It was a busy year at the Dougherty Mission House property, with some learning curves as always. The highlight science effort involved controlled pollinations for the Long Surviving Americans breeding project. This involved obtaining pollen from trees of known genetic lineage, timing for optimum blossom receptivity and then bagging the immature bur to prevent stray pollen cross contamination. This all required use of a Genie boom lift to reach the upper branches of the Oslund Tree.
In the photos below it is easy see the beautiful, cream colored catkins at full maturity. These produce the male pollen, which is distributed via wind. Chestnuts are not self fertile, thus they need another tree in close proximity to make viable nuts. The pictures show the immature female burs where the donor pollen is rubbed against the spikey protusions, called styles, before that portion of the branch is bagged. We also collected pollen from both Sobkowski and Oslund and sent it to the TACF Pollen cold storage repository for other crosses next year.
Other 2026 efforts.
-Planting last years harvest for multiple “foster families” to grow out.
-May 24th-Grafting Workshop
-June 28-Blessing of the Chestnut Blossoms
-Sept 12-Placing Catch nets for collecting fall harvest
-Mid Sept-Mid Oct-Gathering nuts, preparing for fall planting, making tree cages, seedling distribution
Oct. 16th-Crackin Day-educational program for 5th graders
Chronodendrology Plan in Progress-Nearly everyone knows that most trees produce one ring for each year of growth. Trained individuals can take a core of a tree and determine the age of the tree. The group is looking into the feasibility to have this done to determine the age of the largest specimens. This would either support or refute the theory they were planted by Rev. Dougherty or through the local tribal trade.