The way to plant a big shade tree take a certain kind of patience: Dig the hole, drop in the sapling, water it in, and wait. Expect to see something green when it rains. You might see nothing green at all for that first year. The horse chestnut can look so still that you worry the thing is dead. A mere twig, perhaps, so did I kill this thing? Nope.
What’s going on down under while things are so quiet is the key part of the tree’s life, explained visually through the timeline below. Not lazy. It is creating a foundation.
How to Plant and Care for Your Tree
First Year: Almost all of this year go directly into building the taproot. As you can see in the chart above, there may be little-to-nothing happening above ground, but below it’s working hard on establishing its root system. That’s where many folks gets confused. They assume that if they don’t have a lot of leaves at year one, their tree didn’t “take.” But a tree that spends too much of its early years developing foliage instead of setting up strong roots will have trouble down the road.
It takes until year three or four (or so) for things to really take off and become visible. By then, the roots is well established and the tree has shifted from trying to survive to trying to expand. By about five years old, you’ll begin to get a sense of the tree’s character. It rounds out into a broader shape with a large canopy. This makes it useful as a shade tree for driveway or a patio.
According to the infographic, the first set of flowers (or “candles,” as the stalks are called) goes up around age 10. That’s when the tree can finally have babies. It is a happy day! And those pink and white blooms in May aren’t just nice, they’re a bee magnet. So if nothing else, you’re doing your part for local ecosystem: Letting the tree be a tree.
Spacing is another factor that determines how large your tree will grow. How much space? Again, the recommendation is forty to sixty feet. In a suburban yard, that seems like a lot of space to give over to one tree, but keep in mind its eventual spread. When trees are crowded, they compete for nutrients and light, which results in poor conker production and weak structure. Plant it under a power line or too near house foundation and you’re practically guaranteeing trouble… And endless pruning headaches, for years to come. Better to plant it smaller and more farther away than you imagine necessary.
Whether the tree grows up to its potential or remains stunted has everything to do with growing conditions of soil. It wants a slightly acidic to neutral pH and prefers moist, yet well-drained loamy soil. That means if you have a yard that tends to hold water or is heavy clay, the roots won’t be able to fan out and will rot instead. That’s why getting the root ball properly placed (with the trunk flare right at ground level) is such an important part of the planting directions. Tucking the root collar under the soil surface chokes the tree and kills it. It seems like a small technicality, but it is hugely important for the tree’s long-term wellbeing.
Eventually (and sometimes earlier), there may be signs of insect and other problems: leaf blotch or leaf miners, for example. These are listed in the chart and generaly aren’t as bad as they seem. Again, it is a tough tree. Easy-to-do things to help limit fungal inoculum include raking fallen foliage in fall. Water deeply once a week through at least the first couple of years of growth; this encourages root development deeper in the soil where they will be drought-tolerant in years to come. Not watering enough is the main danger, so don’t do that.
In the end, however, the horse chestnut makes for a lasting companion. It reaches full stature (seventy-five feet tall) in about half a century, and may last for hundreds more. Give it good soil, patience and room, and what do you get? You get the richest canopy of shade there is. Watch those shiny mahogany conkers fall in autumn and realize that you’re witnessing decades of silent effort. It pays back slowly, yes; but reliably. Let it grow on its own schedule, and if you’ll allow, the tree will eventually cover the sky just as it was meant to.
You should of seen how much work it takes. Actually, it’s moddern ways make it easier.