On 23/09/2020 20:17, David E. Ross wrote:
On 9/23/2020 11:14 AM, bilsch01 wrote:
I tried sprouting horse chestnuts several times with no success however
it seems there must be a way. I had success with grocery store
chestnuts, and even got one to grow outside for a couple years, but the
young tree died for some reason.

TIA. Bill S.


According to Sunset's "Western Garden Book", the seeds should sprout
quite readily. Perhaps the seeds you tried were damaged, not
sufficiently ripe, or too old.

Note that horse chestnuts and "real" chestnuts are not at all related.
Horse chestnuts are in the soapberry family (Sapindaceae). Chestnuts
are in the beech family (Fagaceae) and have mostly died out in North
America and western Europe because of the chestnut blight.

In the UK there is little problem with Chestnut blight, although it is
increasing and is a notifiable disease. There are only a few local
outbreaks so far.

There is much more of a problem with Horse chestnuts, which are
suffering from bleeding canker and particularly badly from
Horse-chestnut leaf miner. I can't remember when I last saw a tree which
was not affected by leaf miner.

--

Jeff