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Collected Beech (Defoliating)
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Author:  EscMode [ 13 May 2017, 13:23 ]
Post subject:  Collected Beech (Defoliating)
Hey,

I collected this beech from a wood about 5 years ago now.. it has a lot of sentimental value as I was with my daughter at the time, when she deemed me cool enough to be seen outside the house with. :1crybaby: Here's the winter profile:

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So this year I've been following the Bonsai4Me article on advanced Beech pruning techniques as I'm trying to encourage back-budding.

I did some pinching back of the shoots around 5 weeks ago:

Before Pinching Back
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After Pinching Back
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Now, 5 Weeks Later:

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My question is about defoliating. Not sure if I should go ahead or not... can you do both in one year (pinching back and defoliating). Not sure the photo's show it well, but the leaves are massive compared with previous years, so was also woundering if reducing the leave size by cutting (instead of defoliating) would be better?

Also, this isn't a copper beech but this year the leaves have that copper tint to them. Any idea what that's about? I have been feeding high nitrogen every 2 weeks this year. Would that also explain the larger leaves?

Cheers,
Patrick
Author:  stymie [ 13 May 2017, 14:30 ]
Post subject:  Re: Collected Beech (Defoliating)
Defoliation would work in late June but this is still growing rather than being refined and you have to weigh up whether you want to slow down it's development in this way.
The tinted leaves are nothing to worry about.
Author:  EscMode [ 13 May 2017, 14:55 ]
Post subject:  Re: Collected Beech (Defoliating)
Yea, that is something I've given some thought. I don't mind delaying the trunk development for a year or two, if I can get a couple more inner branches going in the meantime. Also, in the future I don't envisage a low chop as I really like the curved trunk and would want to keep as much of that as possible. So if I get a couple of branches down there now I don't think I'll lose them after a chop. Probably going about it the wrong way though... trunk first, branches after, right!
Author:  Paul B [Swindon] [ 13 May 2017, 15:01 ]
Post subject:  Re: Collected Beech (Defoliating)
This may help you......... http://bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Beech ... runing.htm

but as Don says you want as much growth on your tree at the moment to bulk up, it will only do that with lots of leaves drawing goodness up.

Defoliating should only be done on a very healthy growing tree, never on a tree that has been re potted and usually only done on mature trees.

So........... grow the tree first [this will take some years, even in the ground], then think about the size of the leaves, :27drunk.
Author:  Bill [ 16 May 2017, 14:16 ]
Post subject:  Re: Collected Beech (Defoliating)
i agree with the lads there, wouldn't even have pinched this one tbh. one thing im doing on mine is to prune every twig back to 2 buds just as they start moving.

i think you should reconsider chopping, its very early for this tree to decide that you will not chop. you even have some low buds, think of all the bonsai growers that have none! lol

seriously though, the only way you will be able to add girth and taper is cutting off large branches after they have thickened the trunk. with beech in a pot this is a long process, but if you keep it healthy and pushing out good shoots you should see it thicken a bit each year. you gotta let it keep that foliage mass all summer though, and not prune the sacrifice branches so they can add to it each year.
Author:  Nigel Croome [ 16 May 2017, 17:48 ]
Post subject:  Re: Collected Beech (Defoliating)
Beech don't respond that well to defoliation you would be better off cutting all the leaves in half or just take 50% of the leaves off. The large leaves I believe are a result of the Nitrogen you've been feeding it. I don't feed any of my trees with nitrogen and I don't start to feed them until the leaves have hardened off and I still get good extension on my Beech and Oak trees.
Hope this has been of help. Cheers Nigel.
Author:  Gary Jones [ 16 May 2017, 22:11 ]
Post subject:  Re: Collected Beech (Defoliating)
I tried inner leaf defoliation on my beech last year but it didn't achieve the intended result of a second flush. It possibly strengthened the inner buds but I couldn't really tell. The previous year to that I removed half the leaves to let light in as beech form a very heavy canopy. It looked nicer as a result but whether it helped or not in any other way I don't know. I have pinched (cut with scissors) the extending shoots in spring and that has worked for me producing second flush a few weeks later and repeating has generated a third flush in some areas. Then in Autumn I've cleared the dead leaves and pruned and wired to the winter image I want ready for the next year's growth.
Author:  EscMode [ 17 May 2017, 14:02 ]
Post subject:  Re: Collected Beech (Defoliating)
Thanks guys - some great advice there. So I'll leave it be and continue to focus on growth to fatten up the trunk. I'm thinking of getting an allotment to field grow some of my developing tress.... this has been in pots for about 5 years now and has grown about 1cm in diameter. haha

One question, am I in danger of losing that little newly formed and advantageous branch on the curve of the trunk if growth above it is left unchecked? it's much weaker due to it's position. Or again, maybe I shouldn't concern myself with that at this stage?
Author:  Bill [ 19 May 2017, 14:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: Collected Beech (Defoliating)
use wires/guy wires to keep the tall mass from shading it. if its receiving direct light the tree shouldn't choose to drop it. shouldn't... ;-)
Author:  EscMode [ 20 May 2017, 11:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: Collected Beech (Defoliating)
Bill wrote:
use wires/guy wires to keep the tall mass from shading it. if its receiving direct light the tree shouldn't choose to drop it. shouldn't... ;-)


Ahhh, never thought of that. A couple of days ago I cut in half around 15 leaves that were shading that branch and some other buds.

Interesting... it's just starting to push out a second flush from the terminal buds on shoots I pinched back a few weeks ago.
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