The water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis) is a type of sedge that is found growing in tropical wetlands of the world.They are simple to grow, highly productive, and nutritious. Just wait – within a few days, that chestnut will pop up. Make each hole about 3 inches deep, or three times the depth of the chestnut. Chinese water chestnuts will perform well for you if: You’re in USDA plant hardiness zones 8 through 11 with a frost-free growing season of at least seven months, OR; You’re in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 through 7 and can start the plants indoors from three months to one month before your last spring frost date. Until then, follow these guidelines to get your new trees off to a great start. Soil Requirements. Before you begin, make sure that you have enough space for two trees. They grow like crazy, as mentioned previously, and the “nuts” will be all over the place beneath the muck in about 6-7 months. Watering Chestnut Trees. You also need to decide if you are going to start your seeds indoors or outdoors. Alternately, you can grow water chestnuts in kiddie pools or swampy areas. Make sure that each chestnut tree you plant has 40 feet (12.2 m) (12 m) of free soil space in all directions to allow for adequate growing room. Plant the chestnuts soon after gathering in late fall. The soil should be loamy with a pH 0f 4.5-6.5. As well as providing food for you, they yield a decent amount of straw as well as providing habitat for frogs and water insects, all in all they are an excellent permaculture vegetable. Growing a chestnut tree from a seed requires you follow a few steps in order for the seedling to develop correctly. Except in times of drought, you probably won’t need to water after your tree is established. Free draining soil is imperative for growing chestnut trees. Green Harvest provides growing information for edible and useful plants in the organic and permaculture garden. Typically, chestnuts are a hardy species, but they do have some general requirements. Plant in spring when temperatures are beginning to rise and the ground is soft and not too dry. Poke planting holes in the worked soil with the back of a rake. NOTE: This is part 10 in a series of 11 articles. Growing water chestnuts is totally easy. When to Plant Chestnuts. Choose wisely. Chinese water chestnuts are a member of the sedge family and look like a 2-3' tubular grass. chestnuts is WHERE to plant your chestnuts. Chestnut trees require a minimum of 6 hours of full sunshine a day, but 8 hours is even better. At the base of the reedy growth, under a mat of roots, you'll find the edible corms, or "chestnuts." 1) Well-drained, acidic soil type. 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