Beech collecting today

[Waldo Street Pottery]

This is an issue. Harrington is working with a different species--Fagus Sylvatica. American beech --Fagus Grandifolia--isn't as vigorous.

Having grown both, I can say American beech isn't as amenable to bonsai culture as the Euro species. Grandifolia is not as responsive and will weaken over time with the same bonsai treatment. Proceed with aggressive treatment at your tree's risk. What works for five years, or even ten, might not work longer term, especially if you've worked the tree hard enough to get it into a decent bonsai container. I worked mine into a pot that was an inch deep. Did fine in that for a decade, then began to lose branching.

I removed terminal buds in the spring. and trim for silhouette too. Got decent backbudding, up until a point...

Duly noted and something to consider. My main tree is a cascade and will go in a deeper container this year, provided the pot gets fired and doesn’t crack?. That will give it a good bit of room. Maybe I give the Harry technique a year off too...

 

[Potawatomi13]

Do not expect much or fast trunk growth in miniscule containers shown in post. Need ground or big box so roots feel free.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Do not expect much or fast trunk growth in miniscule containers shown in post. Need ground or big box so roots feel free.

At this point I just want to get them to root and push buds, I’ll worry about getting them in grow boxes if they survive—so far no sign of buds.

 

[TN_Jim]

ditto..I’m in the same boat with a couple collected about a month ago..colanders and DE, so far so good

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Update. Of the three only the tall one with twin trunks survived. I figure it will be an interesting literati style. Once it starts pushing buds I post an updated phot. I have had it in the same soil and collander for 2 years now so this spring I plan to repot a d take a look at the roots. I think one reason for the low sirvival rate was the fact theynwere collected so early a d then we had a return to freezing weather. This required moving them in and out of the garage which of ciurse bounced any newly forming roots around. I don’t even remember any buds popping on those two, they just never woke up again—hopefully I’ll go the same way when the time comes!