Fagus Sylvatica/Beech

[19Mateo83]

Fantastic use of your material Bobby. Looking forward to seeing this one progress.

 

[SeanS]

@BobbyLane I’ve recently been reading The Hidden Life of Trees. The book focuses mostly on natural European old wood forests, with a lot of reference to European Beech. We don’t have Beech trees in Africa, so I only have the written words in the book to go by as a reference to how they grow naturally.

Seeing your latest photos of this Beech immediately brought everything I’ve read so far to life! There’s a chapter in the book focusing on how mature beech protect their young saplings as they grow up, your tree resembles exactly what I had conjured up in my mind as I read that chapter.

Amazing work

 

[BobbyLane]

@BobbyLane I’ve recently been reading The Hidden Life of Trees. The book focuses mostly on natural European old wood forests, with a lot of reference to European Beech. We don’t have Beech trees in Africa, so I only have the written words in the book to go by as a reference to how they grow naturally.

Seeing your latest photos of this Beech immediately brought everything I’ve read so far to life! There’s a chapter in the book focusing on how mature beech protect their young saplings as they grow up, your tree resembles exactly what I had conjured up in my mind as I read that chapter.

Amazing work

Thanks buddy, I have that book somewhere, its been a while since I first read it. The mother tree definitely reminds me of how some of the taller Beeches grow in the forest, when competing with other Beeches of similar shapes and sizes. I remember a chapter in the book where the author talks about the high canopies not growing into each other. I doubt the mother tree will pop much off the trunk, so the smaller trees will fill that negative space. Im looking forward to seeing this one develop.

 

[BobbyLane]

I really like the style you chose for this beech. Folks have told me that they are a hard species for bonsai, so I have been reluctant to try them, but I may reconsider.

Thanks. They can be a bit funny with root work in my experience, maybe not as forgiving as Elm or Hornbeam when it comes to root reduction. Take the mother tree for example, normally I would of went harder on the roots, but everytime ive tried to reduce the long downward roots on Beech its resulted in death. So will give her a good chance to build up many feeders. Beech have a natural tendency to grow long, thick downward growing roots, ive seen this in the field and in nursery pots. The two layers have much better 'bonsai' roots at this point.

 

[BobbyLane]

Fantastic use of your material Bobby. Looking forward to seeing this one progress.

Thanks! Ive somewhat slowed right down on buying anymore material. Have been trying to make the best use of a few small projects I have on the go now. Mostly from cuttings and layers.

 

[BobbyLane]

Spring is a good time for deciduous trees.

Ive removed the growing tips all over this tree, so will see how it responds a few weeks from now...

 

[JudyB]

I love Korean Hornbeam, but a beech just unfurling is hard to top. I love that my Red beech starts earlier than my green version, they are so pretty to watch open.
Really like the style you've chosen for this.

 

[pandacular]

Excellent work with this tree, and thanks for the clear tutorial. I have two old dwarf beech from nursery stock that need layers, so I will be consulting this thread.

Your design reminds me of some of the things Oishi has done in Bonsai Focus.

Folks have told me that they are a hard species for bonsai, so I have been reluctant to try them, but I may reconsider.

I would guess there was some confusion; either the discussion was around birch, or those who told were straight up mistaken. Beech are one of the very best and most reliable species for bonsai. As Bobby points out, the growth habit is beautiful without any intervention. The European beech in particular is highly available in the nursery trade with many nice cultivars (the colored ones work well for bonsai too!) and they air layer excellently.

 

[Empty Mountain]

@BobbyLane Lovely Beech. Care to share a pic of the "back" of this composition?

 

[BobbyLane]

I love Korean Hornbeam, but a beech just unfurling is hard to top. I love that my Red beech starts earlier than my green version, they are so pretty to watch open.
Really like the style you've chosen for this.

Thanks. Beech are one of the trees I look forward to the most in spring. This is from a mature Beech

 

[BobbyLane]

Excellent work with this tree, and thanks for the clear tutorial. I have two old dwarf beech from nursery stock that need layers, so I will be consulting this thread.

Your design reminds me of some of the things Oishi has done in Bonsai Focus.

I would guess there was some confusion; either the discussion was around birch, or those who told were straight up mistaken. Beech are one of the very best and most reliable species for bonsai. As Bobby points out, the growth habit is beautiful without any intervention. The European beech in particular is highly available in the nursery trade with many nice cultivars (the colored ones work well for bonsai too!) and they air layer excellently.

Thanks. Still very early stages though, the trunk to branch transitions need a little time. I hope that the roots are coming together under the soil too, to become one mass. They layer well so dont be hesitant.
Im not aware of that name you mentioned but will look him up and see if I can take anything away.

 

[BobbyLane]

@BobbyLane Lovely Beech. Care to share a pic of the "back" of this composition?

Sure. This was actually going to be the front, since under the soil, the roots are quite good. But the other angle grew on me. Mother tree is too open here