When to plant chestnuts. How to plant and grow nut chestnuts. Video about growing chestnuts by planting directly into the ground

Beech trees are considered one of the most beautiful and majestic, and the chestnut tree, which is quite famous to everyone, belongs to their family. How to grow chestnuts from walnuts at home? This question is one of the most frequently asked by experienced gardeners. Experts warn that beech trees have certain characteristics in growing; they are strong and sturdy plants with a powerful root system. Sometimes even young seedlings may have difficulty rooting due to inappropriate conditions or irregularities during planting. Before planting walnut chestnuts, you should know in advance all the subtleties and requirements regarding this process and further care of the tree.

A little about chestnut

So how to plant walnut chestnuts? For starters, it should be said that this plant can grow in the form of shrubs or trees. He has a large and straight trunk, lush and neat crown. Leaves of extraordinary beauty are located on long cuttings; they include 5 elongated elements with a common junction point in the center. The leaves are large and have a rich green tint.

During the flowering period, a pyramidal compound of small white or pink buds breaks out of the leaves, they are popularly called candles. Later, in their place, young fruit ovaries are formed, which are located inside a green box covered with thorns. As soon as the fruit is ripe, the box opens and the fruit falls out, but quite often it falls off with it. Chestnut fruits are most often called nuts, they are dark brown in color, at the junction with the box, their color has a lighter, almost gray tone.


In many cities, these representatives of the Bukovs decorate parks and gardens; there are whole alleys of beautiful trees. They are often planted in private gardens and courtyards.

Everyone has heard about the benefits of this plant, its fruits have a number of useful properties and qualities. They are used in areas such as medicine, cosmetology and even cooking. On the basis of chestnut, ointments and creams are made that help with pain in the joints, and it is also believed that the extract from young nuts can accelerate hair growth and significantly strengthen their hair follicles.

There is a wide variety of folk recipes for the preparation of one or another remedy based on chestnut fruits. But it is always worth remembering that before using any medicinal drug, you must consult a doctor.

So, experts give certain recommendations and advice on how to germinate a chestnut on your own and what is needed for this. It is worth warning right away that growing chestnuts from walnuts is not suitable for every variety of this tree, but there are more than 30 species of them.

The most famous are chestnut varieties such as:

  • sowing;
  • Japanese;
  • horse;
  • soft.

The fruits of these varieties are edible, with the exception of the horse chestnut. If the hostess sprouted fruit taken from a tree that adorns a park or square, rather. in all, we are talking about the latter.

Sprouting chestnuts from walnuts

Before planting a tree, you should think carefully about its future location and which variety is best to grow.


Regarding the choice of location, it is necessary to understand that in 4 years some species of this plant can grow significantly and give the first fruits. Beech plants have a lush crown, and the root system is located almost on the surface of the earth. Such a tree will provide good shade, so it will be impossible to grow something close. If the goal is to grow a certain variety of chestnut for the further use of its seeds for food, then you need to choose a planting site away from highways and industrial enterprises. Experts note that these trees have one feature: they actively absorb toxic emissions and heavy metals, so they are planted in large quantities in large cities to cleanse the air of harmful substances.

It is not so easy to grow this type of tree from a fruit; it is necessary to perform a number of specific actions to prepare the planting material itself and its further cultivation.

First you need to choose a fresh and strong chestnut nut. As a rule, they use the material that has independently fallen from the tree and easily detaches from its protective shell: this indicates its full ripeness. Such fruits are harvested and prepared for future planting, which is best done in the fall. Often, gardeners store nuts all winter in order to plant them in the spring, but during this period the planting material loses its quality and appearance, which significantly reduces the percentage of rooting.

Planting stock stratification

First you need to prepare a container for storing nuts. A wooden container works best. You can also use plastic, but you should make sure that there are holes in it for the "breathing" of the soil and removal of excess moisture. The container is filled with wet sand and the chestnuts are placed in it.

Next, the container is placed in a cool place - this is either a basement or a refrigerator. If it is decided to plant in the fall, then the storage of chestnuts should last at least 10 days. For spring planting, the seed container is stored throughout the winter. Some gardeners recommend dropping such a container along with the fruits under the tree into the ground, covering it well with foliage. Thus, the planting material hibernates until spring.

Planting a sprout

Planting chestnuts can be carried out from late February to early April. Before planting chestnuts in the ground, they must be soaked in warm water for at least 5 days. This procedure will soften the hard shell of the fruit and facilitate the germination of the young shoot. As soon as the sprout appears, you can plant the nut in a separate container. Almost any soil is suitable for planting, so they fill the cups or pots with well-moistened soil and place the seed in it.


The first shoots should appear in two weeks, but there is one important note: it must be remembered that it is necessary to deepen the nut by 3-5 cm during planting, no less and no more. When planted deeply, a young sprout may not break through to the surface, and if it is superficially located, it is likely to dry out. A nut planted in the soil needs constant care, it is worth making sure that the soil does not dry out and is not too wet. The room where the seedlings are located must be ventilated, and it is also worth making sure that no heaters are located nearby.

So, as soon as the young seedlings get stronger and the threat of frost has passed, we plant the chestnuts in open ground in a previously prepared place. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

  1. The planting hole should correspond to the size of the root system of the young seedling.
  2. The distance between the holes should be about 3 m.
  3. Black soil is best suited for planting. Slaked lime, sand and humus are added to the hole before planting. This substrate will help young shoots take root faster.
  4. Without fail, a drainage layer of small pebbles and sand with a height of 7-10 cm is laid on the bottom of the hole.

Carefully and carefully it is worth handling young shoots during planting, they are very fragile and can easily be damaged. As soon as they are planted, the top layer of the earth should be mulched and then slightly loosened.

In general, this is the whole process showing how to germinate a chestnut at home. Thus, most of the gardeners received beech trees for their private estates and gardens.

Now that the young seedlings have begun, they should be provided with regular and competent care.

Seedling care

Since a young plant has a very fragile trunk, it should be protected from possible mechanical damage from the outside. To do this, you need to create a small fence around the hole and provide shelter in case of strong changes in the weather.

This type of tree grows rather slowly, with the exception of some varieties, but, as a rule, patience and strength should be gained for the first 3-4 years, until the young tree gets stronger.


Care mainly consists of regular watering and periodic fertilization of the young sprout. Do not take cold water for humidification. It is best if at first it will be well-established. Watering is carried out as needed, the top layer of the soil acts as an indicator - it should not dry out and crack. In the future, the tree is watered 1-2 times a week. Mulching the soil remains a prerequisite in the first years of a seedling's life, since during this period its root system, which is close to the surface of the earth, is actively forming.

Experienced specialists apply fertilizer no more than twice a year, as a rule, these are the spring and autumn periods:

  • for spring feeding, it is good to use mullein and urea solution;
  • for the autumn period, it is better to add nitroammofosk;
  • during the period of active growth, organic fertilizers can be applied.

Over time, it is possible to fertilize the crop only in the spring. In order to grow a beautiful tree, you need to periodically prune the branches. This procedure is done no earlier than 3 years after planting. In a young shoot, the central trunk is cut off and the lateral branches are trimmed by about 1/4 of their length.

With the onset of cold weather, young seedlings should be well covered with dry foliage and a layer of humus, this will help protect the root system from freezing.

Like all plants, this type of beech can be subject to various diseases. Pest infestation is a common problem for young shoots. It can be tree mites, miner moths and powdery mildew. Experienced gardeners give good advice on how to grow a chestnut from a fruit and how to properly care for it. Experts advise to carry out preventive spraying once every 2 months, for this they use certain drugs that can be purchased in special stores for gardeners.

In general, it is not so difficult to grow a young chestnut from seeds: this plant is unpretentious in the choice of soil, it only requires regular watering and protection from pests. An adult tree does not need such careful maintenance. Edible varieties grow slowly, and care for them requires a longer and more thorough, since the fruits must be environmentally friendly and not overloaded with chemistry. Therefore, it is better to choose organic and harmless fertilizers for these crops. But once it gets stronger, this luxurious tree will become a real decoration for your garden and will bring great health benefits.

Video - how to grow a chestnut in the country

Chestnut is an amazing and beautiful tree that adorns parks and alleys. Everyone knows this magnificent sight, when in the fall he scatters his fruits, which look like funny hedgehogs. You can grow this in your summer cottage. How to grow chestnuts from walnuts? The technology is very simple, detailed instructions are described below.

Preparing chestnut seeds for planting

Chestnut is a powerful and beautiful tree, it is often used for landscaping city squares and parks, but it is also popular in garden landscaping. How to grow chestnuts from walnuts? It is not at all difficult, in addition, it is very interesting and exciting to observe the emerging seedlings, their development and strengthening. The fruits for cultivation are harvested in the fall, when they fall from the tree. It is best to carry out a stratification procedure with nuts, that is, place them in a cold and humid environment.

This will make future seedlings more hardy and increase the percentage of germination. To carry out this procedure, you should place the chestnuts in a container with sand and leave in a cold place for ten days. This can be a refrigerator or a cool basement. This method of seed preparation is suitable if planting will be carried out in the fall. If planting will be carried out in the spring, then after the winter storage period, it is necessary to place the seeds in a warm environment. filled with warm water for a period of three to five days. The water should be constantly changed, adding warm water. What happens to the chestnut nut with this procedure? Its shell softens under the influence of heat and moisture, which leads to the swelling of the embryo.

How to plant walnut chestnuts?

When the fruits are processed and ready for planting, we choose a place for planting and plant the seeds to a depth of two to three centimeters. Seeds should not be placed close to the surface, they may dry out and die. When planting chestnut in autumn, seedlings appear several weeks earlier than when planting in spring. But the seedlings planted in spring will be much stronger and will be able to prepare for the cold weather. It is imperative to feed young seedlings with fertilizer, this will help accelerate growth and development. And also make a small fence around each so as not to accidentally damage it.

Other methods

There are several methods for growing chestnuts from walnuts. So, for example, the fruits are harvested in late autumn, this will allow them to undergo natural stratification, and in January they are planted in flowerpots or pots, watered like an ordinary houseplant. With the arrival of spring, the seedling must be transplanted to a permanent place in the garden. Planting chestnuts with nuts is a very interesting activity, as a result of which a new young chestnut tree will appear.

Chestnuts belong to the ornamental plants of the beech family. Recently, their popularity has been constantly increasing, because it is a favorite of landscape designers. The chestnut has many advantages: a beautiful, easy-to-form crown, spectacular flowering and fast growth. The purchase of seedlings is an expensive business, especially since you can quite successfully plant a chestnut from a walnut on your own. The main subtleties of growing chestnuts are discussed in our article.

Only mature and undamaged chestnuts are suitable for planting. It is necessary to collect them in late summer - early spring, when they massively fall from the trees. After the thorny amniotic membrane has burst, the chestnuts are suitable for further cultivation.

You can plant chestnuts in two ways:

  1. Deepen the collected nuts in the ground in the fall of the same season.
  2. Store and germinate at home, planting grown seedlings in open ground in spring.

Both methods are fairly well tested in practice and have their pros and cons. If the chestnut grows in your area, you can use the natural method of stratification and germination. To do this, the fruits are simply covered with foliage near the mother plant and left until spring. In spring, chestnuts are harvested and planted in the ground. They have already passed the required level of hardening, so there should be no problems with survival.

By the way, at the beginning of the season, seedlings may spontaneously grow around the tree, which can simply be transplanted to another place. This method is quite simple and effective, but subject to free access to the tree. If it grows in a park, it is not worth digging up a young tree, because this is fraught with fines and other troubles. In this case, it is better to return to the above methods of growing chestnut, more details about each of them are described below.

Autumn planting of nuts

Planting nuts in the fall has many benefits. Plants receive the necessary hardening, are distinguished by strong immunity and good germination. In addition, chestnuts are not capricious in nature, they can grow on any soil and in the most extreme conditions. When planting, the future dimensions of the tree should be taken into account so that later it does not obscure the beds and fruit bushes.

The landing algorithm is extremely simple:

  • A few days before planting, you can soak the nuts in warm water. This will soften the skin and make it easier for the sprout to hatch.
  • Deepening into the ground is carried out by about 5-7 centimeters. For regions with cold winters, you can play it safe and deepen the chestnut by 10-15 centimeters, and cover the beds with fallen leaves or agrofibre on top.
  • In the spring, friendly shoots will appear at the planting site, which are thinned out as needed, leaving the strongest, watered and weeded.
  • At first, seedlings need active watering and loosening. You can tie up the trunk so that it grows even.
  • Crown pruning usually occurs when the tree reaches 8-10 years. If small decorative plantings are planned, crown formation begins much earlier.

The disadvantage of planting chestnuts in autumn with nuts is the risk of rodent spoilage. Planting can be protected with special wire shelters, as well as natural methods (spraying the soil with strong smelling substances, planting herbs and plants).

The proposed video will show you how to properly plant a chestnut seedling.

Growing chestnuts from walnuts at home

This method is ideal for harsh climates, because there is no guarantee of a safe wintering for planted seeds. At home, it is much easier to achieve nut germination, you just need to adhere to the basic rules for success.

How is the landing:

  • The harvested chestnuts should be stored in a cloth bag in a cool place. A balcony, veranda, or a fairly dry basement will do.
  • After the first frosts begin, you can start planting.
  • First, the seeds must be hardened. To do this, they are stacked in a shallow container and sprinkled with wet sand.
  • For planting, the largest round fruits are selected and without damage.
  • Having withstood 10-15 days in such conditions, the chestnuts will begin to sprout their first shoots. This is a signal to land in the ground.
  • Fill the growing container or individual pots with a nutritious earthy mixture. Chestnuts are planted shallowly into the ground (about the height of a nut).
  • Further care comes down to watering and loosening. The first shoots appear after 15-20 days.
  • In the spring, the plant is transplanted to a permanent place. This can be done after sufficient warming up of the soil, around the end of April - beginning of May.
  • Further care comes down to watering and loosening, as well as weeding from weeds. Chestnuts are unpretentious to growing conditions, feeding can be carried out while fertilizing other garden trees.
  • In hot weather, the leaves can get burned, so it is advisable to shade the plants a little in the first year.

The final "maturation" of the tree can be expected 10 years after planting. Upon reaching this age, the chestnut does not need special conditions and care. He will be able to receive all nutrients and moisture thanks to the branched root system. The only thing left for the gardener is to monitor the condition of the branches and leaves: to carry out shaping pruning and, if necessary, treat the plant from typical diseases and pests.

An unusually beautiful spreading chestnut will become a real decoration of your site. It grows quickly, does not require specific conditions and care, and its crown can be arbitrarily shaped. The main points of how to properly plant and grow chestnuts from walnuts, as well as some of the subtleties of this process, are discussed in our article.

Chestnut trees can often be found in streets, alleys and parks. It grows everywhere and attracts with its bright foliage and original flowers.

And he also tolerates the city's polluted air quite well, is frost-resistant and lives for a long time. At the same time, chestnut is widely used in cosmetology, medicine (as an anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic agent, toning veins and relieving pain), as well as in the light industry, food industry and in the field of animal husbandry.

  1. Germination of a nut in a pot at home, followed by planting it in a permanent place in the spring.
  2. Planting the nut directly into the soil.

At the same time, experienced gardeners noticed that chestnuts planted in autumn give earlier shoots, and plants germinated and planted in spring are stronger and grow better.

Sprouting a nut in a pot

Under a beautiful healthy tree, ripe fruits are harvested in the fall, on which the thorny skin has already burst. Before the cold weather, they must be stored in a cool place, while preventing them from rotting. Then the sequence of actions is as follows:

  • in late autumn, chestnuts are buried in a container with wet sand. It should be remembered that not all nuts will sprout and give viable sprouts. Therefore, if you need to get 2-3 plants, it is better to plant about 10 nuts. Then the container or bag with sprinkled chestnuts should be placed in the refrigerator or basement - this way we imitate the winter sleep of the plant.
  • in a few months, towards the end of February, the chestnuts will begin to burst and sprouts should appear from them - after that we transplant the hatched nuts into a container with soil (be sure to be loose, you can mix it in half with sand). In this case, the layer of earth on top of the nuts should not be more than 5 cm
  • we place the container on the windowsill and water it as the soil dries out. Shoots should appear in about a month and a half to two months
  • in May, the sprouted chestnut is planted in a permanent place of growth - thus early adaptation of the plant to natural habitat conditions occurs, the root system is strengthened, the plant gradually gets used to the drop in temperature in autumn and subsides into hibernation.

Planting nuts outdoors

  • in the middle of autumn, we put chestnuts at a depth of 5 cm in the beds at a distance of about 15-20 cm between them, fill them with earth, which we mix with sand
  • in May, when seedlings appear, it is advisable to make grooves around them so that moisture lingers around the seedlings. Nests made of dry grass or hay can also help in this - they will not allow the soil to dry out prematurely. Also, in order to protect against the summer heat, weeds are recommended to be weeded out only within a radius of 30 cm.
  • in the fall, seedlings with a clod of earth are transplanted to their permanent habitat.

Care and feeding of transplanted plants

In order for the transplanted chestnut sprout to successfully start and grow into a healthy tree, you must adhere to certain rules:

  • a tree planted in public places is best fenced off
  • ensure sufficient watering - in the first years of life, the root system is not yet sufficiently developed, as well as timely loosening of the soil within the peri-stem circle
  • spring crown cleaning - dried branches are removed
  • tying the plant to a support when it comes to difficult climatic conditions with strong winds
  • crown formation - for plants with the help of pruning, they form a crown from the age of ten
  • the correct composition of the soil for chestnut is loose loam. Therefore, if the composition of the soil is not quite suitable, you need to add either clay (if the soil is loose) or sand (if the soil is clay). If necessary, compost can be added if the soil is depleted.
  • spring fertilization of the soil - for this purpose, cow dung and urea diluted in water are perfect, to which it is better to add ammonium nitrate with phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium
  • autumn feeding of the plant - the use of nitroammofosk diluted in water
  • warming for the winter - the near-stem circle of the plant should be covered with sawdust or dried grass.

Chestnut bonsai

If it is not possible to plant a full-fledged tree, you can grow a decorative tree at home. To do this, peeled nuts are planted in the fall in flowerpots for indoor plants and periodically watered. In the spring, when shoots appear, they are planted in separate pots and grown for a couple of years, like an ordinary houseplant. In order to form a bonsai tree, you must:

  • take the plant out of the pot and remove the old soil
  • trim the roots so that they are flat
  • plant a tree in a pot with a mixture of bonsai soil
  • after waiting for the rooting of the plant, transplant it with earth into a special bowl.

Chestnut bonsai will bloom, subject to proper care after 10 years.

Dangers for seedlings

  1. Weather conditions - severe frosts in the absence of snow cover can cause the death of chestnuts, and intense heat in the absence of watering and shade - their drying out - do not forget that chestnuts are a moisture-loving plant, especially at an early age.
  2. Pests (for example, field mice, which can dig and destroy seedlings in a hungry year).
  3. Diseases - such diseases as wild chestnut mite, chestnut rust, gall mite, as well as various fungal, viral infections, diseases and damage to the root system, the bark can cause the death of the plant. Therefore, at this stage, it is very important to recognize the disease in time and carry out its appropriate treatment.

Chestnut is a very beautiful tree with a lush crown. It is beautiful during flowering, when white fragrant inflorescences bloom. The leaves are green, large and beautifully shaped. After the color falls off, fruits are formed, dark brown nuts, which are closed in a green box with thorny thorns. When ripe, the pods open and the nuts fall to the ground. In the fall, many nuts can be seen under each chestnut.

Previously, this thermophilic plant grew only in Ukraine. Today this beautiful tree has been grown in many parks, not only in central Russia, but also a little further to the north. It is not necessary to have seedlings to grow it. Chestnuts can be grown directly from nuts.

Technique for growing chestnut from its fruit

In autumn, collect ripe fruits under the chestnut. They will germinate better if you make a stratification. To create a humid environment for chestnuts, you need to prepare a box in which to pour wet sand. Planted nuts in this moist substance must be lowered into the basement, or placed under the refrigerator for 10 days.

This method is suitable if you will be planting them in the fall..

If you plan to start planting chestnuts in the spring, then the nuts should not be stored in a cold, but in a warm environment. To do this, it is necessary to soften the shell of the fruit. For five days, the fruits must be kept in warm water. As it cools down, replace it with warm water. This time is enough for the embryo to swell.

Now the nuts can be planted in the ground. Planting depth - three diameters of the fruit itself. Usually up to 3 centimeters.

Autumn sowing sprouts faster, two weeks earlier than spring sowing.

But spring sowing is more effective, since the young tree has time and opportunity to grow stronger and prepare for the winter period.

The best way is to harvest the chestnuts in late autumn. Natural stratification will take place. In January, plant the nuts in flower pots and do regular watering, like all indoor flowers.

In the spring, plant a young shoot in the ground in a permanent place, not forgetting about regular watering. To protect a young plant from breaking, a fence must be made around it.

During transplanting, you can cut the main root shaft, then a stronger and more stable root system will form.

You can make a landing in an easier way. Bury all the fruits that you want to plant and cover with well-fallen leaves right under the chestnut tree. In the spring, as the snow melts - get the fruits. Select those that have sprouted.

They are already ready to land. Just remember that they cannot be buried deeply.

Helpful advice

Better a chestnut tree will take root if, when planting, pour earth into the hole from the place where the chestnut grew. You can use the land by taking it under other chestnut trees. It is only necessary to take the first layer - up to 1 cm in depth. Such a substrate will make it possible for a young tree to develop well.

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