Please be kind - Japanese Beech

Paulpash

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Certainly doesn't look like you need any "help"......"Please be kind"?.......Kindness is you sharing some pretty impressive development!!:confused::p:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

While there may be a long road ahead, it would appear you got the road graded for asphalt, planted the grass along the side and picked up all the porta-potties......:cool::cool::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:


It should be exquisite in your garden, you know, once it's not growing out of a Wabi-Sabi hamper.....o_O:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D


Time frame on the pictures you've posted? Don't see many trees done this well that were grown into a bonsai. Nice!!!;):):):):):):)
Certainly doesn't look like you need any "help"......"Please be kind"?.......Kindness is you sharing some pretty impressive development!!:confused::p:D:D:D:D:D:D:D


While there may be a long road ahead, it would appear you got the road graded for asphalt, planted the grass along the side and picked up all the porta-potties......:cool::cool::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:


It should be exquisite in your garden, you know, once it's not growing out of a Wabi-Sabi hamper.....o_O:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D


Time frame on the pictures you've posted? Don't see many trees done this well that were grown into a bonsai. Nice!!!;):):):):):):)

According to BVF he got his in 2004 so I bought the small seedlings a few weeks later to grow on.
 

Paulpash

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Certainly doesn't look like you need any "help"......"Please be kind"?.......Kindness is you sharing some pretty impressive development!!:confused::p:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

While there may be a long road ahead, it would appear you got the road graded for asphalt, planted the grass along the side and picked up all the porta-potties......:cool::cool::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:


It should be exquisite in your garden, you know, once it's not growing out of a Wabi-Sabi hamper.....o_O:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D


Time frame on the pictures you've posted? Don't see many trees done this well that were grown into a bonsai. Nice!!!;):):):):):):)
Certainly doesn't look like you need any "help"......"Please be kind"?.......Kindness is you sharing some pretty impressive development!!:confused::p:D:D:D:D:D:D:D


While there may be a long road ahead, it would appear you got the road graded for asphalt, planted the grass along the side and picked up all the porta-potties......:cool::cool::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:


It should be exquisite in your garden, you know, once it's not growing out of a Wabi-Sabi hamper.....o_O:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D


Time frame on the pictures you've posted? Don't see many trees done this well that were grown into a bonsai. Nice!!!;):):):):):):)

According to BVF he got his in 2004 so I bought the small seedlings a few weeks later to grow on.
 

iant

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Very nice tree! I agree apex should come down. It will regrow and need to come down again... etc. I like keeping the bottom branch for now in spite of the curve location. The height of the branch is right and it comes out just under the curve and so think it stil works. It' worth keeping it to have a fuller image in my opinion (in spite of rules.)
Time to show the roots! Do you have any repotting pictures?
Ian
 

Paulpash

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The roots are OK ish but just like the top they will need some work. No I don't have any pics of them - now it's in a container I will take some next time I repot. I won't do so next year though - I want all roots in tact to regrow the apex.

@Brian Van Fleet et al who suggested a height reduction: I have prepped the tree for a chop next year by guy wiring the best placed branch up to become the new leader. All foliage and branches have been removed from the apex above it so the tree will channel more energy into the buds below. Once the new leader is set - probably June of next year - I will remove the top completely. The rest of the tree will get cut back too to drive energy inward. I spent a good while looking at removing that bottom right hand branch but I am going to keep it for now - with the apex reduced there's too big a gap til the first branch. That curve is really gradual and despite the branch being on the inside it's the lesser of 2 evils at the moment. With it removed it starts to look like a pine image, not a broadleaved tree.
 

Paulpash

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@MACH5 and @Brian Van Fleet I will wire this tree once it has shed its leaves. The bark marks really easily on these - did you take any precautions beforehand such as wrapping the wire? Any other info about the quirks of wiring these?
 

Brian Van Fleet

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I've wrapped wire in paper before and it just makes a mess, grafting tape takes forever to wrap. Finally, I resigned to wire loosely, use larger gauge, stay vigilant, and unwire slightly earlier than I would with a maple. I cut wire off.

Remove the dead leaves and wire early in the winter while the buds are still tight. I actually enjoyed wiring the beech quite a bit because the buds make it intuitive. You'll have fun.
 

Giga

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I've wrapped wire in paper before and it just makes a mess, grafting tape takes forever to wrap. Finally, I resigned to wire loosely, use larger gauge, stay vigilant, and unwire slightly earlier than I would with a maple. I cut wire off.

Remove the dead leaves and wire early in the winter while the buds are still tight. I actually enjoyed wiring the beech quite a bit because the buds make it intuitive. You'll have fun.

I've wired in beech in late spring as well after the first flush is cut back, just make sure you pay super close attention so it doesn't bite in
 

MACH5

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I have wired my forest in spring, summer and late winter. For larger branches I have, from time to time, wrapped the thicker gage wires with floral tape. I have become pretty proficient by now so I can do it fairly quickly. For small gage wire it is not worth it. Watch your wire because as you know beech scars easily! In most cases wire will take a while (months) to bite in if branch growth is minimal. But watch those growing rapidly. It will only take a couple of weeks or so for wire to bite in on a rapidly growing vigorous branch.

I am VERY cautious with wiring fall to winter. My winters are frigid and I do believe that branches are more susceptible to dieback when wired due to the cell damage they sustain when you work them. For areas that have warmer winters I don't think this matters and mid winter wiring may be fine.
 

AndyJ

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Hi Marie,

Really good reading what you're doing wth your JB - how long is there between the first image of the seedling and the last tree pic? I've been got a few saplings that I want to grow as bonsai - I know it's gonna take years but I'm ok with that. Did the ground layer work? Did you get a better set of roots? Do you have any pictures?

Any tips for me? I live in Carlisle so am only a little further north than you - anything I should / shouldn't be doing with mine? What soil do you use?

Thanks a bunch,

Andy
 

Giga

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Hi Marie,

Really good reading what you're doing wth your JB - how long is there between the first image of the seedling and the last tree pic? I've been got a few saplings that I want to grow as bonsai - I know it's gonna take years but I'm ok with that. Did the ground layer work? Did you get a better set of roots? Do you have any pictures?

Any tips for me? I live in Carlisle so am only a little further north than you - anything I should / shouldn't be doing with mine? What soil do you use?

Thanks a bunch,

Andy

I've never layered a beech so I can't tell you if that works. But as soon as the last frost is done for the year I cut all the dominant buds to push the auxin to the other buds and wire branches that need to be done. They like slightly acidic soil so a mix of kunama or a mix of it will benefit your beech. Then watch the wire everyday and remove when there's even a smell of biting in.
 
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Thanks for the nice progression. It has become a nice tree. Still a lot to achieve but time and technique will do their work i guess.
 

Paulpash

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Hi Marie,

Really good reading what you're doing wth your JB - how long is there between the first image of the seedling and the last tree pic? I've been got a few saplings that I want to grow as bonsai - I know it's gonna take years but I'm ok with that. Did the ground layer work? Did you get a better set of roots? Do you have any pictures?

Any tips for me? I live in Carlisle so am only a little further north than you - anything I should / shouldn't be doing with mine? What soil do you use?

Thanks a bunch,

Andy

13 years between seedling and last tree pic.
A few adventitious roots appeared at the base but I am going to board it & get it in a wider / longer container.
I use sanicat pink and about 10% sieved pine bark for containerised growing.
I am lucky with my garden soil - slightly acidic friable loam.
My tips for ground growing are to keep inner buds viable by selective pruning of the apex. Beech are very top dominant - if you just let it go wild like say a hornbeam - those bottom branches get really weak & it's very difficult to resurrect vigour again. Bare budless patches will be evident several inches down your branch - it's this situation that can effectively ruin your tree as a bonsai.
 

Paulpash

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I've never layered a beech so I can't tell you if that works. But as soon as the last frost is done for the year I cut all the dominant buds to push the auxin to the other buds and wire branches that need to be done. They like slightly acidic soil so a mix of kunama or a mix of it will benefit your beech. Then watch the wire everyday and remove when there's even a smell of biting in.

Yes, beech layer ok. I did one many years ago and stuck it in my dad's garden. Time to revisit it soon - it might be ready. I always find that a disposition to forgetting about some species like beech and Yew often bring about the greatest gains. Some trees are like snowballs rolling down a hill - they need time to accumulate substance.
 
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