Production Practices and Quality Assessment of Food Crops. Vol. 1

size. When the trees develop too much, then as much as half of the trees should
be removed.
In orchards established in the main producing region of Spain with local cultivars
grafted over hybrid rootstocks, the annual growth indicates that it will take
at least 30 years to cover the ground. Here, we suggest a much higher densities of
8 × 8 m or 9 × 9 m (Pereira-Lorenzo et al., 2000).
New plantations can be made with grafted plants or, as it was done traditionally,
by planting first the rootstocks and then grafting them after the 3rd or 4th
year. Differences between the two methods are clear in the early stages of the
orchard. Grafted plants are more expensive but they create a more regular orchard.
When grafts are made in the field, the success rate is generally not reliable and some
of the rootstocks must be re-grafted the following year, thus producing irregular
developmental stages of the trees. But because of the long-life of chestnut plantations
growth of both kinds of plants will equilibrate when orchard matured
(Pereira-Lorenzo et al., 2000).
6.1.2. Fruit and timber production
Chestnut, an Ancient Crop with Future 135
Figure 12. Orchard established to 5 × 5 m in Ronda, Andalucía.
When rainfall and quality of the soil is adequate, we can establish orchards
to produce nuts and timber. Plantation distances should be closer than in orchards
for nut production only. This will increase competition between trees and also
will improve conformation of the trees. We recommend 7 × 7 m. Of course,