Common beeches grow very quickly and therefore need a lot of nutrients. Older trees take care of themselves via their widely spread roots. If at all, you should only fertilize young beech trees. What you need to consider when fertilizing copper beeches.
How should you properly fertilize a European beech tree?
Young beeches can be supplied with special beech fertilizer or long-term fertilizer during the growth phase from March to August. Older beeches generally do not need any additional fertilizer as they can provide for themselves. From August onwards, no fertilizer should be applied to ensure winter-hardy shoots.
Only young beeches need fertilizer
You don't need to fertilize older, well-established beech trees. The trees develop a widely branched root system with which they can easily support themselves.
You can fertilize young, freshly planted beech trees in the first few years to stimulate growth.
Provide nutrients when planting
You can lay the best foundation when planting the common beech when you prepare the planting hole for the common beech. This includes:
- Loose the earth deeply
- Remove weeds completely
- if necessary, create a drainage
- Improve soil with compost and/or horn shavings
- lime acidic soils
By preparing the planting hole well, you can ensure a good supply of nutrients right from the start. Additional fertilizer applications are then often not necessary.
Fertilize beeches only during the growing season
Common beeches are generally only fertilized during the growing season, i.e. from March to the beginning of August. Either give special fertilizer for beech trees once a month or opt for a long-term fertilizer (€10.00 on Amazon). This only needs to be administered once in the spring.
Follow the instructions on the package carefully. For beech trees, less fertilizer is better than too much fertilizer. Be careful not to get the fertilizer directly on the trunk or leaves.
If you have compost in the garden, sprinkle plenty of it around the tree in spring. Further fertilizer applications are then unnecessary.
Do not fertilize from August onwards
Common beeches go into pre-winter rest immediately after the last growth spurt in July. Under no circumstances should they be fertilized from August onwards, as they may then sprout again. However, the new shoots are not hardy and freeze.
Tip
The best fertilizer for copper beeches is the leaves that fall off in winter or spring. If you simply leave them there, you not only protect the soil from drying out. The leaves decompose and release important nutrients.
