Red European Beech Question

[daniel]

Should I chop a fully grown-out tree down when field planting (in my garden...ah-hem), or should it be left full-sized? I've seen both thoughts, so I want to get more opinons and exactly why you think the way you do. I'm learning, so I'm soaking all this up like a sponge...

Thanks for all your input!

Daniel

 

[apisto]

I would top the tree to the eventual height allowing for new leader growth, but you can if you want to be conservative take it one branch above to allow for any die back. It would take longer this way but wont leave you as open to total loss

I take it you have a tree in mind?

Examine it and figure out which lower branch its gonna be to take the leader spot then cut back accordingly

If you try to transplant the whole tree you are likely to have insufficient root mass to support it

How big is this tree?

Ta

 

[rockm]

Chop, chop, chop

Do the trunk chop before you plant it out. If you transplant without a trunk chop, you've wasted a growing season on the new apex.

I would, however, not do it now with a beech. I would hard prune the top back to one leaf per branch now. Leave it in ground until early next spring. Dig it up then, trunk chop it and plant it out. This approach is more conservative given beech can be reluctant to back bud. That said, if the tree is vigorous, you can be bold and do all of this now.I wouldn't wait much longer. June marks the end of trees' most active growing season in the Northern hemisphere. After June, trees for the most part, begin preparing for the next winter--they set buds for next year beginnning in June. Shorter day lengths signal this shift...

 

[apisto]

June marks the end of trees' most active growing season in the Northern hemisphere. After June, trees for the most part, begin preparing for the next winter--they set buds for next year beginnning in June. Shorter day lengths signal this shift...

Our days are still continuing to get longer but this will stop at the end of June. Though by then we will only be having around 3.5 hours of semi night by then with the sky never rwally getting totally black.

I have observed by trees actively growing through August and starting to wain off around early Sept though by that time so has my energy for trimming

All the beech i have are eager enough to back bud though not on growing branches just the trunk

The long term trick to force thm back towards the trunk is remove the main leader bud before it burst open in the spring..

This forces the tree to divert energy to the smaller buds further back the branch

This results in smaller leaves with less space between them.

The difference is dramatic to say the least