Air layering horse chestnut

[mrt]

Hi all
I would like to try a horse chestnut as a bonsai.
My neighbour has a nice tree, and I asked him for permission to take cuttings or try air layering. He is fine with that so I would like to try it. Especially the air layering because it would allow to get quickly a nice trunk.

I did some research about it and found the horse chestnut can be air layered, but I am still not 100% sure. Will it work if done properly?
when is the best time? I have never tried that before. I would guess that starting in spring (early march?) is probably good. Any hints?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Horse chestnut is thicker than your thumb in a single year from seed. Pretty easy to grow.

Cuttings and air layers are hard to establish. I have tried a bunch, but none of them ever took root enough to survive.

 

[mrt]

so you would indeed recommend growing one from seed? normally I thoight this is impractical for bonsai.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Yes, I would recommend growing one from seed.
It's only impractical if air layers would be faster, but since those are difficult and even more impractical.. I'd go with seed.

They seem to be able to bud on wood without nodes, so you can basically cut back to wherever you'd like to get movement. The wood breaks easily when wired.

Horse chestnut in general is a very impractical species for bonsai due to its coarse growth and huge leaves.

 

[0soyoung]

I would recommend growing one from seed.

I agree!

Horse chestnut in general is a very impractical species for bonsai due to its coarse growth and huge leaves.

But keep them small and the leaves will be small.

 

[mrt]

I agree!

But keep them small and the leaves will be small. View attachment 422386 View attachment 422380

awwww how cute!

I have a large bonsai book where hundreds of species are covered, and the horse chestnut is also shown in there. It mentions that they are usable for bonsai, but more for a bit larger ones.
Did you grow yours from seed? and how long did it take?
I want mine in the range of 20..30 cm, but not much more. This is the size I like most.

 

[0soyoung]

Yes, I grew mine from seed. There is a pair of them about a block away and the squirrels plant them in my landscape from time to time. I dug these up as I found them, nut and all, and popped them in a nursery pot. The following spring I repot, removing the nut. I let it leaf out and decapitate it before the simmer solstice. The next year I cram it into a small pot. You want something bigger, so let it grow until the trunk moves and is as thick as you want before moving into a nice shohin pot.

They have two kinds of buds: Big fat terminal buds that produce long petioles and below them are smaller ones that occur in a set of 3 or 4 rings. These produce shorter internodes and shorter petioles. They can be defoliated to further reduce leaf size, but it must be done before the summer solstice. They will not produce a new flush after the summer solstice.

 

[mrt]

Hello all

I always wanted a horse chestnut tree because I saw some really nice bonsai from these.
I scrapped the idea of air layering a tree because fortunately, in a park near where I live there are lots of these trees and while walking there yesterday, I found this small seedling and dug it out. It is from the white flowering Aesculus Hippocastanum trees. Currently approx. 20cm height. I wonder whether I should cut these two large leaves off to keep the tree smaller?
I think if I let it grow it will become much too tall. Other suggestions?

 

[Rivian]

How attached are you to it? Cut off the stem at half height and see if it buds lower down

 

[mrt]

if you look closely at the point where the two leaf petioles (?) meet there are two little leaves. So I think at least at this point there is a node.
I am not very much attached to it, but on the other hand it would be good to keep it because small trees are hard to find and and impossible to buy.

 

[Rivian]

So whats your plan on turning this into a bonsai?

 

[mrt]

There are a few nice examples of horse chestnut bonsais in this forum. I would like to do something similar. For this, it needs to have a thicker trunk, which it obviously has not yet, but it also needs lots of branches that start quite low. I believe if I let it just grow, it will thicken its trunk easily, BUT it will also be a single, tall stem. I thought I need to cut it somehow to encourage it to form branches.
No?

 

[Rivian]

I believe if I let it just grow, it will thicken its trunk easily

Not in that pot, too small

it needs to have a thicker trunk

How thick are you aiming for?

but it also needs lots of branches that start quite low

You can either build the trunk by grow big/ chop hard or take out long noded sections continually and build it slowly, maybe with some sacrificials also

 

[mrt]

Not in that pot, too small

How thick are you aiming for?

You can either build the trunk by grow big/ chop hard or take out long noded sections continually and build it slowly, maybe with some sacrificials also

ah I see. However I have no better possibility. I dont have a garden where I can plant it unfortunately.
Concerning thickness - I have not a special desired target thickness I want to achieve. But for sure it should not be a pencil.
If it is as thick as a thumb some day, I would be happy. Preferrably a bit more.
So if I understand you correctly, chopping the two leaves off is wrong for sure.

 

[Rivian]

Considering your situation, and if you have at least the space that the plant is standing on in your photo, I suggest building a small grow box and building the tree slowly. How thick is that wall, maybe 25 cm? A bit more?
Build a grow box out of wood, 25x25x12cm
Cutting it back only means stagnation if it doesnt have room for rootgrowth

 

[mrt]

Hi Rivian
thanks for the hint. I will do that.
Cutting it back: isnt it necessary to prevent the tree from becoming just one tall single thin stem?

 

[Rivian]

When you cut it back it will be to a low node so it doesnt matter how straight it is above that because it will be cut off anyway. You can even give it a fair amount of fertilizer. Let it gain strength this year, no cut backs. In late February, probably every year from 2023 on, work on the roots. This helps with good surface roots (nebari) and short nodes, which you need.