Hornbeam - is this under watering?

[Danny Tuckey]

So I bought this, haven't had time to get it into good soil yet, it's been a few weeks. The leaves are feeling dry and curling up. When I feel the soil under the chips its still damp to the touch even when I dug further in so I don't think its under watering, but over watering wouldn't make the leaves dry would it, unless it's root rot? I have moved it into permanent shade now though as it was getting quite a lot of afternoon sun.
I might just repot it tomorrow in a bigger pot and proper soil see what's up with the roots.

 

[Danny Tuckey]

So the other day I bare rooted the hornbeam and repotted it into better soil.



I know it's not the best time for repotting in middle of summer but hey lets see what happens. Practice makes perfect.

 

[JudyB]

Keep it in a shady place during the heat of the day. Dappled sun conditions suit these trees well. Good luck with it!

 

[BobbyLane]

i re potted a beech a few weeks ago, its doing fine, although you might get some wilting of leaves, a healthy tree will replace these leaves with new ones. suggest top dressing surface in spag moss to keep moisture levels up while roots establish. i leave my moss on all summer.

 

[Mike Hennigan]

Probably a bad idea to repot it. Hornbeams aren’t so vigorous as an elm. Well if it dies, you know why it died, if it survives the repot, then all the better! Keep it in full shade until it shows new growth.

 

[Mike Hennigan]

Oh and leaves generally display the same characteristic wilting/dying for underwatering and overwatering. I know, it’s a mindf**k!

 

[TN_Jim]

With that bare rooting, wouldn’t it be a good idea to cut/seal it back or selectively defoliate some?... those leaves are going to be potentially too thirsty for the available well right?

 

[leatherback]

The drying foliage was probably the result of hot winds in full sun. They just do not like full exposed conditions unless grown that way all year round. This one probably came from a nursery with higher humidity levels?

Repotting in summer is not ideal, but it will survive it, normally. If indeed yu keep it out of the sun. Keep in mind they back is very sensitive to sun, especially when notused to it. And pot it up deeper. This plant is way to young to have the nebari exposed. Unless youfeel the nebari is as good as it ever will be.

 

[BobbyLane]

ive repotted beech n hornbeam in summer or while in leaf...quite a few times
you usually will lose a few leaves depending on how much root was removed.im going to go against the norm here...i normally leave the trees in full sun, once the wilting leaves are picked off the new buds are fine in full sun and will move far quicker. without any spag moss on the surface i can see that pure cat litter drying pretty quickly in this heat.

 

[Vance Wood]

Hornbeams like a lot of water. You are going to lose those leaves that have curled up, just letting you know.