Kiwi’s Fagus silvatica - Cut it or Keep it

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi all,
I recently bought this green Fagus silvatica. I was really impressed with th girth of this and my chop sight showed at least 7 rings. Very unusual to find nursery stock this large. The bag size is 45 litres (is that 10 gallon?), and I think it has been in this for a few or more years.
You will see from the photos that there are some poor flaws, and especially the dead section which I have scraped away the dead area leaving the heart wood. Unfortunately I was so pleased to see this and on sale that I didn’t check the trunk very carefully.
The other flaw is the two branches coming off the trunk at similar parts of the trunk. The bottom branch is about 30cm (1ft) and I am shooting for around 75-90cm eventually.
It is coming into Autumn now, so I am looking forward to doing a further cut back of the branches and a wiring session.




So as you can see, the dead patch is pretty ugly. I have not learnt any carving skills yet, as I can see a massive uro being part of the design. I haven’t taken a photo fromthe backside as I was avoiding showing the massive trunk chop etc.
To the question of my thread title. I am debating whether to keep or cut the bottom RIGHT branch. My gut is telling me that it is unbalanced with it kept on.
I suppose I could even do a thread or approach graft lower down on the right to give a better balance?
I am very interested in hearing people’s opinion and advice. What I don’t need to hear is that I shouldn’t have bought it and is a waste of time because I see that side also. I am hoping @BobbyLane , @Paulpash , and even the inspiring @MACH5 could drop by and give some advice.
Charles

 

[Paulpash]

A challenging piece of material. If this were mine I'd tip it left and use the first branch as the next trunk section. I'd get some wedges under the pot and see what angle I'd need to set the first branch at this season and use guy wires to crank it up if needed. All raw Beech are long ass projects though. One flush and done.

 

[penumbra]

If mine I would put it in the ground a revisit it in 2 or 3 years.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

A challenging piece of material. If this were mine I'd tip it left and use the first branch as the next trunk section. I'd get some wedges under the pot and see what angle I'd need to set the first branch at this season and use guy wires to crank it up if needed. All raw Beech are long ass projects though. One flush and done.

Hi Paul,
Thank you for your comments. This option I hadn’t thought of. I guess that trunk transition that I created is pretty bad too?
Charles

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

If mine I would put it in the ground a revisit it in 2 or 3 years.

Hi,
Thank you for your comment, something to consider.
Charles

 

[Paulpash]

Hi Paul,
Thank you for your comments. This option I hadn’t thought of. I guess that trunk transition that I created is pretty bad too?
Charles

2 things you want to create are movement and taper. The first branch, although fairly high, is the only thing we can cut back to and reliably know it will survive. Never cut a Beech with no visible buds present. The trunk transition you have at present isn't the best IMO - straight trunk, little taper til it hits your chop then a quirky wiggle that doesn't mirror the movement below it. Putting it in the ground for x years to fatten up the 2nd trunk section would be a good idea but it'll be quite a while before it takes off. I'd guy wire it up now then chop & plant out next year.

 

[BobbyLane]

yes maybe chop to first branch and stick it in the ground, as its not going to be anything worthwhile for a long time as they grow slow.

did the same with this one

Copper Beech broom

Explore this photo album by Bobby Lane on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Thanks to @Paulpash and @BobbyLane for giving their time and comments.
After yesterday’s discussion I went outside to see what I could do with the tree. So what I have done and taken photos ofis tied up the new trunk line and put a wedge under to see what it looks like. Obviously you can’t see to well for all the branches I haven’t cut yet.


I am way more excited with the back view (non-scarred).


I can now see the point of putting this in the ground to speed up the trunk transition and thicken the next trunk section.
BUT, at this stage I have decided in a few months time (late Winter) to root prune and box this for 24 months.
Also I have noticed that there are a couple of long shoots I can bend around and potentially THREAD GRAFT at a much lower point on the trunk, say 5-10cm from nebari. I saw someone’s post about wrapping the scion in grafting tape to poke through cleanly. Slightly bigger hole but would be way better from a taper and movement perspective.
What would you guys think of this plan?
Charles

 

[Paulpash]

Thanks to @Paulpash and @BobbyLane for giving their time and comments.
After yesterday’s discussion I went outside to see what I could do with the tree. So what I have done and taken photos ofis tied up the new trunk line and put a wedge under to see what it looks like. Obviously you can’t see to well for all the branches I haven’t cut yet.
View attachment 294691

I am way more excited with the back view (non-scarred).
View attachment 294693

I can now see the point of putting this in the ground to speed up the trunk transition and thicken the next trunk section.
BUT, at this stage I have decided in a few months time (late Winter) to root prune and box this for 24 months.
Also I have noticed that there are a couple of long shoots I can bend around and potentially THREAD GRAFT at a much lower point on the trunk, say 5-10cm from nebari. I saw someone’s post about wrapping the scion in grafting tape to poke through cleanly. Slightly bigger hole but would be way better from a taper and movement perspective.
What would you guys think of this plan?
Charles

I've never seen a thread graft on a Beech so if it takes I'll be happy for you. Good luck with your plan

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Hi all,
Quick update is that I won’t be updating this thread for quite a while as in the ground as per majority thinking.
I chopped it all down to the lowest branch, gave up on the thread graft idea as I think the callous would have been a problem etc. I worked the roots down a lot as only the top third was any good. So in the ground for a few or more years .
Charles

 

[leatherback]

I chopped it all down to the lowest branch, gave up on the thread graft idea as I think the callous would have been a problem etc. I worked the roots down a lot as only the top third was any good. So in the ground for a few or more years .

As you go.. Consider chopping lower. You might find the odd budd on the trunk at some point, especially if you give it a lopper treatment removing half of the topgrowth in summer.

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

As you go.. Consider chopping lower. You might find the odd budd on the trunk at some point, especially if you give it a lopper treatment removing half of the topgrowth in summer.

Yep I would like a shorter stubby tree, so never know, it might be a tall bonsai or a thread graft as lower buds may be dreaming, OR maybe I just ground layer up higher towards the first branch. Lots of options for the years and years ahead.
Charles

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

A small update to say I did chop lower, to the bottom branch I think, re bent the low branch up vertical and planted it in the ground. No buds lower down at this stage. And I wasn’t game enough to ground layer this, so planted on a lean to get movement or kind of, and am going to let this recover for a couple of years then revisit it.
Charles