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new transplant = dont prune 1st year?

19 years ago

I have a newly dug/transplanted beech. When i dug it it was starting to bud out, and i got most of its roots except for 1 big one, however it didnt seem to have any fibrous roots to be found. I put it in a big pot for now, and am keeping my fingers crossed, Its full of leaves except the far tips of the branches had thier leaves wither. Is it considered past later winter here? Im thinking i should keep my leaves for photosynthesis, and am worried if i try to shape it into a bonsai, that it wont produce a new set of leaves for the summer since beach dont have secondary buds. Do you think its safe to prune, or should i just prune some?

thankyou, alex

Comments (3)

dav4
19 years ago
I think any tree that is dug from the ground and potted up is in some state of shock, and will require time to recover. The fact that the tree is losing some leaves is evidence enough. I don't have any experience with beech, but I wouldn't do much pruning if at all. Maybe some light pruning when its dormant. Good luck,

Dave
mark_rockwell
18 years ago
Leave the plant alone. You have collected it at an awkward time. The shrivelling leaves are the first sign the plant has not got the root mass to support the foliage. '

You have collected the plant too late in the season for optimal recovery. Native beech should be collected BEFORE they begin to break buds, not just after.

You are also up against the plant's conservative nature. Native beech (fagus grandifolia) push only a single flush of growth eavery season.Once that's gone the species is reluctant to replace it during the current growing season(I've been growing a collected beech as bonsai for awhile). The shrivelling leaves probably won't be replaced this season--and you can probably expect further die back down the branches the futher we get into spring.

All of this doesn't mean the tree won't eventually pull through. It means its very stressed out and should be LEFT ALONE for at LEAST TWO YEARS to recover. That means providing protection for it when temperatures get below freezing (Winter may be over, but the winter weather is still around--you can't tell if winter's over by the calendar. You have to observe local weather conditions--are you getting the snow that the rest of W.Va. has?) The plant will be killed or further damaged if it's left with it's pot exposed to freezing. Get it into a sheltered spot (outdoors if possible, as indoor humidity level will contribute to further problems with leaves)

You are very close to losing the plant. You will most likely lose it if you continue to futz with it. It needs time to recover. Let it.
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rjj1
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randy

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