how to grow them in this article.
By Liz Baessler
-
Chestnut Tree Propagation: Growing Chestnut Trees From Cuttings
Chestnut tree propagation is not difficult. In the wild, these trees reproduce readily from the abundant crop of nuts they produce. You can also start propagating chestnut cuttings. Learn about chestnut tree propagation, and how to grow chestnut tree cuttings here.
By Teo Spengler
-
Harvesting Chestnut Trees: When And How To Harvest Chestnuts
Chestnut trees are attractive trees that prefer chilly winters and warm summers. The trees produce generous quantities of flavorful, nutrition-rich nuts inside spiny hulls, commonly known as burs. Want to know how to harvest chestnuts? Click here.
By Mary H. Dyer
-
Chestnut Tree Care: Guide To Growing Chestnut Trees
Chestnut trees have been cultivated for their starchy nuts for thousands of years. If you are thinking of growing chestnut trees, click on the article that follows for tips and information about chestnut tree care.
By Teo Spengler