pollarding horse chestnut trees

These trees should be pruned in fall after the leaves have dropped or in early spring, before the sap starts to flow (March), this may reduce flowers. If needed, a few small branches can be removed in summer after the leaves have reached full size.

1. Can you keep a horse chestnut tree small?
2. Can you prune a horse chestnut?
3. When can you trim a chestnut tree?
4. What time of year do you Pollard trees?
5. Are horse chestnut trees messy?
6. What can you do with horse chestnuts?
7. How much water does a chestnut tree need?
8. What is the best fertilizer for chestnut trees?
9. How long does it take for a horse chestnut tree to grow?
10. How long does it take for a chestnut tree to bear fruit?
11. Do you need 2 chestnut trees?
12. How do you look after chestnut trees?
13. Can pollarding kill a tree?
14. Do pollarded trees grow back?
15. Is pollarding bad for trees?
16. Do squirrels eat horse chestnut?
17. What is wrong with the horse chestnut trees?
18. How close to a house can you plant a horse chestnut tree?

Can you keep a horse chestnut tree small?

You do need a lot of space to grow your own conkers: a mature horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is a magnificent tree, with a height and spread of around 25m, so not one for a small garden (or even a medium-sized one).

Can you prune a horse chestnut?

When to Prune a Horse Chestnut

A general rule of thumb is to avoid pruning horse chestnut trees in early spring to mid-summer and late summer to mid-winter. Better times to prune this specimen are from mid-winter to early spring or mid-spring to mid-summer. Before pruning the tree, consider what you hope to achieve.

When can you trim a chestnut tree?

When to Start Cutting Back Chestnut Trees

Most chestnut tree pruning should take place in winter when the trees are dormant. If you are pruning to shape the tree or to limit its height, do it on a dry day in winter. Pruning back a broken or diseased branch shouldn't wait for winter, however.

What time of year do you Pollard trees?

The best time for pollarding many trees and shrubs is in late winter or early spring. However, bear in mind the following: Avoid pruning Acer species in spring when they are prone to bleeding sap. Summer can be a suitable time to pollard.

Are horse chestnut trees messy?

The Aesculus genus includes tree species commonly known as the horse chestnut and the Buckeye. ... However it is important to be aware that many consider these trees to be very messy, causing troublesome litter on the lawn. The leaves are typically very large and decompose slowly.

What can you do with horse chestnuts?

Uses for Horse Chestnuts

While you cannot safely eat horse chestnuts or feed them to livestock, they have medicinal uses. Extract from the poisonous conkers contains aescin. This is used to treat hemorrhoids and chronic venous insufficiency. In addition, over history conkers have been used to keep spiders away.

How much water does a chestnut tree need?

Water thoroughly for at least the first month after planting. For best success, water with about 1 gallon per tree every week.

What is the best fertilizer for chestnut trees?

We recommend using Scotts Osmocote for younger trees Indoor/Outdoor (19-6-12) recommend amount per directions or Espoma Holly Tone Organic Fertilizer. Spread the fertilizer evenly under the entire canopy of the tree avoiding a 5-inch area around the trunk. Mix in top 1-3 " of soil, then water in.

How long does it take for a horse chestnut tree to grow?

Unlike some tree species, germination rates for these seeds tend to be rather good. One the roots begin to sprout from the conker, you can pot it up in a container filled with a mix of soil-based compost. They will be ready to plant into their final growing position in around a year, when they are a foot or so tall.

How long does it take for a chestnut tree to bear fruit?

Chestnuts will begin to bear in 3-5 years after planting and most fruit trees and berries will produce fruit within 1-2 years after planting. You should not allow a tree to overbear when it is young, so remove some fruit if the crop appears too heavy, or it will stunt the growth of the tree.

Do you need 2 chestnut trees?

You must plant two trees to provide the necessary cross-pollination, so, unless your neighbor has a tree that's a seedling or is of a different variety, always plant two different varieties. Chestnuts are primarily wind-pollinated, so the two or more pollenizers need to be within about 200 feet of each other.

How do you look after chestnut trees?

Sweet chestnuts grow best in full sun, in a well-drained fertile, deep soil. The tree will not fruit in shade. Always plant your fruit tree so that the grafting union is above the level of the soil. Dig a hole large enough to comfortably accommodate the depth and size of the roots and water in well after planting.

Can pollarding kill a tree?

Pollarding was a traditional way of harvesting wood from a tree without killing it, but it has become accepted as an aesthetic feature in its own right. ... It's not easily applied to mature trees, as the cutting of larger branches, known as "topping", leaves a tree more exposed to disease.

Do pollarded trees grow back?

Pollarding is a woodland management method of encouraging lateral branches by cutting off a tree stem or minor branches two or three metres above ground level. The tree is then allowed to regrow after the initial cutting, but once begun, pollarding requires regular maintenance by pruning.

Is pollarding bad for trees?

Pollarding lets you remove the tree's central leader and its lateral branches. ... Young trees are less prone to disease and they regrow faster than the older ones. As for many, pollarding is a bad practice. And to shun this notion, the bad practice for trimming trees refers to topping, not pollarding.

Do squirrels eat horse chestnut?

Horse chestnut trees bud in the winter and are covered in a sticky residue. ... At this time squirrels will eat the ripe conkers but also bury others that may turn into future horse chestnut trees if buried before they dry out.

What is wrong with the horse chestnut trees?

The current disease in horse-chestnuts is caused by a bacterium called Pseudomonas syringae pv aesculi. What damage does it do? To put it simply it clogs up the tree's veins. The most obvious symptom is weeping wounds from the trunk of the tree and rust-coloured stains on the bark.

How close to a house can you plant a horse chestnut tree?

You want to give it at least 40 feet of spacing from the house as this will be its potential spread when fully grown. The spread of the canopy in trees reflects the spread of the roots, so if you plan for the canopy, this will also take care of the roots.