SUMMARY: Kristin Pazina and Jens Hauck regularly go on exploratory tours: We visit farms, agroforestry systems, forest gardens, tree nurseries, and specialist companies involved in seeds, design, planting, management, and processing. Our goal is to learn, exchange experiences, and strengthen networks.
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Gerade waren die beiden wieder unterwegs – unter anderem beim WerraGut mit seinen Agroforst- und syntropischen Systemen, in der Staudengärtnerei hortensis.de im Essbaren Waldgarten Göttingen und in der Baumschule Kastanienkultur bei Franziska Gaede, die auch den Lehrstuhl für Agroforst in Göttingen innehat. Franziska berichtet:
Why chestnuts?
Die Baumschule Kastanienkultur bei Witzenhausen, in der Mitte Deutschlands, hat sich auf Esskastanien spezialisiert hat. Warum Esskastanien? Die Esskastanie ist ein wunderbarer Baum. Er kann durch seine kohlenhydratreichen Früchte Menschen ernähren, er fördert dadurch, dass er mehrere tausende Jahre alt werden kann einen unglaublichen Artenreichtung an Tieren, Pilzen und Moosen und kann, je nach Kreuzung (es gibt verschiedene Arten), sehr trockentolerant, krankheitstolerant und kältetolerant sein. Esskastanien sind besonders für Landwirte von Interesse, da sie bei passendem Standort und guter Pflege besonders rentabel sind und die Nachfrage höher als das Angebot ist. Der Ertrag liegt bei 2-5t/ha in intensiven Ertragsplantagen bis zu 10t/ha. Der Preis bei der Direktvermarktung liegt bei 10€/kg.
Our goal is to create diverse, tree-rich landscapes that feed people.
Baumschule Kastanienkultur
Our range includes chestnuts in varieties and seedlings from selected parent varieties. For various reasons, we focus on seedlings. On the one hand, this results in much greater genetic diversity and thus greater overall resistance to environmental changes. In addition, seedlings are often more vigorous and robust. The Chinese chestnut is the most disease-tolerant, but often causes difficulties in grafting. In the main growing areas, seedlings are therefore also used in commercial plantations. We put a lot of energy into continuously improving the quality of our plants and expanding our range.
Fruit hedges as high-yield windbreaks and foliage feed
In addition to chestnuts, we have hazelnut bushes of the Hallesche Riesennuss x Katalonski hybrid, whose parent varieties are particularly robust, large-fruited, and thick-skinned (good against hazelnut borers). These are particularly suitable for fruit hedges, as high-yield windbreaks, and as foliage feed. Oil willows (Elaeagnus umbellata) are also a permanent part of our range. The oil willow is related to the sea buckthorn and is an approximately 4 m tall shrub that does not spread via runners. Together with actinomycetes, it fixes a particularly large amount of nitrogen and thus promotes the growth of surrounding crops. It is very robust, drought-tolerant, has wonderfully vanilla-scented flowers and large quantities of very healthy berries.
Baumreiche Landschaften, die Menschen ernähren
Our goal is to create diverse, tree-rich landscapes that feed people. The Kastanienkultur tree nursery grows trees, plants and maintains a chestnut variety garden, and establishes breeding sites. It also gives talks, lectures at the University of Göttingen, and conducts research.
