Last autumn, I planted two conkers in my tiny back garden, just for the fun
of it. Of course, both conkers sprouted and now I have two little
horsechestnut saplings. Obviously I can't have them in my little town
garden, but I don't want to throw them out.

I'd thought about transplanting them in a little nearby wood, but I don't
know if they'll become a nuisance (possibly causing some poor
future-generation child to put out its eye when playing conkers without
wearing safety goggles).

So, should I transplant them or simply bin them?

Joanne wrote:

Last autumn, I planted two conkers in my tiny back garden, just for the fun
of it. Of course, both conkers sprouted and now I have two little
horsechestnut saplings. Obviously I can't have them in my little town
garden, but I don't want to throw them out.

I'd thought about transplanting them in a little nearby wood, but I don't
know if they'll become a nuisance (possibly causing some poor
future-generation child to put out its eye when playing conkers without
wearing safety goggles).

So, should I transplant them or simply bin them?

Did you plant them straight in the ground?
If so, why don't you transplant them in a pot and keep them. Restricting
the roots will keep them quite small. I have one in a my small garden in a
20inch pot - it's over 10 years old, about 1.5m high.

Deed wrote:
On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 12:11:15 GMT, I found this from "Joanne"
:

So, should I transplant them or simply bin them?

There is a chesnut tree refuge just outside Tunbridge. I belive you
could also book yourself in.

Are you still living in the 19th century? :-)

"Martin" wrote
We have a 20 years old sycamore, also kept in a pot and about the same
height.

I'm surprised that a sycamore would have lent itself to such treatment, as
I've always found them (and Horse Chestnuts) to be thugs at heart.

If you didn't want to persevere with some of the Japanese Maples, which
are better-behaved but much more temperamental, the indigenous Field Maple
(Acer campestre) tends to keep itself compact. It has a typical acer
leaf, but looks much more refined than many of its tribe.

I've got a 1.5m, 5-year old one in a pot (found as a seedling in the wrong
part of the garden) and it looks fine.

- Tom.

"Tom Bennett" wrote in message
...
"Martin" wrote
We have a 20 years old sycamore, also kept in a pot and about the same
height.

I'm surprised that a sycamore would have lent itself to such treatment, as
I've always found them (and Horse Chestnuts) to be thugs at heart.

If you didn't want to persevere with some of the Japanese Maples, which
are better-behaved but much more temperamental, the indigenous Field Maple
(Acer campestre) tends to keep itself compact. It has a typical acer
leaf, but looks much more refined than many of its tribe.

I've got a 1.5m, 5-year old one in a pot (found as a seedling in the wrong
part of the garden) and it looks fine.

- Tom.

It's exactly the thuggish nature of Sycamores which led me to try my hand at
Bonsai'ing them, I have one at home at least 6 years old and about 18" high,
in a very shallow pot. Only needs a root trim and repot every 3 years or so
now, and seems quite happy. Also very nice when defoliated because it grows
back it's leaves only there are more of them and they are much smaller.
Duncan

In article ,
"D Russell" writes:
|
| It's exactly the thuggish nature of Sycamores which led me to try my hand at
| Bonsai'ing them, I have one at home at least 6 years old and about 18" high,
| in a very shallow pot. Only needs a root trim and repot every 3 years or so
| now, and seems quite happy. Also very nice when defoliated because it grows
| back it's leaves only there are more of them and they are much smaller.

Maples are a classic bonsai plant. I am trying a Prunus webbii and
Cupressus horizontalis but failed to get any Juniperus ashei to
germinate. They all have the advantage that they are drought
resistant, so don't drop dead when I fail to water them ....

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.