conkers

have2flushtwice

I took a walk in the wood beside work just now and saw some conkers on the ground. I have planted a few before about two years ago)but they didn't last. they sprouted and died. I think I left them in the greenhouse over winter and planted them in the spring.

SO I'm going to try again. I was reading up on how to do it. after a quick look, some websites advise to pick the open conkers, leave in a bag of damp peat moss and transplant in the spring. others say to pot them now and leave them in a shaded part of the garden and they will sprout in spring, and transplant to their final location next autumn.

also one side of the conker has a different finish to the other, does this side face up or down?

I'm sure Oldtree will come to the rescue!
Thanks.

Colonialboy

Ive found if you gather a bunch of soil or leaves from the same location you found the conkers , pot them (individual pot per conker) and leave outdoors in somewhat shaded/sheltered area then you can transplant next autumn or even next spring if developed enough.

Just think about the conditions and location of where teh conker develops in the wild and try to mirror that.

greysides

Think also a little further ahead. A Chestnut is not a conventional garden tree. What are you going to do with a large sapling? Or several.

If you've a farm to plant up then you're in business.

have2flushtwice

I will plant them in the garden in pots, where I can keep a eye on them, and will plant them in the farmland ditches next august, that's the plan. (if they grow!)

Mad4simmental

Put about 20 into a few pots last year with sum peet moss & forgot about them in the corner of the garden. I'd say about half of them came up.

How many years before they reach about 10 foot? 10 15 years? I'm going to stick them around the farm and do a few this year to.

Pat McArdle

I would think twice about planting horse chestnut. Bleeding canker is becoming more widespread every month and there is no point in planting trees that are likely to die before they reach any kind of maturity. many people think that only a small number of our chestnut trees will survive. You'd be better off planting another species, or a range of species.

That'll be tuppence, so.

have2flushtwice

50 planted in pots!
And a pic of my bait station too. . . .

Oldtree

I grow sweetpea in trays in the polytunnel early in the year for planting out later in the year, and the mice are always digging up the trays and eating the seed. I tried loads of ideas to keep them at bay and eventually arrived at this that actually works.

The seed trays are in a top tray of water. That tray is aloft using 2 thin rose pots, which are in two bottom trays of water. Essentially 2 moats were needed to keep the mice away from the seeds.



I have had similar problems with tree seed planted out in beds. My son has grown conkers without any special attention, but I havn't.

Your pots look a little small for growing conkers for a year. You will need a large water tray under the pots to keep the pots at field capacity ensuring a supply of water to your plants. I would mind the plants until next winter and plant them out then.

have2flushtwice

Oldtree wrote: »

I grow sweetpea in trays in the polytunnel early in the year for planting out later in the year, and the mice are always digging up the trays and eating the seed. I tried loads of ideas to keep them at bay and eventually arrived at this that actually works.

The seed trays are in a top tray of water. That tray is aloft using 2 thin rose pots, which are in two bottom trays of water. Essentially 2 moats were needed to keep the mice away from the seeds.



I have had similar problems with tree seed planted out in beds. My son has grown conkers without any special attention, but I havn't.

Your pots look a little small for growing conkers for a year. You will need a large water tray under the pots to keep the pots at field capacity ensuring a supply of water to your plants. I would mind the plants until next winter and plant them out then.

Should they b watered from underneath or above? The plan is to plant them in the ditches next july august and give them time to adjust to new location before d winter

Oldtree

I water everything from underneath, this prevents overwatering and allows the pot to be at "field capacity" (absorbing the amount of water it needs).

The plants would be used to your watering scheme, so it is probably best that would continue with that until the end of the season, unless you intend to water them in situ. If we get another indian summer next year like this year they would suffer. It would be best to let them settle in over the winter and then ready to go the next season (when as you have grown them in pots they will require watering too, maby for the first season there too.)

You could always stick a load of conkers into the site now and see how they do.

have2flushtwice

I've checked my plants last weekend, the are still under the cover of the compost in the pots, none have broken through yet. (i'm hearing of daffodils coming up alright - early spring)
I think they are getting enough water for the moment with the rain, and their consumption if water is probably quite low. they are still outside, not in the shed.

We have a lot of coffee here in work, I mean a LOT! it comes from the coffee dock, and is left in a composter out the back for any budding gardeners to take should they wish to do so. I would reckon there's 2 buckets in there at the minute. would it do any harm to my crop? suppose there is one way to find out! it would get well washed into the roots this weather anyhow.