Beech leaf reduction technique

[just.wing.it]

Word is, you can do it by De-Budding the tree in spring.....rather than defoliate, which I always read is a no-no with single flush trees like beech.
The tree I saw that had had this de-budding technique applied was a European Beech.
Have any Bnuts out there tried this?
Maybe on an American Beech?
I don't have a beech but I'd love to find a nice specimen some day.
I have 80 foot beech trees behind my house, they're so beautiful.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

More to increase bud quantity than to reduce foliage size; but smaller leaves is a bi-product of more leaves.
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/japanese-beech-part-3/
Read plenty before you start. Beech are unforgiving of bad technique, and I'm not familiar with spring bud reduction. Doesn't sound right.

 

[JudyB]

I have never heard of or done a technique called de-budding to my beech. What is the actual procedure?

 

[just.wing.it]

More to increase bud quantity than to reduce foliage size; but smaller leaves is a bi-product of more leaves.
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/japanese-beech-part-3/
Read plenty before you start. Beech are unforgiving of bad technique, and I'm not familiar with spring bud reduction. Doesn't sound right.

Thanks Brian

 

[just.wing.it]

I have never heard of or done a technique called de-budding to my beech. What is the actual procedure?

Apparently just plucking the buds when they begin to show in the spring.

 

[just.wing.it]

I will find the video again and copy it here.

 

[JudyB]

Yikes! All of them? When they start to swell? Because the buds are actually set on the tree in the fall, and are apparent all winter.

 

[just.wing.it]

More to increase bud quantity than to reduce foliage size; but smaller leaves is a bi-product of more leaves.
https://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/japanese-beech-part-3/
Read plenty before you start. Beech are unforgiving of bad technique, and I'm not familiar with spring bud reduction. Doesn't sound right.

That's a really nice tree you have there.

 

[just.wing.it]

Yikes! All of them? When they start to swell? Because the buds are actually set on the tree in the fall, and are apparent all winter.

I think that's what he said....

 

[just.wing.it]

Yikes! All of them? When they start to swell? Because the buds are actually set on the tree in the fall, and are apparent all winter.

I'm sure some of you know this guy....
Here's the video, it's a little bit hard to hear what he says due the the background noise of an airplane....sounds like my house.

 

[just.wing.it]

I have never heard of or done a technique called de-budding to my beech. What is the actual procedure?

And I am calling in de-budding, based on what I think he's saying....what do you make of what he said?

 

[ConorDash]

I'm sure some of you know this guy....
Here's the video, it's a little bit hard to hear what he says due the the background noise of an airplane....sounds like my house.

I know this is off topic but I love that tree.. It genuinely looks like a massive older 30-40ft tree, from any angle of the camera it could be completely mistaken for its size.

 

[JudyB]

I think he is saying to do the pinching technique in the spring when the leaves unfurl on the buds. Not actually plucking buds.

 

[just.wing.it]

I know this is off topic but I love that tree.. It genuinely looks like a massive older 30-40ft tree, from any angle of the camera it could be completely mistaken for its size.

Yeah, man, I thought that same.
In one of the pics, it really does look like a field tree.

 

[just.wing.it]

I think he is saying to do the pinching technique in the spring when the leaves unfurl on the buds. Not actually plucking buds.

And do you think he's removing just the terminal unfurling bud, or all of them?
And isn't that effectively, defoliation?

 

[JudyB]

This is what I believe he was talking about, I do this every year to mine. Bill V. wrote this description of the technique in my beech thread:

A tip, remove each terminal bud now, before they open, as they swell. Then carefully open the other buds, in a few days, and remove the center growth. This will stop elongation, develop small foliage AND you will not need to trim your Beech for the rest of this season. This technique is used for developed bonsai like yours, not trees which still need development.

Please note that you will need to do this several times a day, because they open at different rates, and it may take several days or a week to complete.


http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/beech-wired-and-ready.7047/page-4

 

[just.wing.it]

This is what I believe he was talking about, I do this every year to mine. Bill V. wrote this description of the technique in my beech thread:

A tip, remove each terminal bud now, before they open, as they swell. Then carefully open the other buds, in a few days, and remove the center growth. This will stop elongation, develop small foliage AND you will not need to trim your Beech for the rest of this season. This technique is used for developed bonsai like yours, not trees which still need development.

Please note that you will need to do this several times a day, because they open at different rates, and it may take several days or a week to complete.


http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/beech-wired-and-ready.7047/page-4

Hmmmm, wow, that's great!
Thanks Judy!

 

[just.wing.it]

This is what I believe he was talking about, I do this every year to mine. Bill V. wrote this description of the technique in my beech thread:

A tip, remove each terminal bud now, before they open, as they swell. Then carefully open the other buds, in a few days, and remove the center growth. This will stop elongation, develop small foliage AND you will not need to trim your Beech for the rest of this season. This technique is used for developed bonsai like yours, not trees which still need development.

Please note that you will need to do this several times a day, because they open at different rates, and it may take several days or a week to complete.


http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/beech-wired-and-ready.7047/page-4

So you now do this every spring?
And it's been good, huh?

 

[JudyB]

Yes, it is what I always have done on mine. Otherwise they just get out of control and you loose inner buds.

 

[Djtommy]

Deffinatly he means pinching the new growth, same as like you would do with refined maples. Do exactly as what Judy said.
This will create good ramifaction. But in the end beech are usually not at their best with leafes but in winter.