Growing a chestnut yourself can be a worthwhile task, but it is quite time-consuming. Aside from that, collecting seeds won't necessarily get you the chestnut you want. Because the seeds are not pure.
How can I grow a chestnut myself?
To grow a chestnut yourself, cut 20-30 cm long cuttings from strong shoots in spring, remove excess leaves and plant them 5 cm deep in potting soil. Patience and care are important until the chestnut can be transplanted.
Is it worth growing a chestnut yourself?
Growing a chestnut is certainly not financially worthwhile, but it is certainly a test of patience. It will take many years before you can harvest your first chestnuts. Many garden lovers still find it a lot of fun to grow their own plants.
How do I grow a chestnut myself?
You can only grow a pure chestnut from cuttings. Seeds from your garden always carry the genetic characteristics of both parent plants. However, it is questionable which properties prevailed in the seeds you collected.
In spring, cut off a few strong, he althy shoots about 20 to 30 centimeters long. You should have several pairs of leaves, but only leave the top four. Remove all other leaves.
Place these cuttings about five centimeters deep in a pot with potting soil. You can accelerate root formation with the help of a rooting powder. Keep the soil slightly moist. But if it is too wet, the roots begin to rot before they are strong enough to feed the small chestnut.
Transplanting the home-grown chestnut
After a few months, at the latest after the first winter, it is time to transplant the young chestnut, either into the garden or into a large container. Dig a planting hole for the chestnut and add some compost into it.
Insert the chestnut and fill the remaining hole with soil and water your tree. Transplanting is less recommended in summer, not at all with an older chestnut, as your tree will hardly survive.
The most important things in brief:
- best grown from cuttings
- Rooting powder not absolutely necessary
- 20 to 30 cm long cuttings
- 5 cm deep in potting soil
Tip
Growing a chestnut yourself requires a lot of patience and perseverance.
