European beech

barrosinc

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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 or meshed sided box so that the nebari and root system get healthy even if it grows slower so I don't ruin the airlayered new roots.

IMG_20161221_202317.jpg
 

aml1014

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You can do that if you want a small tree, if you wanted more of a medium size tree I'd agree with what you said on chopping to that second leaf set.

Aaron
 

fredman

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Did you get good rooting all round with the layering? Mine only grew roots on one side :( Difficult to do a layer on these beeches. They dont have a definite cambium/bark layer that can be peeled off. I didn't really know how deep to go with the girdling. You found the same thing?
 

AlainK

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A technique I saw in a magazine for Japanese beech:

In February, before budbreak, remove a ring of bark just the size (width) of a big wire; secure tightly a wire inside the cut and apply sphagnum moss or any water-holding substrate.

I tried it twice on European beech, and it worked.

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Unfortunately, the tree died a couple of years later, in the "terrible 2011 winter"....
 

barrosinc

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Did you get good rooting all round with the layering? Mine only grew roots on one side :( Difficult to do a layer on these beeches. They dont have a definite cambium/bark layer that can be peeled off. I didn't really know how deep to go with the girdling. You found the same thing?
Its midsummer right now so I haven't even peeked. I hope it gets roots all over.

Nice one, Alain.
 

barrosinc

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So it has roots... I am not sure if all the way around.
What should I do?
remove layer, repot and chop the tree lower now (late summer in southern hemisphere)?
wait till repotting time in early spring?

2nd, the tree never pushed more growth, it has the same 6 leaves you can see on the first post's picture.
I would like to chop at the lowest but that would imply building a trunk for 10 years, or chopping at the higher leaves and develop the trunk 3 or so years I still haven't made up my mind, even if I did I do not know when to chop this.
 

leatherback

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I would not chop. I would like to see the tree be strong beforehand.
 

leatherback

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I keep finding that rusihing usually means a delay later on. Maybe leave it (it is a layer on top of the ground right?) and maybe cut & separate it once you hit spring in .. Oktober? But hey, just an amature enthousiast here!
 

fredman

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Yeah i'm with leatherback. Cant do any harm to leave it, but just an amature enthousiast here!.....;)

Do you know how strong the rooting is? I'd make an effort and dig around the trunk to see if there is rooting all round.
 

my nellie

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You are in zone 9b as I see. How cold your winter gets?
I have had one beautiful European beach in zone 9a and it had survived for only one year. Next spring it did not waken. Needed cooler dormancy I was told.
 

fredman

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Needed cooler dormancy I was told.
Mmmm now that's interesting. I constantly think about that, during winter, when the trees goes into the cold frame. On some sunny days it gets way to hot for comfort in there...
 

barrosinc

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I know this isn't much... but there are a ton of these in the streets. I know is not a pot, but I have a cool and humid place next to the benches in the shadow. I hope mildew isn't an issue.

I will take a good look at the rooting in winter. In the meantime I will keep watering and fertilizing
 

leatherback

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Hm.. I am on the fence there.
- Chop in autum, and in spring you could get a serious explosion of branches, with very long internodes: Not ideal, as you are creating a new section of trunk: You need them as short as possible.
- Chop after first flush in Spring: You loose a lot of time, and the tree needs to seriously invest in new buds, and you loose some water from the cut. But the new growth should have narrow internodes.

But I do not KNOW what is best.
 

barrosinc

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Maybe i will make it a bit smaller and separate the ground layer and wait an extra year.
 
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