Winter image/ autumn show Beech

[RoadManDenDron]

I plan to display this Beech in my clubs autumn show,

I am not sure whether or not I should:

Remove all leaves

Remove some leaves to tidy up the image a bit

Remove most leaves but leave some in place

What is the proper etiquette for displaying Beech at this time of year?

Do I risk damaging the tree by removing the leaves? We don't really get much 'proper' cold in the UK winters at all but we do dip below freezing

Perhaps the leaves could harbour bugs? And would likely be in the way of any winter wash

Thanks for your advice

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I would remove most of the leaves but leave the ones that obscure ugly cut sites.

The leaves drop in spring anyways, so any bugs would drop off then.

 

[The Barber]

Rather than manually removing them, I would cut the petiole short or you risk tearing the tissue. Should be no damage if done this way

 

[BonsaiPoppie]

I would remove most of the leaves but leave the ones that obscure ugly cut sites.

The leaves drop in spring anyways, so any bugs would drop off then.

Let the leaves drop on their own. Its cool to see the dead leaves on the tree.

 

[Gabler]

Leave the leaves for part of the winter. Then, when you're bored with them, snip them off at the petiole to reveal the silhouette and the big, beautiful buds.

 

[BonsaiPoppie]

Leave the leaves on. That's how they are. Screw etiquette. Just my opinion.

 

[pandacular]

If you ever get a chance to flip through a few decades of Kokufu books, you’ll notice that this is a topic that is subject to trends. Lately, the trend is usually to remove all the leaves, but in the past you’ll see a larger variety of handling for show, either thinned leaves, sparse leaves or even occasionally full leaves.

If I were to prepare this tree for show, I’d start by thinning the leaves to match the density of the crown and doing some tidying cuts. The first three branches are substantially denser than the upper part of the tree, making it feel imbalanced and hiding the branches. From there, I would consider whether to remove more leaves, but since it’s a fall show, I’d favor having more than less.

Did the show occur already? I’d like to see pictures—it’s a nice beech.