Hand me down J. beech----help

ABCarve

Masterpiece
Messages
2,676
Reaction score
11,452
Location
Girard, PA
USDA Zone
5a
I just have been enlisted to "save her bonsai". She wants me to have them (but not just yet...hmmm) because she can't take care of them anymore. She's been doing it since the mid-60s. So I've got this J. beech or E. beech ( she can't remember) and in dire need of chasing back. The trunk is about 1-1/4 dia. I've never worked with beech before. What's the best way to proceed? I was going to repot, get the weeds and old soil out, and cut back to one bud per branch. Too drastic?? It must have been a small forest or multi-trunk at one time from the stumps around the trunk. Wadaya think ---potential?
 

Attachments

  • _MG_1468.jpg
    _MG_1468.jpg
    134 KB · Views: 394
  • _MG_1473.jpg
    _MG_1473.jpg
    172 KB · Views: 331
  • _MG_1471.jpg
    _MG_1471.jpg
    209.9 KB · Views: 321

Brian Van Fleet

Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Messages
13,959
Reaction score
45,883
Location
B’ham, AL
USDA Zone
8A
Your plan sounds solid. Here's about how I'd prune it back. If the right primary branch has buds, I'd cut back to the first bud on each of its secondary branches; even if the buds are pretty small.

I think you could get pretty aggressive combing out the roots, but I'd avoid pruning them back too far.

They are really late to break bud, so the timing is probably very good.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    110.3 KB · Views: 301

ABCarve

Masterpiece
Messages
2,676
Reaction score
11,452
Location
Girard, PA
USDA Zone
5a
Your plan sounds solid. Here's about how I'd prune it back. If the right primary branch has buds, I'd cut back to the first bud on each of its secondary branches; even if the buds are pretty small.

I think you could get pretty aggressive combing out the roots, but I'd avoid pruning them back too far.

They are really late to break bud, so the timing is probably very good.

Thanks Brian. I've been following your progression thread...great work. I'm not sure this one will fall into that formal upright style though.
 

ABCarve

Masterpiece
Messages
2,676
Reaction score
11,452
Location
Girard, PA
USDA Zone
5a
signs of life!

Well.....June 17 and its budding out. After digging thru 4 layers of repot screen, rotten roots, dead stumps and broken down saturated soil.......it's alive!! But I don't know for how long. Funny, the person that gave this to me was a director of ABS back in the early 70's. I guess that why they gave it to me. Anyways....any advise on nursing care for the tree?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1575.jpg
    IMG_1575.jpg
    68.1 KB · Views: 273
  • _MG_1572.jpg
    _MG_1572.jpg
    84 KB · Views: 258

GrimLore

Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Messages
8,502
Reaction score
7,452
Location
South East PA
USDA Zone
6b
Nice save :cool: Man they take a long time to break bud - I would have thought it was dead honest :eek:

Grimmy
 

Brian Van Fleet

Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Messages
13,959
Reaction score
45,883
Location
B’ham, AL
USDA Zone
8A
Wow...very slow to respond. They're late bloomers, but this one really took its time. I'd let it grow all summer, and keep everything that does grow until fall. Once it finishes growing for the season, move it to some afternoon shade and let's get another look at it around mid-September.

Feed heavily, but watch water, mine isn't too thirsty and I site it with azaleas and J. Maples. I mist the foliage daily, but it doesn't need water daily.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    194 KB · Views: 237

ABCarve

Masterpiece
Messages
2,676
Reaction score
11,452
Location
Girard, PA
USDA Zone
5a
I have it set so it gets morning and late afternoon sun...filtered in hot high sun. Do you think it should get full sun now? There really wasn't a lot of root left when I got done.
 

ABCarve

Masterpiece
Messages
2,676
Reaction score
11,452
Location
Girard, PA
USDA Zone
5a
Nice save :cool: Man they take a long time to break bud - I would have thought it was dead honest :eek:

Grimmy

I hear ya.....I could see a few buds swelling but I gave it a 10% chance. I can still see it leafing out and turning up its toes. But I'm hopeful it doesn't.
 

GrimLore

Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Messages
8,502
Reaction score
7,452
Location
South East PA
USDA Zone
6b
I hear ya.....I could see a few buds swelling but I gave it a 10% chance. I can still see it leafing out and turning up its toes. But I'm hopeful it doesn't.

That would have been a tree that I would find growing in the compost at the end of the season and I am a patient man ;)

Grimmy
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,750
Reaction score
23,250
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
Do keep it out of the wind, they respond badly to wind with new leaves, and frankly anytime they are stressed. When the tree is healthy, after the leaves harden, it's not so critical. but this year.... I'd protect it from any strong breezes.
Nice save, you will have a nice tree out of this.
 

ABCarve

Masterpiece
Messages
2,676
Reaction score
11,452
Location
Girard, PA
USDA Zone
5a
Do keep it out of the wind, they respond badly to wind with new leaves, and frankly anytime they are stressed. When the tree is healthy, after the leaves harden, it's not so critical. but this year.... I'd protect it from any strong breezes.
Nice save, you will have a nice tree out of this.

Today is an extra windy one here and I've moved it....Thank you!!
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,750
Reaction score
23,250
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
Yeah, here too. I keep mine in one of my buffered areas. These trees are worth the trouble....
 

ABCarve

Masterpiece
Messages
2,676
Reaction score
11,452
Location
Girard, PA
USDA Zone
5a
I was just out poking around at it and noticed this. Seems a little weird for brand new leaves. Rust? Bonide? Or am I being over-cautious.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1576.jpg
    IMG_1576.jpg
    93.8 KB · Views: 225
  • IMG_1577.jpg
    IMG_1577.jpg
    89 KB · Views: 210

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,750
Reaction score
23,250
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
Could be fungus, could have been a bug inside the bud. I had this last year, and it was a huge problem.
I spray regularly with a fungicide. This looks like EU beech. Their leaves are super fragile when they come out, it could have been something small.
 

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,750
Reaction score
23,250
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
  • Like
Reactions: n8

ABCarve

Masterpiece
Messages
2,676
Reaction score
11,452
Location
Girard, PA
USDA Zone
5a
I'm going to place a link here with some really good info to have about beech, it's a thread over at IBC.
Please read what Marcus Watts has to say about beech and how one year effects the next. This is applicable to all beech, as most only get one flush.

http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t15495-japanese-beech-slowly-dying-can-anything-be-done

It could be an EU beech. She couldn't really remember. Thanks for the link!
 

ABCarve

Masterpiece
Messages
2,676
Reaction score
11,452
Location
Girard, PA
USDA Zone
5a
I read the thread........hmmmm .....Now I'm wondering about the species JB or EB.

An added thought...I noticed the black tinge to the bark thinking it was sooty mold, I scrubbed it with soapy water and a toothbrush....alas it is still there. Does this help identify the species.
 
Last edited:

JudyB

Queen of the Nuts
Messages
13,750
Reaction score
23,250
Location
South East of Cols. OH
USDA Zone
6a
Whichever it is, you can pretty much treat them the same as you learn how to care for it. I would not do too much to it in one year, as it really is true that you'll see those results in the following year.
 

ABCarve

Masterpiece
Messages
2,676
Reaction score
11,452
Location
Girard, PA
USDA Zone
5a
Update

Here's a new pic. There were a few buds that just popped about 2 weeks ago and a few still trying. Bizarre!!. I thought it would just leaf out for its last horrah. The leaves are few, tiny and nasty looking, but if you look closely, it's forming next years buds. At first I thought they were some kind of scale. Just hope it they pop a little sooner next spring if they do at all. Any advise?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1810.jpg
    IMG_1810.jpg
    115.5 KB · Views: 211
  • IMG_1812.jpg
    IMG_1812.jpg
    75.8 KB · Views: 236
Top Bottom