I hope I have the right newsgroup and also hope that maybe someone can help
me. I live in the UK and am the dubious owner of a Horse Chestnut (Aesculus
hippocastanum) Bonsai tree. I know that these are not ideal for Bonsai but
nevertheless I planted a seed and grew my first Bonsai, it is now 20" tall
and some 33 years old the last 15 years have seen leaves no larger than 2.5"
to 3" across. I find the tree has grown into a very pleasing shape and I am
very proud of it. Now to my problem it has never flowered, does anybody know
how I can get it to flower? or is it now very unlikely.
Thanks in advance.
John Kelway

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Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.


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In article ,
"John Kelway" wrote:

I hope I have the right newsgroup and also hope that maybe someone can help
me. I live in the UK and am the dubious owner of a Horse Chestnut (Aesculus
hippocastanum) Bonsai tree. I know that these are not ideal for Bonsai but
nevertheless I planted a seed and grew my first Bonsai, it is now 20" tall
and some 33 years old the last 15 years have seen leaves no larger than 2.5"
to 3" across. I find the tree has grown into a very pleasing shape and I am
very proud of it. Now to my problem it has never flowered, does anybody know
how I can get it to flower? or is it now very unlikely.

Strange as this may seem I too have an old horse chestnut bonsai,
started when my then 6 year old daughter brought home a sprouting
"conker". It is about 32 years old, 20 inches high, and has not
bloomed. I have tried several variations of growth, feeding, pruning,
and non-pruning, to no avail. Some years I cut the growing tip, other
years I simply removed the larger leaves as they appeared. It is in a
two inch deep terracotta pot, and a couple of the surface roots have
become quite prominent.
Pity that neither of us seems to have any success at making this
tree bloom. I suspect that this means that it just won't bloom with
such a restricted root system.

Elmer
Vancouver Canada

"Elmer" wrote in message
news

Strange as this may seem I too have an old horse chestnut bonsai,
started when my then 6 year old daughter brought home a sprouting
"conker". It is about 32 years old, 20 inches high, and has not
bloomed. I have tried several variations of growth, feeding, pruning,
and non-pruning, to no avail. Some years I cut the growing tip, other
years I simply removed the larger leaves as they appeared. It is in a
two inch deep terracotta pot, and a couple of the surface roots have
become quite prominent.
Pity that neither of us seems to have any success at making this
tree bloom. I suspect that this means that it just won't bloom with
such a restricted root system.

Elmer
Vancouver Canada

What is it about the Horse Chestnut and daughters? Mine was planted (Horse
Chestnut that is :-)) the day my daughter was born.
Someone mentioned about the leaves going yellow and rust coloured mine has
done this every year for 33 years, and as far as I'm concerned is quite
natural. In the Uk (South East England) this process starts about the
beginning of July and gradualy gets worse until the leaves finally drop
usually by the end of September. The same happens with the full size trees
in the wild.
John Kelway



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