Bizarre urban yamadori horse chestnut

[pitchpine]

So yesterday my 4 year old niece inspired me to try & collect a volunteer horse chestnut that had been growing under my parents' porch for somewhere between 10-20 years.

It was a true excavation, because the space underneath the porch is covered by a latice, through which the tree had repeatedly grown and then been hacked back over the years. So the only way to get at the tree was to dig UNDER the boards and pull it out from below. All without completely destroying my mother's perennial plantings, lol!

I had no idea what the tree looked like when I started digging, but I think it's kind of an interesting example of a true urban yamadori, having struggled to grow for years under very adverse conditions. It's almost a natural literati, and even has the beginnings of decent nebari!

Given the extremely low percentage of roots I was able to collect, the tree is probably doomed. But I'd appreciate any advice folks might have on how I can maximize the chances of my "porch-adori" surviving the brutal collection process!

Thanks!
Laura

The first picture shows the potted tree in front of the spot it was collected, the second what will be the front view if it manages to survive

 

[Giga]

interesting but I have my doubt about the age, as these grow around 2' per year in partial shade. I have a tree growing under my deck for the last 5 and it's way thicker and interesting from being cut back and growing in a weird angle. Good luck with it though

 

[pitchpine]

Well, I know it's at least 10 years old, both because I've got (blurry) photographic evidence from back then, and from counting the bud scars on some shorter branches that were never cut back. My mom and I both feel like it's been there longer than that, we just can't say for sure (thus far anyway---I'm sure there are older pictures that aren't easily findable).

interesting but I have my doubt about the age, as these grow around 2' per year in partial shade. I have a tree growing under my deck for the last 5 and it's way thicker and interesting from being cut back and growing in a weird angle. Good luck with it though

 

[AlainK]

So yesterday my 4 year old niece inspired me to try & collect a volunteer horse chestnut that had been growing under my parents' porch for somewhere between 10-20 years.

If that lovely little girl asked you to take care of it, then you must.

I read on French forums about people making "mame" from horse chestnust, and saw photos of leaves reduced ro the size on a thumbnail, so it must be possible. If the tree is 10-20 yr-old, the internodes must be very short, and the more the ramifications, the smaller the leaves.

I would not fertilize it at all.

 

[A. Gorilla]

http://walter-pall-bonsai.blogspot.com/2008/05/mulberry-and-horse-chestnut.html?m=1

 

[0soyoung]

If you want a small tree, chop it low, you'll get several low shoots pretty much regardless of where you chop. But I think they are best when grown in a small pot (from the time the nut can be removed). Keep it small and the leaves stay small.

 

[sorce]

Pretty sure this is a PONY chessnut!

Sorce

 

[pitchpine]

Just to clarify, any possible design work is a long way off. I'm more concerned with giving it a chance to survive!

I've moved to it to a warmer spot (in my apartment instead of the unheated back hallway) and covered it with a large plastic bag to maintain humidity.

Does this sound like a reasonable idea?

 

[A. Gorilla]

It can't be outside?

 

[pitchpine]

It can't be outside?

It can, but I thought that for the time being it would be better to keep it warm to encourage root growth. There are so few it's almost like a cutting, so that's how I thought it might be best to treat it. Was I wrong?

 

[A. Gorilla]

If it's frosting at night, you could bring it in.

But big-picture-wise, trees want the sun, wind, rain, and all the other conditions they've evolved to thrive in.

I plucked two trees out of the ground last month. One had zero feeder roots when all was said and done. It's currently exploding with emerging buds.

Creating humidity for this guy in a bag makes me think of fungus and rot.

 

[pitchpine]

I plucked two trees out of the ground last month. One had zero feeder roots when all was said and done. It's currently exploding with emerging buds.

Ooh, thank you, this gives me some hope!

Creating humidity for this guy in a bag makes me think of fungus and rot.

The bag was because it's so dry in my apartment with the heat still on. It's just placed loosely over the tree, not sealed. And I've been taking it off for a bit each day to air out. But if you think it will be OK outside as long as it's protected from frost I will put it back out tonight.

Thanks again!

 

[A. Gorilla]

Ooh, thank you, this gives me some hope!



The bag was because it's so dry in my apartment with the heat still on. It's just placed loosely over the tree, not sealed. And I've been taking it off for a bit each day to air out. But if you think it will be OK outside as long as it's protected from frost I will put it back out tonight.

Thanks again!

The soil in your pot is kind of concerning. Is that as dense and chronically wet as it looks?

 

[pitchpine]

Yes, it was a spur of the moment collection, and I had to work with what I had to hand, which was not great (to say the least---bone dry garden soil)! The photos were taken right after I watered the just-potted tree with melting snow; it's not great drainage but not quite as bad as it looks there.

The soil is another reason I've been keeping it inside, it's been raining a lot and I knew a week of being completely saturated would make a bad situation worse.

Now that I've got it home, I'm open to repotting it in better soil, but have been uncertain whether disturbing it again would be the lesser of the two evils!

 

[A. Gorilla]

Pretty sure now would be the time do it.

Think about another winter in that.

 

[pitchpine]

Pretty sure now would be the time do it.

Think about another winter in that.

Yeah, I think you're right. Will repot tonight; maybe that'll give it a 5% chance of survival instead of 1%, lol

 

[sorce]

I had one feeder root on a recent collect.

I read about warming soil for spring veg planting with clear plastic, to trap day heat...

So I put some plastic around the base and left the top exposed.

It is still pushing further.

I would consider fully covering it in leaf...
But otherwise....eh.

Sorce

 

[0soyoung]

If you want a small tree, chop it low, you'll get several low shoots pretty much regardless of where you chop.

An example of the result of an 18 inch or so caliper trunk chop - lots to choose from.

 

[0soyoung]

Given the extremely low percentage of roots I was able to collect, the tree is probably doomed. But I'd appreciate any advice

Were I in your shoes, I would be looking around for other volunteers. I have upto a dozen pop up in my yard every year - nuts, planted by the squirrels, from a tree that is a block away. Use a small spade or hand trowel to dig around the seedling and lift the works out of the ground. Put this in a pot and just back fill with similar soil. Let it grow for the rest of this season (repot spring 2018; remove the nut then).

Your niece will likely be very sad if your volunteer dies, but seeing new ones that live may ameliorate that. If there is the opportunity to share the process of digging and potting with her, so much the better. Regardless of how it works out, there will be a lot for uncle and niece to talk about for many years.

 

[pitchpine]

This guy just got a big upgrade of his survival chances!

I repotted it last night into a mix of well draining potting soil & pumice. As I went to take it out of the existing pot, I was thrilled to find several buds pushing and turning green!


If it does survive, rather than doing any major chops or redesign, I think I will try to just refine its existing form and character. It's weird, but it's the tree's story, and it has sentimental value.