Sweet Chestnut Tree

Sweet Chestnuts are not quite the British tradition we all think of them as; they actually originate from the Mediterranean and were first brough to England by the Romans who loved them.

We now simply sell the species of Sweet Chestnut - as you would find growing in Ancient Woodlands accross the UK. Importation of the 'more exotic' varieties from Europe is now very heavily controlled due to the threat of Chestnut Blight and Oriental Chestnut Gall Wasp being bought into the UK. Our trees are, of course, grown here in Kent.

These will grow to around 30 - 40 feet (10 metres) tall  with a spread of 18 feet (5.5 metres) in approximately 50 years if left to there own devices. If you plan to control the size of your tree, prune each Autumn / Winter to maintain a height of around 12 feet or so; a root control bag will assist with reducing the vigour but is not entirely essential.

If you are lucky enough to have plenty of room consider growing a small coppice area which will not only provide nuts but also an invaluable source of timber for firewood or projects in the garden (naturally full of lignin the timber is hard and durable). To manage sweet chestnut as a coppice simply cut down every eight years or so leaving a stump of around 12" - 18" (30 - 45 cm).

Caution! If you're roasting the nuts (especially on an open fire) do make sure you prick them first otherwise they will explode and fly across the room with spectacular results!

• Self Sterile - plant several trees to ensure good pollination and nut production.