I’m Trying To Grow A Horse Chestnut Tree From Conkers; Am I Doing It Right?

Question

I’m based in North England, just outside of Manchester. I’ve been collecting conkers hoping to plant them and I wanna know if I’m doing it right. I collected them, did the water test. ones that sank, got potted, rest went onto the compost heap. I put the good ones in pots and watered them (late sep) I also ran out of pots so put some in the ground but I’m not too bothered by them. I plant to make little cages out of plastic bottles to protect them from animals. Once Spring comes around, some should start sprouting, shouldn’t they? Also, I know they take years to grow, but do you have a guess as to how long it’ll take for conkers to start appearing? I’ve seen 5 years thrown about but I’ve also seen some people say 20+ years.

Answer 1

From seed, you will look at around 20 years. That's a good guess, but it could be more or less.

I would say what you are doing sounds fine, and they will likely sprout after the natural cold stratification.

Here is an article that will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/horse-chestnut/how-to-grow-a-horse-chestnut-tree.htm