Beech repotting in Autumn

PieterVE

Mame
Messages
172
Reaction score
239
Location
Ghoy, Belgium
USDA Zone
8
I've read from Harry Harrington that he prefers to repot European Beech in autumn, does any of you have similar experience ?
Maybe more a question for the UK & Middle-Northern European BonsaiNut dwellers :)

I repotted one in February this year and it didn't respond well, but had extensive root work done to it so that can be a cause too...

But I have a second one that could do with a repot, so I'm not sure to do it now or wait for spring next year...
 

john blanch

Yamadori
Messages
80
Reaction score
76
Location
North East England
Root pruning in autumn doesn't make sense to me, so I wouldn't. Also I can't find where Harry Harrington says he prefers it. Maybe if you point it out I may be able to make sense of it.
 

PieterVE

Mame
Messages
172
Reaction score
239
Location
Ghoy, Belgium
USDA Zone
8
Root pruning in autumn doesn't make sense to me, so I wouldn't. Also I can't find where Harry Harrington says he prefers it. Maybe if you point it out I may be able to make sense of it.

It's in one of his latest fb posts, but I have read it before from him.
Just looked up in his book Bonsai Inspiration 1, and there he writes it's best done in spring...
 

Attachments

  • aviary-image-1637933662475.jpeg
    aviary-image-1637933662475.jpeg
    92.5 KB · Views: 44

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
I've read that some schools consider "autumn" as anytime after the solstice.

I believe summer is safer than spring or fall.

Sorce
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
Just looked up in his book Bonsai Inspiration 1, and there he writes it's best done in spring.

The FB post sounds, not contrary to the information in BI1, but because of it.

I would consider the "1" in the title of importance.

Sorce
 

PA_Penjing

Chumono
Messages
762
Reaction score
1,208
Location
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
USDA Zone
6b
Harry just posted this a few days ago. It’s not beech (Cedrus) but he mentions why he likes fall repots. The east coast is much harsher than the UK so I’d take advice from a native before a yank’ on this’n.
 

Attachments

  • FBDDC860-162A-4CB6-9C08-115E2B12AB33.png
    FBDDC860-162A-4CB6-9C08-115E2B12AB33.png
    133.5 KB · Views: 33

parhamr

Omono
Messages
1,767
Reaction score
6,213
Location
Portland, OR
USDA Zone
8
It's in one of his latest fb posts, but I have read it before from him.
Just looked up in his book Bonsai Inspiration 1, and there he writes it's best done in spring...
They key constraint here is, “while the leaves are changing color.” For me, that was late October through the second week of November.

When a deciduous tree is changing leaf color it is actively moving resources around and growing. After the leaves have fallen and/or stopped changing (European beech hold their leaves over the winter) then then tree is past the point of enough activity where I could reliably depend upon a safe autumn repot.

And then there’s the lingering question of climate or weather. Trees respond much more to the length of daylight than they do the weather for triggering growth cycles. London is at the 51st parallel, so their daylight timing swing is a bit more severe than much of the Americas and Europe. That difference further justifies we should be extremely cautious now.
 
Last edited:

parhamr

Omono
Messages
1,767
Reaction score
6,213
Location
Portland, OR
USDA Zone
8
Here in Portland, OR, around the 45th parallel, I’ve had great experience doing pretty heavy root work on a European beech in the first and second weeks of April. This is around when the buds have swollen but the leaves are not yet apparent.

We can have warm spells in April and May. What I do for root work aftercare on my beech is shield it from extremes but that’s about it.
 

john blanch

Yamadori
Messages
80
Reaction score
76
Location
North East England
Harry Harrington has educated me a lot on several tree species, only through his website and books, I haven't had any- one to one tasks with him. So amazing are the techniques he discovers that fly in the face of long practiced techniques. If he gives advice or comment you can bet that he has experimented and trialed both inside and out before he makes a suggestion. So I'll be reading more on what he has to say about beech.
 

Tall Guy

Sapling
Messages
30
Reaction score
60
Location
East Tennessee
USDA Zone
7
If you have a healthy well rooted tree, and have been using a good mix, and doing a light repot (just taking some of the old mix off the sides and bottom of the rootball and getting a little new mix in the pot) I’ve done this in the fall once the tree is dormant, here in TN, with few issues. (With American Beech)
Now, if I was doing heavy rootwork or the tree didn’t have strong roots to begin with, I’d definitely wait till spring like normal.
On A. Beech, if you are late with a spring repot, and the leaves have already started to open, it is best to just wait until the next year to repot . Unless something weird is going on. As they usually will really sulk with a late repot, again unless it is just a very light repot. Hope this helps. Fagus G. Is one of my favorite species.
 
Top Bottom