chestnut sprouting

This sounds like a silly question, but it's important to me. I found out one of the chestnuts I bought for Thanksgiving is sprouting. (the top part). So I want to grow it. I think the sprout part should be at the top. My husband think it's the root, it should be at the bottom. Any idea?

Thanks,

Fang

gee fang, what does it look like now? I am inclined to thin that it might be a leaf part...dont ask me why...just a feeling. Let me know what you did with it....that is fun isnt it?

Pebble, unfortunately, it died. I think maybe I put it upside down according to my husband. Now everytime we go to supermaket, we are looking for the sprouted chestnut :) Maybe I will try to sprout another in the future. Thanks for asking.

fangNJ: I just found your post. Sorry your chestnut didn't make it.

I, too, brought home a sprouting chestnut from the grocery store around the end of November and my husband and I had the same discussion: does the sprout go up or down? (I HAD to plant it, of course. It was a BABY, after all. ; ) ) I thought it went up; he thought it went down. I planted it sideways. It got moldy. I took it out of the soil and dunked it in a bleach solution. I put it back in the pot with the sprout down and after a couple of weeks roots started coming out of the bottom of the pot. "Ah ha"--said my husband--"I was right!"

Weeellll...the nut (chestnut, that is) started poking its way up and out of the soil and I thought "Oh, it's going to split open and the leaves will come out. He was right. (grrr)" But, no. The leaves sprouted out of the soil. So, now I have the chestnut sitting on top of the soil, and the leaves springing out beside it.

I'm not sure if I should try to bury it or just leave it alone. I feel lucky it's made it this far!

So, if you find another one, I think the sprout goes up, but if you plant it upside down, it may be OK, too. Just make sure it doesn't get moldy.

Here's a pic of mine:

The sprout goes up, it is part of the leaf.

edited to add if anyone has one to spare I would love to have it.

This message was edited Feb 8, 2005 2:04 PM

IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER SPROUT AND PLANT IT, BE SURE AND PLANT IT FAR AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. I HAVE EIGHT MATURE CHESTNUTS AND A BURR IS WORSE THAN A THISLE. I HAVE TO MOW UNDER ALL OF THESE AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVEN'T FLATTED MY MOWER TIRES. DIXIEHIL

LOL dixiehil, I was just remembering the one in my grandma's backyard. It was a beautiful tree but when those things dropped you better not ever go out barefooted. Grandma got smart tho, when we were old enough she sent all of us grandkids out to gather chestnuts so she could sell them to the local stores. I hated getting poked by those things until I learned how to open them up with my shoes the right way, but Oh the memories a chestnut tree brings back.