Tweet
Hi all, not sure if this is the correct place to post..........
Does anyone know what the best way of germinating conkers is?
M
Does anyone know what the best way of germinating conkers is?
M
-
-
We often used to grow conkers, acorns, cobnuts and sweet chestnuts as kids. Mum never knew what to do with the resulting trees though, we always had intentions to look after them, but they usually died through neglect the following summer.
We just used to pot them up after collecting them, leave them outside through the winter, and most used to start growing the following spring. I'm not sure if they needed the stratification period, but it seemed to make sense. Sweet chestnuts will eventually sprout in the fridge if they are stored too long, and I planted some of my cobnuts last year for seedlings to plant a hedge.
Not sure if this is much help, someone might have better advice.Last edited by BarleySugar; 16-10-2012, 07:48 PM.I could not live without a garden, it is my place to unwind and recover, to marvel at the power of all growing things, even weeds!
Now a little Shrinking Violet.
http://potagerplot.blogspot.com/ -
The previous owner's granddaughter planted conkers all over the garden - they're driving me mad as they come up in all the wrong places. I doubt that she did anything special with them!Comment
-
They probably need to experience winter temperatures before they will germinate.
After that, they should grow like any other plant from seed.
They will need some care (occasional watering) in their early years to get established - and genetic variability between them could result in some which grow well in your soil/climate and some which are less happy or just natural dwarfs.
So just plant them in pots outside and wait for spring to arrive.
The "seedlings" produced are likely to want to send out a deep taproot, and maybe a few wide-spreading roots. If the pot restricts their root growth, they may stop growing or maybe even get sick.
Conker trees are extremely vigorous - among the largest trees in this area; rivalling willow trees in my area.
So once that taproot gets a hold (assuming it's not restricted by a pot), they can get very big, very quickly..Comment
-
Why do you want to germinate conkers? Sprout (and plant) something useful instead, like sweet chestnuts, or hazelnuts?All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.Comment
-
I haven't seen any conkers this year, despite passing at least 10 trees on the way to/from work. Usually I at least see some cases on the ground. Same with Hazels, very few nuts. Has anyone else noticed this this year?Comment
-
Some have huge crops, while others have none; very variable - probably due to weather.Originally posted by Plot10 View Post.Comment
-
-
ALL Trees are useful.....Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post
Infact horse chestnuts are beautiful trees.......
Last edited by northepaul; 17-10-2012, 05:33 PM.Comment
-
Yep - even horse chestnut wood will burn on my log fire. Make a good-sized tree sooner than many, too, so it's quicker from planting to the harvesting of firewoodOriginally posted by northepaul View Post
Apart from firewood and for playing conkers, I wouldn't bother with them otherwise.
Apple wood is better - and you get nice blossom and deocrative edible fruits in the 50-odd years before the tree becomes excellent firewood. All the more reason to grow apples on vigorous rootstocks: they produce more firewood from one tree than a dwarf..Comment
-
Ta for all the replies.
For those of you who are a little puzzled as to why I would want to germinate conkers, its a long story but here goes;
In my past life as a Circus artise one of the places I visited while on tour in the UK was Twickenham Green in London. When on tour we have to connect to water and are directed by the council which manhole to lift and connect to. In 2003 on Twickenham Green I found two conkers underneath the manhole which had sprouted, they would never have gone any further so I rescued them. They were planted here at home in Lincolnshire and are now between 15 and 20ft tall. This year they had their first conkers, they are the ones I wish to germinate.
I LOVE trees, all trees, often wish they could talk and tell me what they have seen in thier life. I rescue seedlings from all sorts of obscure places. I picked up one which was about 6inches tall from the middle of a scrapyard, it made its journey home [300 miles!] in my handbag with its roots wrapped in wet tissue and plastic, that tree is now over 5ft tall, not sure what it is yet, might be a poplar.
This all just confirms I'm a card carrying member of the tree lovers nutters club
Comment
-
Hi minskey.
Why not plant some varieties which are in danger of extinction?
Many good fruit varieties from centuries past have been lost because they fell out of fashion and nobody bothered to keep them going.
One day we might wish we'd not let the old varieties die out because modern breeding programmes are mostly performing severe inbreeding with just a handful of varieties (crossing siblings with each other) which may eventually make certain fruits so lacking in genetic diversicty and hence so sickly that we can't grow them..Comment
-
Hi Minskey, I understand perfectly why you want to keep your special conkers going. There's something very special about growing a tree, especially a BIG one. I have some baby oaks from the tree in my Cardiff garden that I intend to transplant to my other garden. Its a continuity thing, a link with somewhere else or some other time.Originally posted by minskey View PostThis all just confirms I'm a card carrying member of the tree lovers nutters club
Meanwhile, as a tree-hugging Nutter, why not join us at http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...s%27+club.htmlComment
-
I think Horse Chestnuts are in danger of being wiped out in this country, the spread of pests and diseases has been so rapid - we saw it happen from a couple of browned trees near Kew only, to the whole way from West London to here in Somerset in just a few years, with thousands dead or struggling. Probably over a lot of the rest of Britain too. That was my thought about Minsky's seedlings, whether they'd be able to withstand it or not. They're such beautiful trees, it would be a shame if Conkers went the way of the Dodo.Comment
-
So many tree species are under threat - Larch and now Ash.
I can't bear to think of a country without trees
Comment
Comment