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We've got 2 conker trees grown from conkers planted a few years ago. They are doing quite well in pots considering (between 1m and 1.5m high) but there are lots of leaves growing at various points on the trunks. The growth rate has shot up this last week (15-20cm) and I'm not sure what to do.
Do we trim these off or leave them? If we trim, when?
Cheers for the advice (Dr Google wasn't overly helpful TMI really).
At a guess they may need potting on.
Try googling Chestnut Tree and/or have a look on RHS website.
Are you proposing to keep them in a pot or planter?
If you have space or can find space, preferably not guerilla gardening, they will do much better planted out. Bear in mind that should they survive weakening by leaf blotch and leaf miner and attack by bleeding canker they could go on to be majestic.
At the moment just ensure that they have sufficient room for root growth without girdling, perhaps about 15 litres, keep them watered if there is low rainfall. If you can find a copy of BS8545 a good guide to industry best practice. Arbtalk could be worth a visit, just beware the reactionary nature of the place.
Pot probably isn't the best place for it unless you want to get into bonsai.
Saying that I've just bought a couple of half whisky barrels the my two potted trees. Not sure what I'll do when they out grow them!
Bonsai us a lot of work and isn't simply a tree in a pot
Horse chestnut grow quickly. Best bet is to stick emmin the ground and enjoy a tree that when mature will be huge.
Thanks all. They were grown from conkers from the tree on the local Cathedral green so have a bit of history.
I'd love to be able to plant them out somewhere at some point but that's a bit further on in time I reckon.
They'll stay in pots for a bit longer but do need potting on for sure.
Mattarb: Thanks for the info, didn't realise there was so much out there could do them damage until I started googling! I'll check out Arbtalk and go from there.
The leaf miner moth is causing the most damage at the moment, horse chestnut trees everywhere are losing their leaves quite early in the year, they show pale tracks in the leaves, which turn brown and curl then drop, often by August. The larvae pupate and winter in the leaf litter, ideally the dried leaves should be collected and burned, but nobody bothers.