I have a massive horse chestnut tree at the bottom of my garden, too big. After the windy Saturday it has dumped a prodigious crop of conkers on the lawn, which I swept up today. Seemed a shame to chuck them, you can't eat them, so I thought I'd put a few in my pockets when I popped out for a quick blast on the bike and try to plant a few. Long story short, I'm hooked, and I'm going to try to plant / throw all the conkers (big bucket full) around in woodland clearings, hedges etc whenever I'm out on my bike this autumn, it would be nice if a few managed to take root. Am I bonkers or do you think this is worthwhile? Might try it with a few acorns too....
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Conkers in my pockets
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Posted 2 years ago #
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haha sounds like a great idea. I wonder how much one may grow in a year.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Not sure - a few have popped up in our garden before now, they get to about 6 inches high pretty quickly in spring. I suppose a lot will get eaten by rabbits once they start to grow, but I reckon I've got a couple of hundred in my bucket so some might make it!
Posted 2 years ago # -
soak them in vinegar for a couple of days
put them in the airing cupboard
work your way up to the position of Akela at the local cub scout troop
train them in conker warfare
take over the worldPosted 2 years ago # -
Ha ha yes keeping a few back for my lad...
Posted 2 years ago # -
You're carrying on an honourable tradition.
There was an old sea captain from about Nelson's time who used to go round with pockets full of acorns and plant them in likely spots.
I throw apple cores out of the car if there's a nice verge, I can't be the only one, its surprising how many apple trees you see growing on motorway banks.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Am I bonkers ...
Not at all, I think it's a really sane idea.
You could change your name to 'William' (if you're not already called that) and all the local kiddies would love you, and point each time they see you, saying, "Look, there's William the Conkerer planting conkers again"
Great idea imo
Posted 2 years ago # -
Anyone got any good tips on what a "likely spot" is then? I'm thinking ground that isn't often disturbed, mainly in woods, where there is light tree cover only or in clearings. Ground is very hard in most places at the moment so quite hard to find good spots...
Posted 2 years ago # -
It's a great idea, with the bonus that it'll keep your pockets free from spiders.
Posted 2 years ago # -
that's nuts....
Posted 2 years ago # -
great idea, you are looking at a very high failure rate though, perhaps 1:20-30 will survive.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'm not surprised by that failure rate, thought it could be higher. I reckon I've got at least 200 conkers, so that could mean I get 5 to 10 trees, that would be ace! I might even be around to see them!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Must admit the spiders in pockets solution is lacking a problem...
Posted 2 years ago # -
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/
join these weirdos?
Posted 2 years ago # -
When I was a lad, I grew up with a nice large garden, and 5 acres of field at the back of the house. My mother had planted various birch trees in a line, whioh, when they moved out 18 months ago, were up to around 40 feet high.
Behind the birch trees, my friend, his brother and I planted a line of conkers, about 6-8 feet apart. Though slower growing than the birches (naturally), these had grown to a good 15-20 feet high last time I saw them.
I often wonder whether they will be left in place by the current owners, and enjoyed by kids for generations to come.
Posted 2 years ago # -
so your garden must have been 1824 feet along its longest axis, at least, assuming two trees does not make a line of trees......
Posted 2 years ago # -
I come back from my rides with pockets full of Chestnuts... yum.
Some are sure to make it as a tree, nice idea.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Er, I corrected my erroneous distances.
There are probably half a dozen trees there. I moved out 15 years ago, and didn't really make proper measurements when, as an 8 year old, we dug small holes and planted them.
Kinda miss seing those trees, really. I don't blame my parents - they had to move - but it's sad not to have the chance to see something that grew with me.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Just so you know, swallowed apple pips do NOT grow into trees in your stomach
Posted 2 years ago # -
My Dad in the past, was arrested and prosecuted for planting Trees on large roundabouts & council land!
He had a reputation for being a bit of a maverick.
He used to collect conkers/acorns or any seeds for that matter, pot them up, then when they were a foot tall go out in the middle of the night ant plant them, mostly near hedgerows or where trees had come down in the past.
Our back garden as a kid, was just one mass of pots, until he got caught and gave it all up.
Always makes me smile and remember him, when I pass a 30 year old Tree on a local roundabout, or see two horse chestnut planted within 10 yards of each other!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Guerrilla tree planting, I like it. Sounds like a great way to break the law! Clearly the law sucks. Although I can see why its best not to plant trees where someone is just going to remove it if it grows... lets all fight THE MAN by planting trees!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Just so you know, swallowed apple pips do NOT grow into trees in your stomach
but swallowed tomato seeds do grow into tomato plants at the sewage plant. FACT.Posted 2 years ago # -
you could mod a seed spreader to fit to the back of a bike?
or just put some seeds in an open pot taped to your seat post, so every time you go over a bump some jolt out?Posted 2 years ago # -
Given the shonky way I ride I think my hopper would empty after about two minutes when I bunny hop a kerb near my house and the conkers would go all over the road.... I can see actually that I'm going to have to get quite adventurous to keep finding good places for all the conkers, should lead to some good ride and quite a few not so good I should think.
Posted 2 years ago # -
ddmonkey, chapeau.
Posted 2 years ago # -
finding good places for all the conkers, should lead to some good ride and quite a few not so good I should think.
.........and also remarkably "squirrel-like" behaviour. I should imagine.
.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Conkers on a bonfire is the thing to do. Great fun in a things exploding quite dangerously kind of way.
Joe
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'm not going to start nibbling conkers but I might look a round nervously before I quickly bury them and them forget where... maybe more like Scrat in ice age...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Always makes me smile and remember him, when I pass a 30 year old Tree on a local roundabout, or see two horse chestnut planted within 10 yards of each other!
Now, that is a great story to tell your kids: "Your grandad planted that."
Posted 2 years ago # -
Fantastic stories.
Next autumn I'm getting a load of pots and collecting conkers and acorns with my kids.
Posted 2 years ago # -
ddmonkey - if you want to dish out any spare conkers, feel free to post some out, and I'll try to find "homes" for them...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Oh! Is this it?
Here's me thinking you were pleased to see me....
Posted 2 years ago # -
Sorry MikeT-23, you want the Bananas in my pocket thread, its 3 threads down on the left..
Conker distribution? GET YER OWN!!!
Posted 2 years ago # -
An update for anyone who cares, which I doubt is anyone but not to worry. I think I've now spread about a two hundred of these. It must be spring because may of them have started to sprout, so had a conkers in my plastic bags session yesterday as pockets not up to the job. Got told off on a few occasions so that makes me an eco warrior like Dave Angel I reckon.
Fingers crossed one of then makes it!
Posted 2 years ago # -
excellent.
Posted 2 years ago #
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