Common beeches tolerate pruning very well and are also very robust trees. They are therefore ideal for growing bonsai, especially since they set great accents with their beautiful autumn leaves. Tips for growing a common beech tree as a bonsai.
How do you grow a European beech tree as a bonsai?
To grow a common beech as a bonsai, cut the branches in spring and summer, carefully wire young shoots, repot the plant every two to three years and use akadama, lava soil and humus as substrate. Water regularly and use rainwater or decalcified water.
Cutting common beech as a bonsai
Common beeches look most beautiful in their natural form. However, you can cut them into any shape you want. Only the broom shape is not suitable for copper beeches.
Pruning is done twice a year, in the spring before budding and in the summer after the second budding.
Spring pruning is stronger. The branches are cut back to one bud. Very large buds are removed before they sprout. During summer pruning, all new shoots are shortened to a maximum of three leaves.
Only wire young shoots
Common beeches have very strong shoots that can only be wired when they are young. Wiring must be done carefully so as not to tear the bark.
If the copper beech needs to be pulled into a specific shape, the only option is usually to use tension wire. However, it must be removed in good time so that it does not grow in.
Repot common beech regularly as a bonsai
The bonsai common beech is repotted every two to three years. The roots are shortened straight away to curb the growth of the common beech.
The substrate is a mixture of
- Akadama
- Lava Earth
- Humus
recommended. Fertilization takes place from March to August.
The plant bowl must be well drained so that waterlogging cannot form under any circumstances. The roots of the bonsai beech should never dry out completely, but should not be too moist either. Water regularly and make sure that excess water can drain away.
When the leaves of the bonsai beech tree change color
If the leaves of the common beech lighten, there may be an iron deficiency, which can be remedied with appropriate fertilizer (€4.00 on Amazon).
Common beeches do not tolerate lime well. Therefore, water the bonsai with rainwater or decalcified water if possible.
Tip
Common beech trees, which you can shape into bonsai, can be found in the forest or in parks. The common beech can also be propagated by sowing beechnuts in pots. However, European beeches only produce germinable beechnuts when they are 30 years old.