American hornbeam development

[JohnnyUtah]

So... I spent a good part of late February and early March collecting tree on my property. Mostly American Beech and Hornbeam. This is a little guy that I have had my eye on for a while and just went ahead and dug it up this year. It has great taper(IMO) the roots are ok, but clearly needs to be developed. I was planning on either keeping it in larger pots and developing into a nice small tree. Or... keep it in a pot for a bit do some root work and get it back in the ground on a tile. Either way I need to select some branches to get rid of. What to you all think? What to keep what to cut off. Also, should I wait a year or so, or can I cut some off after growth has hardened off this summer?

Thank you

 

[Tieball]

Excellent tree. I see a lot of great potential. If my tree, I would wait until next season 2025 to start further work. After collecting, digging, I let trees rest and grow without my interference. You likely cut some roots. The growth right now will help rebuild solid growth roots. I enjoy seeing collected trees grow healthy before chopping or pruning anything. Mild pruning can be helpful in 2025 to encourage a more full look to develop. I also like to be sure the branches will all grow.

Beech and Hornbeam around me are slow growers. And only one flush of growth per season.

 

[Gabler]

If it doesn't turn into a bush this season, then give it two years to gain some momentum. In other words, you might be waiting until early 2026 to work the tree. Toward the end of winter, you can chop all the branches back to two nodes, and it should sprout new buds all over. Let those new branches grow out until they're thick enough, chop them back to two nodes each, and repeat. In time, you'll have a very good tree.

Waiting is the hard part, but it's also the most important part. That's even more true for beech than for Carolina hornbeam.

 

[Tieball]

If it doesn't turn into a bush this season, then give it two years to gain some momentum. In other words, you might be waiting until early 2026 to work the tree. Toward the end of winter, you can chop all the branches back to two nodes, and it should sprout new buds all over. Let those new branches grow out until they're thick enough, chop them back to two nodes each, and repeat. In time, you'll have a very good tree.

Waiting is the hard part, but it's also the most important part. That's even more true for beech than for Carolina hornbeam.

Excellent clear advice.

 

[Gabler]

Excellent clear advice.

Thanks!

 

[Tieball]

If it doesn't turn into a bush this season, then give it two years to gain some momentum. In other words, you might be waiting until early 2026 to work the tree. Toward the end of winter, you can chop all the branches back to two nodes, and it should sprout new buds all over. Let those new branches grow out until they're thick enough, chop them back to two nodes each, and repeat. In time, you'll have a very good tree.

Waiting is the hard part, but it's also the most important part. That's even more true for beech than for Carolina hornbeam.

I’ve had Hornbeam trees back bud. I wonder if European Beech trees respond with new budding when pruned back to a couple of buds. I know that a bud has to be left on the branch tip when pruned. My EB experience has been that any branch parts beyond that bud just die off. The tree seems to just stop at the live formed bud. I’d like to try and get a more bushy European Beech tree.

 

[Gabler]

I’ve had Hornbeam trees back bud. I wonder if European Beech trees respond with new budding when pruned back to a couple of buds. I know that a bud has to be left on the branch tip when pruned. My EB experience has been that any branch parts beyond that bud just die off. The tree seems to just stop at the live formed bud. I’d like to try and get a more bushy European Beech tree.

I only work with American beech, but it has not been my experience that they need an active bud at the end of a branch. If the tree has enough momentum, growing vigorously in the prior year, it can be chopped back hard, and it will sprout buds at nodes on old branches and sometimes between nodes. The higher up the tree, the more dense the new buds will be, since they're apically dominant.