Life's a Beech

[BobbyLane]

Hi folks, hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

This Gnarly old Beech (Fagus Sylvatica)was my present to myself!
Ive been busy with it over the festive period and today finished the carving.. the tree has a nice flat nebari and a fat stumpy trunk, not pretty by any means, the material lends itself to a battle hardened, ancient deciduous image, probably going to be the best example ive ever had in my collection of a veteran tree.....a worthy replacement for my yamadori Beech

The branch structure and ramification will need some time...ive cut off most of the larger buds at the tips, this should get the tiny dormant ones to pop in spring
IMG_3289 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3292 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3294 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr


The trunk is completely hollow
IMG_3299 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

After some reduction of heavy bits
IMG_3309 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

some carving work and stripping of the hollw/deadwood area
2016-12-24_10-50-22 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

I wanted to show from the front, that the tree is hollow at the top, but rather than open up the entire trunk, something i likely would of done in the past, ive decided to add some mystique, so you can see that the trunk is hollow, but you can't see to what extent....i thought the uro at the front looked a little round/manmade, so now rather than being round it ties into a jagged deadwood section. i think it works and can be tweaked in time
IMG_3389 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

im hopeful the cut back will give me some budding further down these sub trunks/branches, i'd like to cut at the red lines, but its risky cutting back beech to no viable buds, so i will wait until the spring to see what back budding i get...branch one looks like it has some nodes under the bark but can't be certain yet
IMG_3309 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

IMG_3429 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3435 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3448 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3450 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

There is plenty of internal growth in other areas and lots of dormant buds on some of the smaller twiggy branches
IMG_3451 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3452 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3453 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3457 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

 

[JudyB]

Be patient with this one... Good start.

 

[BobbyLane]

Hi Judy, yep for sure...my yamadori Beech, this one(https://www.flickr.com/photos/138823275@N03/albums/72157662506841919) was lost through over aggressive root pruning, after it put its first flush it just went down hill and the new leaves it put out were abnormally tiny and weak, didnt last the summer. this is a little different, although its a collected tree, its been in a bonsai pot for a while and has a nice flat nebari and root system, in spring it will be slipped into the oval the yamadori beech was in, slightly deeper than whats its in now, with minimal root disturbance... that will likely be its 'forever' pot.

 

[Giga]

How's your winter protection? Only reason I ask it you cut into a lot of live tissue at the beginning of winter, are you worried about any die back? It's a good start for sure, just go extra slow with beech, like @JudyB said they are fussy about to much work to soon.

 

[BobbyLane]

Hi Giga, i just leave them out on my balcony all year round, they usually do good there. ive only really removed a little bark at the front where there was no growth.....the trunk was already hollow and the heartwood inside already dead. the sap flow lines from the roots to the main branches is intact and the resulting Uro's where two main branches were heavily pruned back, are not very deep, but will be made deeper after the tree adjusts..... this is also so that the sap flow to those main branches isnt restricted. all the cut edges have been sealed with Kyonal. my work is always well thought out and planned. it might look harsh, but the tree will be fine. my problems in the past usually came from over aggressive root work. im not worried about any die back no buddy.

 

[Paulpash]

Hi Judy, yep for sure...my yamadori Beech, this one(https://www.flickr.com/photos/138823275@N03/albums/72157662506841919) was lost through over aggressive root pruning, after it put its first flush it just went down hill and the new leaves it put out were abnormally tiny and weak, didnt last the summer. this is a little different, although its a collected tree, its been in a bonsai pot for a while and has a nice flat nebari and root system, in spring it will be slipped into the oval the yamadori beech was in, slightly deeper than whats its in now, with minimal root disturbance... that will likely be its 'forever' pot.

Good because it's a god damned PITA to get it out without smashing the root system to pieces in it's current set up.... I have sold off all these pot types because it's such a mission to do routine root work.

 

[BobbyLane]

Good because it's a god damned PITA to get it out without smashing the root system to pieces in it's current set up.... I have sold off all these pot types because it's such a mission to do routine root work.

Hehe, im likely going to smash this one up too during the teasing out process, 1, i will never use it again and 2 i want the transition to be as smooth as possible.

 

[JudyB]

I have a tree that is in one of these that is pretty root bound, not looking forward to it. Too nice a pot to smash, but better the pot than the tree...

 

[justBonsai]

I really want to grow one of these! My local bonsai nursery started carrying them this past year. They seemed to grow fine in the nursery but after asking on the forums I was told that beech can't grow in zone 9b conditions

 

[barrosinc]

I really want to grow one of these! My local bonsai nursery started carrying them this past year. They seemed to grow fine in the nursery but after asking on the forums I was told that beech can't grow in zone 9b conditions

They grow perfectly fine in Santiago... but 9b doesn't really say anything but average low temperature.
Why not try?

 

[justBonsai]

They grow perfectly fine in Santiago... but 9b doesn't really say anything but average low temperature.
Why not try?

Yeah I really love the foliage, I'm tempted. I think the big concern is the low humidity and seasonal dry winds. Beech foliage is more delicate and requires more tlc. Right now I'm building bonsai benches and I'm trying to come up with an enclosure for all my heat/wind sensitive trees. If I come up with something good maybe I'll give beech a try.

 

[Coach]

Hi folks, hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

This Gnarly old Beech (Fagus Sylvatica)was my present to myself!
Ive been busy with it over the festive period and today finished the carving.. the tree has a nice flat nebari and a fat stumpy trunk, not pretty by any means, the material lends itself to a battle hardened, ancient deciduous image, probably going to be the best example ive ever had in my collection of a veteran tree.....a worthy replacement for my yamadori Beech

The branch structure and ramification will need some time...ive cut off most of the larger buds at the tips, this should get the tiny dormant ones to pop in spring
IMG_3289 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3292 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3294 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr


The trunk is completely hollow
IMG_3299 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

After some reduction of heavy bits
IMG_3309 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

some carving work and stripping of the hollw/deadwood area
2016-12-24_10-50-22 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

I wanted to show from the front, that the tree is hollow at the top, but rather than open up the entire trunk, something i likely would of done in the past, ive decided to add some mystique, so you can see that the trunk is hollow, but you can't see to what extent....i thought the uro at the front looked a little round/manmade, so now rather than being round it ties into a jagged deadwood section. i think it works and can be tweaked in time
IMG_3389 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

im hopeful the cut back will give me some budding further down these sub trunks/branches, i'd like to cut at the red lines, but its risky cutting back beech to no viable buds, so i will wait until the spring to see what back budding i get...branch one looks like it has some nodes under the bark but can't be certain yet
IMG_3309 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

IMG_3429 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3435 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3448 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3450 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

There is plenty of internal growth in other areas and lots of dormant buds on some of the smaller twiggy branches
IMG_3451 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3452 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3453 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_3457 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

My favorite style...Old sleepy hollow fantasy trees with a little spooky mixed in there! Great vision and work. Nice!

 

[Tieball]

You have a great eye for design detail and follow through. Mighty fine!

 

[BobbyLane]

a little update on this, i reduced the thicker bits on it and it grew strongly and i defoliated it a few months ago

this is the second flush, its a vigorous tree
IMG_5209 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_5210 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

its backbudding on old wood, the full defoliation has given buds closer to the trunk, in spring i will be able to cut back harder
IMG_5211 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_5219 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

 

[Giga]

While It still does look good, what you had before was better for me. The taper is lost for me and the dynamic sleepy hollow feel is kinda gone. It feels too stumpy to me - you may want to put that carving bit a way for a "bit". Granted it's still a great tree but this now feels like your other tree that you carved done to a sumo style

 

[BobbyLane]

Duuude! it never had any taper in the first place and those two long thick branches would never look right only having growth at the tips, they also had barely any movement..this wont look really convincing until ive gotten taper and thickness into the branches. it feels stumpy because its a stump, an ancient pollard, it looks nothing like a real sumo trunk imho, thanks for your input though buddy

the carving is just about right and just needs age, here's an example for you
IMG_9631 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_8369 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_8364 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i dont do stuff on a whim i look at whats around me


and again, you can see clearly here why those thick bits had to go
2017-04-22_08-36-32 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

 

[Giga]

Duuude! it never had any taper in the first place and those two long thick branches would never look right only having growth at the tips, they also had barely any movement..this wont look really convincing until ive gotten taper and thickness into the branches. it feels stumpy because its a stump, an ancient pollard, it looks nothing like a real sumo trunk imho, thanks for your input though buddy

the carving is just about right and just needs age, here's an example for you
IMG_9631 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_8369 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_8364 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i dont do stuff on a whim i look at whats around me


and again, you can see clearly here why those thick bits had to go
2017-04-22_08-36-32 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

While I clearly see what your going for and it is pulled off - I would have thread grafted branches and got some low branches and cut to that or to brake up the line. Though, give it 5-10 years and some girth on those new branches and it'll look great! DOn't get me wrong I love the tree - I have a special place for beech.

 

[BobbyLane]

if youve a special place for Beech youll love these specimens, these are from a bloke in Ireland, developed mostly in the ground
DSCF3220 by Ian Young, on Flickr
Josh's Garden May 2012 by Ian Young, on Flickr
Beech Broom by Ian Young, on Flickr
DSCF7902 by Ian Young, on Flickr

 

[my nellie]

... ... I was told that beech can't grow in zone 9b conditions

I do confirm the same.
I have tried once and failed.
It was a collected tree imported from England and it did OK during the first year, growing undisturbed and went healthy into dormancy.
But it didn't wake up next spring.
They do need to get a really cold winter time.

 

[my nellie]

if youve a special place for Beech youll love these specimens, these are from a bloke in Ireland, developed mostly in the ground

Yes, you are correct! I had seen an advertisement for auction of Beech trees in Ian Young's webpage held by the local Bonsai club of N. Ireland.