While not a native species, the horse chestnut can be a pleasing addition to a large garden. When choosing a tree for your garden you should always bear in mind the height and width it can reach at maturity and how long it will live for.
Choose carefully when placing your beautiful horse chestnut tree as these trees will reach an eventual height of up to 40m and can live for years. A horse chestnut can be a great stand alone specimen tree or on larger areas of land will sit well with other trees.
They will thrive best in a sunny spot in soil that is humus rich and fertile, moist and yet free-draining. They will not do very well if their roots become waterlogged or if the soil fertility is poor.
Horse chestnuts are hardy in Zones 3 to 8 and form rounded to foot specimen trees. Gather twice as many horse chestnut conkers than you think you will need. Each conker contains one seed so you will need to gather 8 conkers if you want 4 trees, because not all the seeds that you start will germinate.
Only gather conkers that have fallen from trees. Conkers fall in September and October, depending on where you live. Remove the seed from the conker by pulling one half of the spiny shell conker off conkers open when they hit the ground and popping the seed out. Seeds are very large and easy to handle, however, when first removed they may be slippery. Store the seeds overwinter by placing them in a plastic storage bag packed with sphagnum or peat moss.
Keep the moss moist by misting periodically with water. Store in a cool room approximately 40 degrees F or in a refrigerator. Do not seal the bag; rather, allow it to remain slightly open or poke several holes in the plastic to allow some air flow.
You will need to start the seeds in mid spring after all chances of frost have passed. Rinse thoroughly in warm water and allow them to air dry. Continue with the other seeds, planting one seed per pot. Seeds will germinate in 4 to 10 days. Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Conkers are toxic and should never be consumed. Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0.
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Follow Us. The species was introduced to the UK in the late 16th century. Its conkers sit inside a spiky green shell, before falling to the ground in autumn. Mature horse chestnut trees grow to a height of around 40m and can live for up to years. The bark is smooth and pinky-grey when young, which darkens and develops scaly plates with age. Twigs are hairless and stout; buds are oval, dark red, shiny and sticky. Look out for: conkers seeds which are surrounded by a spiky green case.
Distinctive large leaves have serrated leaflets. Identified in winter by: twigs which have large, sticky red buds. Appearing in May, individual flowers have 4—5 fringed petals, which are white with a pink flush at the base. Once pollinated by insects, each flower develops into a glossy red-brown conker inside a spiky green husk, which falls in autumn. Horse chestnut is native to the Balkan Peninsula.
It was first introduced to the UK from Turkey in the late 16th century and widely planted. Though rarely found in woodland, it is a common sight in parks, gardens, streets and on village greens. The flowers provide a rich source of nectar and pollen for insects, particularly bees.
Caterpillars of the triangle moth feed on its leaves, as does the horse chestnut leaf-miner moth whose caterpillars provide food for blue tits.
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