My personal suspicion is that chestnut seedlings are sun-sensitive, being used to germinating in the understory (with shade and or dappled sunlight) - the deck has fairly strong sunlight for much of the day.

If this is the case, how and when should I introduce these seedlings to the outdoors?

Thanks in advance...

- Tom

Sunlight is much stronger than artificial light, even in light shadow. When I take seedlings out, I start by taking them out for a few hours some cloudy or even rainy day. Day by day they will get used to stronger light, but I don't know if it is ever possible to make them comfortable in direct sunlight. There might be some issue with ultraviolet light to, which is present in sunlight but not in artificial light. But no worries, they will soon put out new leafs.

when i take things out from under lights..

its a week or two in the garage.. with the door open..

a week in full shade..

then a week in morning or even sun ... etc ..

you took an albino .. put them on the equator.. and are now wondering why they sunburned .... unfortunately.. there is no sunblock for trees ...

it is NOT a water issue.. so dont drown it now..

most trees.. everything otherwise proper.. can releaf ... though some might go dormant.. and not releaf until next year ....

if this thing were in a hurricane.. all its leaves could blow off .;.. so unless you kill it with too much love.. there is no reason it should die ...

so.. just give it time.. and lets see what happens..

do favor us with an update.. in the future ...

ken

ps: this process is called HARDENING OFF .. in this case.. to SUNLIGHT .. and it should be done with houseplants as i see in the picture also ... here in MI.. we also have to harden off to TEMPS .... and perhaps that is why i take so much time ....

This post was edited by ken_adrian on Fri, Apr 26, 13 at 8:08

Thanks, guys. I've guess I have had this happen before, but never like this. Even with pawpaws, which are supposedly touchy about light as seedlings.

I'll put the chestnuts in a shady place, then gradually light harden them up.

Yeah probably transplant shock. I have young chestnuts in full sun and they LOVE it (zone 4 though).

Plants I grow inside and then take outside generally have some wilting or leaf loss, although not that bad. Best case is they will releaf out.

Also check your soil pH. anything over 6.5 is bad for chestnuts.