General Chat

Today I noticed that the horse chestnut trees around us dont seem to have any conkers on them. Do you think it's because of the rubbish summer we have had.

Hows your chestnuts :))

There is a virus which is attacking horse chestnut trees and in many cases killing them off. You can pick them out as for past two months their leaves have been falling.

Chris is right, and it has been attacking Horse Chestnut trees for the last three summers. It's cause by a moth, can't remember which one, which lays eggs on the leaves, the larva burrow into the leaves, but leave the virus which kills them off.

The Horse Chestnut tree near me had plenty of flowers in the spring, but nothing to show for it now.

We have more than enough .Nearly break ankles on them when walking the dog.Squirrels are having a Wonderful time.

Around where I live, there are many Horse Chestnut trees, with lots of chesnuts.Have been hit on the head by them, when walking under such a tree.
Strange that children don't seem to collect them anymore to play conkers.

grandaughter brought pocketfuls in on Sunday.They looked smaller than usual but maybe the big lads had already found all the big ones lol
(we are in the northeast)

Aren't chestnuts and conkers different?You can eat chestnuts but not conkers? Can someone explain please.

There's a local park near us got loads, me and me lad went collecting leaves and conkers on sunday, he loves it, in his words, I got some right dobbers
c
xx

Hello Shelly and all,

Judging by the HUGE bagful my 6 year old collected last week, they are alive and well in Cumbria!!

Caz xx

Sorry i meant Suzy!!!

Oh don't say that... I used to love October days and early evenings when my grandsons were young. We would be out for ages collecting bags full of conkers.

Never did anything with them. Used to wait until they had forgotten all about them and then dump them but it was fun throwing sticks at the branches to try and get them down :)

Jean x.

oh we collected lots fromt he trees neart he supermarket last week


yes thats right helen you cant eat conkers they would make u ill
but chestnuts are lovelyyyyyyy

Sweet chestnuts are different from conkers. The trees have different shaped leaves but the Horse Chestnut tree is related I think.

Conkers are mildly poisonous unless treated. I found this.
"The nuts contain high concentrations of a saponin-class toxin called Aesculin, which is toxic to many animals including humans because it causes Haemolysis (destruction of red blood cells). The saponin can be eliminated by leaching the pulverized nuts in multiple changes of boiling water, to yield a wholesome starchy porridge once important to some Native American tribes."

So only to be eaten if desperate!

Sue
x

So you get Chestnuts from the Horse Chesthut and Conkers from the Chestnut Tree,? Is that right.

Jean we take the Kids every year to collect conkers in my class and we even show them how to play a game of conkers. I still have conkers that Alex collected 6 years ago lol :)) x

i used to love taking kids conker picking or conker catching
but as im rubbish aim id havet o con hubby into coming with us,

remember gransha cooking chestnuts in the ashes of his fire place and peelin um with his pen knife
those were the days

One in three conker trees (horse chestnut) has been infected... there is no cure. One of the three big ones at the side of my house was felled last year because of it.... now it looks like the other two are also infected... the tree surgeon (drool, slobber) was out to have a check up on them a couple of days ago.

Love

Daff xxx

Thanks Sandie :)))

So are the trees being infected because of the damp summers then?

It would be a shame to lose so many round here :((

I don't think so, Suzy... unless the virus thrives in those conditions! I am off to google, lol!!

Love

Daff xxx

Right have googled... it is a canker... and incurable... comes from the Himalayas, and as of May this year 49% of British trees have been infected... once infected the tree will die within 5 years

This is the link

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1969895/Conkers-are-cracking-as-virus-spreads.html

Thanks Daff :))

It is just so sad, Suzy, isn't it? If *mine* have to come down, I am lucky enough to have a row of five oak trees just beyond them, so my *borrowed landscape* will still be beautiful... but the wildlife the Horse chestnuts harbour is wonderful!

Love

Daff xxx