Surely you know the horse chestnut as a street tree. It is powerful and imposing, but can also be planted well in a large garden. But do not confuse this tree with the chestnut, it belongs to a completely different plant family.
How to plant a horse chestnut correctly?
To plant a horse chestnut, find a sunny location, dig a planting hole twice the size of the root ball, add compost, plant as deep as before and water well. Make sure there is enough space for the fully grown tree.
The best location
Similar to the sweet chestnut, the horse chestnut also prefers a sunny location. Even though you may be planting a small tree, keep in mind that a horse chestnut tree grows very large. A height of up to 30 meters is normal depending on the variety, the crown then has corresponding dimensions.
Give your horse chestnut enough space and do not plant the tree directly next to the wall of the house or on a high wall. A distance of at least eight to twelve meters should also be maintained from the neighboring chestnut or other trees.
The nature of the soil
The horse chestnut does not place too many demands on the soil, but it does have its preferences. If possible, plant the tree in a volcanic, loamy-sandy or loamy-gravelly soil with sufficient potassium and phosphorus. Good permeability prevents persistent waterlogging. However, fresh moisture is good for the horse chestnut.
The best time to plant
Ideally, you should plant a horse chestnut in late spring. There should be no more frost to be expected; a freshly planted tree is still sensitive to this. So it's best to wait for the Ice Saints in May.
Correct planting
Once you have found a suitable location for your horse chestnut, then dig a sufficiently large planting hole. It should be about twice as large in diameter as the root ball of your tree.
Loosen the soil well, add plenty of compost (€22.00 on Amazon), and if necessary also some potassium and/or phosphorus. Do not put the horse chestnut deeper into the ground than it was previously in the ground and water the tree well.
The most important things in brief:
- find a sunny location
- Planting hole twice as big as the bale
- Add compost
- plant as deep as before
- pour on
Tip
The horse chestnut doesn't like moving too much. Therefore, give it a space that is large enough for the full-grown tree.
