Chestnuts can also be grown as bonsai. However, this requires a little skill and a lot of knowledge. Because just an occasional pruning is not enough. Beginners should not dare to do it.

Even horse chestnuts can be grown as bonsai with a lot of effort

Some bonsai professionals also avoid the chestnut because it has fairly large leaves. As a result, this tree is not so easy to grow as a bonsai and it may take a long time before the proportions are actually harmonious. It's not impossible, but it does take some work.

How do I grow a chestnut as a bonsai?

If you would like to grow a chestnut as a bonsai, it is best to start with the young plant right away. Choose a small pot from the start, this limits the space for the roots to grow. The chestnut grows so slowly.

In the first three years, a root cut is also recommended. Shorten the roots by a third each time. In this way you achieve that the leaves gradually become smaller and the overall picture of your bonsai more harmonious.

How do I prune the shoots?

When your chestnut sprout, let the new shoots grow for a while until about two to three pairs of leaves appear. The leaves get a little larger with each pair of leaves than the previous ones. Then shorten the shoot to just behind the first pair of leaves. This is how you "educate" your chestnut to make the leaves smaller and smaller.

How do I care for my chestnut bonsai?

Even as a bonsai, the chestnut needs a bright, preferably 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. Salty water causes the leaf edges to turn brown. In the spring, your bonsai can tolerate a small amount of special fertilizer.

Which chestnut species are suitable as bonsai?

In principle, you can grow a bonsai from any type of chestnut. The procedure is the same in each case and the care is similar. Only the nutrient requirement differs a little. The sweet chestnut reacts somewhat sensitively to a high lime content in the substrate. However, the Australian chestnut is a very different plant with its own needs.

The essentials 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 salt
  • fertilize in spring

tips

It takes quite a long time to grow a handsome bonsai from a chestnut. Do your patience and perseverance will pay off.

Category:

Trees