Chestnuts can also be grown as bonsai. However, this requires a little skill and a lot of knowledge. Because just occasional trimming isn't enough. Beginners shouldn't try this.
How do I grow a chestnut tree as a bonsai?
To grow a chestnut as a bonsai, choose a small pot, cut back the roots by 1/3 in the first 3 years, regularly prune shoots above the first pair of leaves, keep the substrate moist, use Use water that is low in lime and s alt and fertilize lightly in spring.
Some bonsai professionals also avoid the chestnut because it has fairly large leaves. This means that this tree is not so easy to grow as a bonsai and it may take a long time until the proportions are actually harmonious. It's not impossible, but it does require some work.
How do I grow a chestnut tree as a bonsai?
If you would like to grow a chestnut as a bonsai, then it is best to start with the young plant. Choose a small pot from the start, this will limit the space for the roots to grow. The chestnut grows slowly.
Root pruning is also recommended in the first three years. Shorten the roots by a third each time. In this way, you can ensure that the leaves gradually become smaller and the overall appearance of your bonsai becomes more harmonious.
How do I prune the shoots?
When your chestnut sprouts, let the new shoots grow for some time until around two to three pairs of leaves appear. With each pair of leaves the leaves become a little larger than the previous ones. Then shorten the shoot to just behind the first pair of leaves. This is how you train your chestnut to have smaller and smaller leaves.
How do I care for my chestnut bonsai?
Even as a bonsai, the chestnut needs a bright, sunny location. Keep the substrate moist, but not wet. Because waterlogging easily leads to ink disease, which, like chestnut bark canker, can lead to the death of the tree. S alty water causes the edges of the leaves to turn brown. In spring, your bonsai can tolerate a small amount of special fertilizer (€4.00 on Amazon).
Which types of chestnuts are suitable as bonsai?
In principle, you can grow a bonsai from any type of chestnut tree. The procedure is the same and the care is similar. Only the nutrient requirements are slightly different. The sweet chestnut reacts somewhat sensitively to a high lime content in the substrate. However, the Australian chestnut is a completely different plant with its own needs.
The most important things in brief:
- choose a small pot
- in the first 3 years root pruning: shorten roots by 1/3
- regularly cut off shoots above the first pair of leaves
- Keep substrate moist
- Use water that is low in lime and s alt
- fertilize a little in spring
Tip
It takes quite a long time until you grow a handsome bonsai tree from a chestnut tree. Your patience and perseverance will be worth it.
