European Beech

[nover18]

I keep having issues with my beech leaves every year. Any ideas of what may be causing the issue? I have been keeping these in a free draining mix of turface, pine bark, and expanded shale. The leaf margins continue to brown. They start off spring well and progressively get worse through the summer. Is it too much sun, too much or too little water, or the quality of the water, fertilzer? I can't seem to figure it out. I’ve used an in-line water filter that has improved the leaf health of a majority of my deciduous trees. I typically only fertilize with fish fertilizer or Biogold. Also tried to place some in full sun and others in part shade with only morning or late evening sun. Still all seem to develop this leaf issue. Is it fungal? My initial thoughts are soil but not sure.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

May be a bit fungal, but normal, looks like fall.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Ya know, Beeches are full sun, upland trees. As such, they require less water than most species. Maybe too wet, or too often watered?

 

[nover18]

May be a bit fungal, but normal, looks like fall.

I should clarify and say that this began in summer. I just got around to taking photos now as more and more of my beech started to exhibit these symptoms as summer progressed.

 

[Djtommy]

Ya know, Beeches are full sun, upland trees. As such, they require less water than most species. Maybe too wet, or too often watered?

are you sure about that? i find that my beech requires a lot of water. as for this tree, i wouldnt worry too much about it. leaves will get brown/fall off soon anywayz

 

[penumbra]

I find that beech trees like a lot of water. My parents once owned a farm with what I believe to be the largest American Beech tree in Virginia and it had a natural spring at its base.
BTW, my tricolor European Beech looks like yours now and the edges of the leaves started out getting a little crispy in the summer. I have actually seen a lot of beeches do this, particularity those in pots. I just accept this as the way it is and from experience I expect my will be beautiful again come spring.

 

[just.wing.it]

I find that beech trees like a lot of water. My parents once owned a farm with what I believe to be the largest American Beech tree in Virginia and it had a natural spring at its base.
BTW, my tricolor European Beech looks like yours now and the edges of the leaves started out getting a little crispy in the summer. I have actually seen a lot of beeches do this, particularity those in pots. I just accept this as the way it is and from experience I expect my will be beautiful again come spring.

Humongous Beech trees in low lying areas with streams, and frequent flooding all around my old house in Columbia MD.

 

[HardBall]

I bought two from a nursery on closeout a couple of months ago. They look identical to yours. They seem to be otherwise healthy. My thought was that this due to all the wet cloudy weather this spring and summer.

 

[AlainK]

Beeches are full sun, upland trees. As such, they require less water than most species.

The "European beech" (Fagus sylvatica) needs a "wet, temperate climate", but certainly not full sun, at least outside their natural range.

Where I grew up, Massif Central, low mountains 500-1500m high, they thrive in dense forests, only the top of the canopy gets full sun, and since it's in altitude, the nights are rather cool, and there's mist in the morning. In the hottest days of summer, there are rainstorms (from Aug. 15th).

More than water, they require humidityy, and cool nights.

Certainly not "full sun" in a windy plain that is dry in summer, at least not the European native species.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

My beeches had the same issue for a few years, until I put them in the half shade or even full shade. Now it only happens in fall as a natural process.

 

[leatherback]

Beech grow in forests. They shade out all the sunlight so effectively that it stays cool below them. Only rarely do you see majestic beech happily on their own. The sun on the roots and the dry wind (!) are a struggle for them needing several years to adjust if their neighbours are taken away.. This summer a row of 100+ year old beech dropped branches and parts of the bark on our campus due to heat & lack of water. Beeches 50 metres into the forest had no such problems

My vote is a tree struggling to deal with local climate and unable to get enough water to the leaves (Which may be increased by higher salt content). As others have said: Beech need sufficient access to water or they very quickly get scorched. Also take are to not get too much sun on the trunk.

Higher air humidity, sufficient watering so that excess salts are flushed and protection against hot dry conditions, especially also for the rootzone, would be my recommendation.

 

[Gsquared]

I have a European beech that I’ve had for about 25 years. It likes water and I keep it in partial shade. I live in the Pacific Northwest and it lives quite happily in dappled sun and watered daily in the summer. It is a tree that requires little attention or babying and I’ve had it in climates as varied as San Diego to Portland. I had a layer from it die because it dried out, but from my experience they seem to like water. The only down side that I can find is it is prone to whitefly. But all of the beech around here seem to get it sometime during the summer. It seems pretty easy to control and isn’t affecting the other trees, so I hose them off or spray them occasionally to control it. In SD I did have some leaf edge browning. I wasn’t sure if it was the climate or the extremely hard water. The tree never seemed to suffer from it. I’ve been north for two summers now and haven’t had any browning. Is your water especially hard? Could that be a factor?

 

[nover18]

I have a European beech that I’ve had for about 25 years. It likes water and I keep it in partial shade. I live in the Pacific Northwest and it lives quite happily in dappled sun and watered daily in the summer. It is a tree that requires little attention or babying and I’ve had it in climates as varied as San Diego to Portland. I had a layer from it die because it dried out, but from my experience they seem to like water. The only down side that I can find is it is prone to whitefly. But all of the beech around here seem to get it sometime during the summer. It seems pretty easy to control and isn’t affecting the other trees, so I hose them off or spray them occasionally to control it. In SD I did have some leaf edge browning. I wasn’t sure if it was the climate or the extremely hard water. The tree never seemed to suffer from it. I’ve been north for two summers now and haven’t had any browning. Is your water especially hard? Could that be a factor?

yes, I do use hard water. Wondering if that could be it in addition to the full sun factor. I do use in in line filter that helps with chlorine removal and seems to be better for my deciduous trees. I've been meaning to try to use only rain water to see if that helps.

 

[Meh]

yes, I do use hard water. Wondering if that could be it in addition to the full sun factor. I do use in in line filter that helps with chlorine removal and seems to be better for my deciduous trees. I've been meaning to try to use only rain water to see if that helps.

Beech are particularly sensitive to hard water. Some great threads on this site documenting beech soil, fert, and watering issues, including here: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/american-beech.19430/post-273632

It could also just be sun/heat, though some of those leaves do look a little worse than I am used to seeing.