Where do conkers come from?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conkers

horse chestnut

The horse chestnut tree - they come out of the green spiky shells.

Season starts September/October time usually.

They're chestnuts sparks.

You won't get them until Autumn.

Don't buy tinned ones, they don't have the same effect.

Oh, Sparks ?

YOu get conkers from the horse chestnut tree and it's conker season very soon. Some are already dropping, but they aren't properly brown. They come in spiky green cases which you open to get the conker out.

We have loads round us - I can send you some when they're ripe if you want.

MA - you can get tinned conkers or tinned horse chestnuts?

I have never heard of a horse chestnut tree!!

Horse chestnut trees.

you get conkers by challenging other children to play conkers. if you beat them, you get their conker. tadah!

but seriously, i'd go to any nearby park and there are bound to be some come september (or whenever wikipedia says obviously). they will fall from the trees in a green spiky casing. you might have to fight school children for them though...

Horse chesnut trees, but they wont be around for a while yet (autumn)

Whatever you do sparks, don't eat them ?

Sparks, i've noticed you can buy spider repellers - like plug ins. Have you tried using them? No idea if they're effective or not.

No, they are sweet chestnuts - the only thing you get from eating horse chestnuts is belly ache!

They come from Horse Chestnut trees but conkers aren't the same as the chestnuts you eat.

You can get tinned chestnuts, yup.

If you can't get any from a tree in the Autumn, I'll send you some. Young Mast A goes conkering every year with my dad and ends up with bags full of the bloody things that end up going mouldy in his room.

And they do seem to keep spiders away, we had them at our front and back door and by the kitchen window and have been spider-free.

Edited to apologise for messin with Sparks - tinned chestnuts are for cakes and stuff. Conkers are not. Sorry. Am norty.

I have plug in, I have repellant sprays and I even have these http://spidatrap.com/SpidaTrap/

I get so scared! I know I need to bite the bullet and have some therapy about it.

In the meantime I will have to surround my house with conkers.

I live near woods, so will go conker hunting next month ?

I think the repellant sprays are just essence of horse chestnut - it is quite oily. I spilt a whole one in my mum's boot. Her car has been spider free though!

Tinned conkers ?

well that would be one way to win a conker match i s'pose. don't oepn the can and use that instead