American Beech

[M. Frary]

It's huge. Tells me it's growing well for you. But will it get smaller?

 

[Giga]

Nice colors starting for you there. I had the best leaf year ever this season for my beeches, second year in Kanuma. I don't have any scorch or mottling this year. Between that and figuring out the spring fertilizer regimen that they like, I am pretty happy now even at the end of the season.

this color started like 3 weeks ago, while no other trees have started yet-is it just the start for this species?

It's native if you live in china. I like the beech. I've thought about getting one. Supposedly the stands in east texas are in decline

oh, maybe it's naturalized as they are almost as common as red maples here.

 

[Giga]

It's huge. Tells me it's growing well for you. But will it get smaller?

the growth was unchecked this year, because it was just collected. Once techniques start the leaves will reduce a bit, but I'm going more the winter image then the summer. I will be collecting some huge ones this coming spring and the leaves will look normal then.

 

[JudyB]

Could be the year you had, they are changeable depending on how your summer was. Mine usually turn late, and keep the leaves on a while after the color fades.

 

[just.wing.it]

American Beech grows all over the woods behind my house, I'd like to try to grow one from seed.

 

[Giga]

American Beech grows all over the woods behind my house, I'd like to try to grow one from seed.

It would better to collect something, as this species grows very slow-at least slow to ramify and bonsai. I collected this one because it already had low branches I could cut back to, being a single flush tree it'll take twice as long as a maple would. A seed would be great but it'll take some time!

 

[rockm]

American Beech grows all over the woods behind my house, I'd like to try to grow one from seed.

They are very difficult as bonsai, requiring specific timed pruning practices and a lot of patience. FWIW, beech tend to grow as a community in forests, not from seed. Saplings are mostly root suckers from neighboring parent trees.

I had one for about 15 years that I collected from the woods behind my house. It was a nice tree, but a pain to keep in bonsai shape, long spaces between leaves and branches, one flush of new growth in the spring that had to be clipped back to a single leaf every time. They also tend to abandon lower branching over time and are apically (top) dominant in growth. That means you have to prune tops VERY hard and let lower growth alone.

Also it can be tricky to not overfeed this species with nitrogen--which winds up burning leaves. Additionally, too much sun in a containerized tree can burn leaves to a crisp by the end of July here in Va. They also tend to push huge callus tissue when pruned (BTW, a collected sapling that's an inch or more in diameter will save you a decade growing from seed.)

Good luck.

 

[Giga]

Fall update




It back budded very well and I'll be able to cut back in late winter/early spring and ramification is going faster then I thought. I'll cut branch like this to where my ring is or back to the three buds

 

[JudyB]

good job, that's great!

 

[sorce]

Those buds look so cool!

Sorce

 

[JudyB]

Beech buds are the best!

 

[Giga]

good job, that's great!

Those buds look so cool!

Sorce

Beech buds are the best!

Beech are my favorite for winter image!

 

[Giga]

@JudyB When do you remove the old leaves? Mine are completely brown now and wouldn't mind removing them to get some nice leafless shots. I would think I could do it any time but being this is my first beech I'll defer to your advice.

 

[Nybonsai12]

@JudyB When do you remove the old leaves? Mine are completely brown now and wouldn't mind removing them to get some nice leafless shots. I would think I could do it any time but being this is my first beech I'll defer to your advice.

I don't think you want to remove them. From what I have read(at least in regard to J. beech), you want to leave them on, something about protecting next years buds.

Interested in hearing more about this...hopefully others chime in.

 

[Giga]

went out searching

http://bonsaitonight.com/2013/11/22/how-to-remove-leaves-from-deciduous-bonsai/

 

[JudyB]

I normally don't remove my leaves from Beech. My oldest one looses them on it's own some years, but the younger one holds them every year. They do indeed protect the buds from what I've been told. They will come off late in the winter easier, or when the new buds start to swell. You can defoliate if you feel like you don't need to worry about protecting the new buds, just make sure you don't pull them, cut them.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I always cut them off my beech.

 

[Giga]

I normally don't remove my leaves from Beech. My oldest one looses them on it's own some years, but the younger one holds them every year. They do indeed protect the buds from what I've been told. They will come off late in the winter easier, or when the new buds start to swell. You can defoliate if you feel like you don't need to worry about protecting the new buds, just make sure you don't pull them, cut them.

I always cut them off my beech.

Maybe I'll cut them right after Christmas and then protect it from and temps below 20F thanks!. I'm working on a studio in my garage for all my pots and photography of tree, so I shoudl have a some nice pics then!

 

[Giga]

Maybe I'll cut them right after Christmas and then protect it from and temps below 20F thanks!. I'm working on a studio in my garage for all my pots and photography of tree, so I shoudl have a some nice pics then!

I really need to stop replying from my phone

 

[Waltron]

great info for me, as I have 2 or 3 of these marked for collection this spring, didn't realize they were extra tricky, good to know. I also use that dyna grow and the protekt so that was great positive reinforcement, that stuff works wonders for all my trees.