Beeches, are yours awake yet??

Here in Portland my European Beech has swollen buds but they haven't yet broken open. The same is true for the European Beech up at Bonsai Northwest in Seattle, WA.
 
This is the second year for this seedling. Went through its first winter just fine. I expected larger leaves for something with such large buds :rolleyes:
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One started yesterday the other ones still pouting about being repotted.
 
Here is mine this morning. I bought this tree over the winter and repotted it. I did a fair amount of root reduction but did very little else to the tree. The leaves are way too big. What next? Do I leave it alone this year? Can I defoliate the same year as repotting? How about cutting back the extending shoots? I know that Beech require some difference care vs most other deciduous trees.
 

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Mine hasn’t opened yet up here in the PNW. Even when I lived in SoCal the European Beech was the last to bud out. Usually right at the beginning of May.
 
Here is mine this morning. I bought this tree over the winter and repotted it. I did a fair amount of root reduction but did very little else to the tree. The leaves are way too big. What next? Do I leave it alone this year? Can I defoliate the same year as repotting? How about cutting back the extending shoots? I know that Beech require some difference care vs most other deciduous trees.
Pinch down to two leaves on each bud while the leaves are just coming out. I’ve NEVER defoliated a beech. It isn’t normal practice to my knowledge. Think of beeches like a single flush pine. You very rarely get more significant growth once the spring flush has hardened off.
 
Pinch down to two leaves on each bud while the leaves are just coming out. I’ve NEVER defoliated a beech. It isn’t normal practice to my knowledge. Think of beeches like a single flush pine. You very rarely get more significant growth once the spring flush has hardened off.
Pinching these as they’re opening seems to weaken them unnecessarily, unless you’re planning to show them soon.
There is a fall defoliation technique to encourage back-budding, but that’s a different technique.
 
I’m worried for my Am. Beech. I’ve had it training in the ground for 2 years. There is a plastic lid with holes ,6 inches under the roots, hoping to splay the roots out. I did trim it back a little a few months ago. This winter wasn’t that harsh, ( we’re in Delaware). I feel like it should have pushed out by now. I plan on taking it out of the ground and putting it in a training pot, ( should of done it last year). How do I tell if it’s alive, scratch the trunk?
 
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