Yamadori Beech

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Chumono
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Yesterday I found the time to make the two hour drive up to camp (northern NY) to look for suitable stock. This is one of the two beechs I brought home, and possibly the best of the bounty. I also got a couple larch that should make nice specimen trees one day, and another 9 or so small larch for a future forest. All I have is one crappy cell phone pic for right now.

-Dave

btw, any suggestions are welcome especially with care, thanks
 

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When I was driving in to get ready to search the 2,000 acre plot, there it was on the side of the road. I stopped and checked it to see if it would be collectable, and as i grabbed the trunk, it practically jumped into the trunk of my car. The soil is made of mostly golf ball sized rocks with fresh great smelling soil filling in the gaps. It clears away easily and then i severed the long roots, and away we went. 20 minutes tops.

-Dave
 

R_F

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It [the soil] clears away easily and then i severed the long roots, and away we went. 20 minutes tops.

-Dave

That's not fair. :D I really like the potential that this tree has. I look forward to seeing it develop.

Thanks for sharing.
 

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Ryan, Enjoy your weather.;) you can't have it all.

Well, i read beech can respond poorly to transplanting. I hope this one makes it. I did leave his older brother right there for the future. Here are some more pics from four sides. For reference the four pictures will be in order if you spin the tree clockwise.

-Dave
 

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JSKII

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Nice find Dave! If ya ever get tired of it send it my way bud :D I could use another :)
Steven
 

tom tynan

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Hey Dave...Well your beech has an amazing lower trunk with that big curve....but if you look at the branches you see so few buds on those leggy branches. Read some articles on beech trees; check out Evergreen Gardenworks and bonsai4me websites. Besides the obvious-which is to see if this tree survives the collecting - your next step will be to decide which of those upper branches will help to build a crown over that impressive base. Using a good well draining soil mix will help grow a new root mass over the next year. Make sure that container has plenty of drainage holes. You might want to consider planting it in a "anderson flat" which is a shallow square container with a large amount of holes in the bottom; this aeration with the coarse mix will really help. It is a great find - but you will have to get the tree to live thru the Fall to be sure....good luck ....Tom
 

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Hey Tom, thanks for all the advice. I wasn't planning on needing 100 lbs of bonsai soil, so it is in a nursery container with potting soil, sand and perlite, with a layer of gravel on the bottom. Probably a temporary home. I have only been at bonsai since last July, and this is quite a bit larger than any of the other sticks I have growing. It should be a good learning experience, and hopefully a heck of a "little" bonsai tree.

By the way, what part of NY are you in? I am a member of BCCNY, and have also been to the rochester club meeting (BSUNY) and will try to get to Utica for the Mohawk Valley club meet when my schedule permits.

-Dave
 

pauldogx

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You could make up a "training" mix for stuff not in bonsai pots. I have been using a turface/pumice/bark mix for my training pots. Its not expensive to make up yourself(just takes time to sift and mix everything). Just got some red lava that I'm crushing up I'm going to incorporate as well.
Walter Pall uses a turface/rough peat mix.

I have been experimenting with a German product called Hydroton which is fired clay balls(used mostly for hydroponic growing) that I have been using for a drainage layer.
 
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discusmike

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Nice,all the beeches ive ever seen grow very straight and formal,good find.
 

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There is a beech twice the size and with a shape/twist quite the same. I think a large tree fell on the both of them some time ago, causing the trunks to "squish"
 

apisto

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My experience with collected Beech is they respond well to transplantation though they do respond better if you follow the basic rules like digging a wee trench round them one year then collecting the next.

This really improves their survival rate as it does with most trees collected from the "wild"
 

redvw5

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Has this tree budded out yet? Did it make it?
 

apisto

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one bud opened, outlook not so good.

-Dave

One bud opened is better than no buds opening :)

have the branches changed colour at all?

normally when a beech branch dies it changes to a more golden colour they are easy to spot in amoungst the living ones.
 

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I had been keeping an eye on that. When it was collected I noticed a couple dead branches with different coloration. It appears some are shutting down, while others still appear to have signs of life.

-Dave
 

rockm

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American Beech

are NOT like European and Japanese beech. They do not respond as quickly, nor as vigorously as those species to root or top pruning. They are VERY slow, conservative trees.

As such, aggressive collection kills them. I know, I've killed a few. I have one I collected about ten years ago that's worked up into a pretty decent bonsai. Along the way, I've learned that most American beech has diffuse root systems or are only clones of other nearby beech trees with only cursory root systems of their own.

This requires time be taken when collecting them. Ground layering and a two or even three year collection process is needed to get most out of the ground successfully.

Once in a container, things get even more complicated. A. beech throw only one spurt of spring growth. That's it. Ramification, therefore can take an eternity. Root pruning shouldn't be more frequent than every three or four years.

Don't be tempted to take advice from people who haven't worked with this particular species. Some of the more aggressive techniques used with Japanese and European beech will kill or greatly weaken the American species...
 

discusmike

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I know what you mean Rockm,this is my 2nd summer with a american beech,it was collected in the fall,i was lucky it did not die,but the first summer it grew very little,this spring branches and leaders erupted from everywhere,but they only grow for so long,then its over pretty much for the summer.If the rain ever stops ill get a photo.
 

apisto

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are NOT like European and Japanese beech. They do not respond as quickly, nor as vigorously as those species to root or top pruning. They are VERY slow, conservative trees.

As such, aggressive collection kills them. I know, I've killed a few. I have one I collected about ten years ago that's worked up into a pretty decent bonsai. Along the way, I've learned that most American beech has diffuse root systems or are only clones of other nearby beech trees with only cursory root systems of their own.

This requires time be taken when collecting them. Ground layering and a two or even three year collection process is needed to get most out of the ground successfully.

Once in a container, things get even more complicated. A. beech throw only one spurt of spring growth. That's it. Ramification, therefore can take an eternity. Root pruning shouldn't be more frequent than every three or four years.

Don't be tempted to take advice from people who haven't worked with this particular species. Some of the more aggressive techniques used with Japanese and European beech will kill or greatly weaken the American species...

Which backs up my standard assertion that normal collection rules apply to all trees no matter whether american beech euro or jap

take it easy prepare the tree for at least a year in advance pref 2 by trenching and reduction this can only help with the eventual success rate.

I remember when i got into bonsai a fair few ago i used to adopt a more agressive approach to collecting (dig it up and take away) now i take it easy a year comes and goes in the blink of an eye if you are looking 10 years into the future :)
 
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