"Justin" wrote in message
m...
I have a chestnut tree that a coworker gave a couple of years ago that
is beginning to bear. She gave me two trees at first, but one died
apparently from drought or stress. I was unaware that there are
several different types of chestnut trees. How do I determine which
kind I have? Also, how do I go about caring for this tree and how do
you get the nuts? Do they fall like pecans or is there another method?

Most will fall out of their spiny casings. If edible they are most likely
Chinese but the American chestnut is coming back.
I like to slit them and cook in microwave. They last less than a month in
the refrigerator but I cook, peel and freeze for later turkey stuffing.
Every year, I have raging battles with deer and squirrels as to who gets
them. They come down over a period of about 2 weeks and I check morning and
evening and sometimes after a brisk wind.
Frank