Beech air layering

[george356]

Hello, new to bonsai and this forum.
I recently bought a beech sapling and want to create a little beech foerest. I have air layered the top third of the main trunk (about 1cm thick). Can you tell me how long it should take for roots to form and how long I should wait before severing the child from the parent tree?

Thank you

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I haven't seen a lot of air layered beeches. The ones I did see took more than a year to produce roots, if they even did so.
Over here they're sold in twelve packs for 5 euros per pack for hedges. Usually around 1cm in thickness.
I think that if you're going for a forest, one of those packs would get you better and faster results than air layering.

 

[just.wing.it]

I've also read that Beech doesn't Air Layer very easily....though I have no personal experience with Beech.

Edit: oh....and welcome to the NutHouse

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[george356]

Thanks guys, I think I'll give it another month (already been layering for a month) then have a look, if no joy I'll just lop it off and use what's left.

 

[george356]

I haven't seen a lot of air layered beeches. The ones I did see took more than a year to produce roots, if they even did so.
Over here they're sold in twelve packs for 5 euros per pack for hedges. Usually around 1cm in thickness.
I think that if you're going for a forest, one of those packs would get you better and faster results than air layering.

Thanks for the prompt reply, W-G-W. Do you have any contact details for those hedge packs, I cannot find anything similar in the UK.

 

[george356]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

Thanks for the welcome
George

 

[george356]

I've also read that Beech doesn't Air Layer very easily....though I have no personal experience with Beech.

Edit: oh....and welcome to the NutHouse

Thanks for the welcome
George

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Thanks for the prompt reply, W-G-W. Do you have any contact details for those hedge packs, I cannot find anything similar in the UK.

I find them in every gardening store in spring and just before winter. But I'm from the mainland, you can try if @Clorgan might've seen a few somewhere. She seems to have her ways of turning things into a positive upward spiral for everyone and I remember recommending her to get some beeches.

I tried googling 'fagus sylvatica UK nursery' and I found this page:

Green Beech Trees (Fagus Sylvatica) - Tree Nursery UK

Buy beautiful Beech Trees (FAGUS SYLVATICA) .Retains golden leaves in winter.High quality trees, hedging from Tree Shop. Fast UK Delivery.

www.tree-shop.co.uk

At 2.2 quid a piece I think they're pretty expensive but they are the same size range as we get them over here. You should be able to find better results if you put in a bit more effort than I did (I just clicked the first link).
Here's a cheaper one, they seem to go per bundle of 25. But you'd have to wait until october.

Fagus sylvatica (Common Beech)

The Common Beech is very popular as a standalone specimen and make great alternatives to fences or walls when grown as hedges. They are majestic looking, with thick branches and smooth grey bark. It’s has large glossy green leaves and small flowers, as well as producing nuts that ripen in the...

www.hedgenursery.co.uk

I think @Peter44 has some experience with bare rooted beeches. I remember he wasn't really happy about them, he might be able to chime in with some advice about what to take into consideration.

 

[Clorgan]

I find them in every gardening store in spring and just before winter. But I'm from the mainland, you can try if @Clorgan might've seen a few somewhere. She seems to have her ways of turning things into a positive upward spiral for everyone and I remember recommending her to get some beeches.

I tried googling 'fagus sylvatica UK nursery' and I found this page:

Green Beech Trees (Fagus Sylvatica) - Tree Nursery UK

Buy beautiful Beech Trees (FAGUS SYLVATICA) .Retains golden leaves in winter.High quality trees, hedging from Tree Shop. Fast UK Delivery.

www.tree-shop.co.uk

At 2.2 quid a piece I think they're pretty expensive but they are the same size range as we get them over here. You should be able to find better results if you put in a bit more effort than I did (I just clicked the first link).
Here's a cheaper one, they seem to go per bundle of 25. But you'd have to wait until october.

Fagus sylvatica (Common Beech)

The Common Beech is very popular as a standalone specimen and make great alternatives to fences or walls when grown as hedges. They are majestic looking, with thick branches and smooth grey bark. It’s has large glossy green leaves and small flowers, as well as producing nuts that ripen in the...

www.hedgenursery.co.uk

I think @Peter44 has some experience with bare rooted beeches. I remember he wasn't really happy about them, he might be able to chime in with some advice about what to take into consideration.

Thanks for the thought there!

Unfortunately, I've not seen any! I was looking out for them at the first few local nurseries I visited, but didn't see any, then stopped looking. Will keep an eye out though!

Does it need to be beeches George? Not trying to put you off them at all, just I'm sure there's so many different plants you could consider

 

[Ohmy222]

I haven't found beeches difficult to air layer. I have layered both American and European Beech and I recall another member here (Mach5) doing a Japanese Beech. I just cut a ring, put clonex on it, wire a nice bit of sphagnum moss to the wound, and wrap in clear plastic. Probably takes 8 weeks and I have probably done it 5-6 times on them. My climate is different though. They are used for hedging in the UK so you may find seedlings relatively cheap or buy seeds in the fall.

 

[fredman]

Yeah I found them easy to root to. They are different in the way the wood is though...no cambium is apparent, just "spongy wood".
The ones I did, I just used the fines from my bonsai mix as substrate. I did put a thin layer off sphagnum around the top girdle.

 

[barrosinc]

Mine took 2 years

European beech

I got this in winter and airlayeredin spring. It has two buds at the bottom. I feel that this tree never grew, it only opened its leaves. I am going to cut it above the second set of leaves probably in winter/early spring (unless you guys recommend different timing) It will go into a grow box...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[fredman]

Mine took 2 years

European beech

I got this in winter and airlayeredin spring. It has two buds at the bottom. I feel that this tree never grew, it only opened its leaves. I am going to cut it above the second set of leaves probably in winter/early spring (unless you guys recommend different timing) It will go into a grow box...

www.bonsainut.com

Yeah I remember that. Well done on that. I still want to try Alain's method of the wire girdle.

 

[george356]

Thanks for the thought there!

Unfortunately, I've not seen any! I was looking out for them at the first few local nurseries I visited, but didn't see any, then stopped looking. Will keep an eye out though!

Does it need to be beeches George? Not trying to put you off them at all, just I'm sure there's so many different plants you could consider

Not really completely stuck on Beeches, but I really like the look of a full size stand of Beech trees in the Autumn.
Do you have any other, similar but easier, suggestions?

 

[Clorgan]

Not really completely stuck on Beeches, but I really like the look of a full size stand of Beech trees in the Autumn.
Do you have any other, similar but easier, suggestions?

Seen people use junipers and maples, I'm sure there's tons of options though, and there will be loads of people on here better placed to give advice