Beech trees are native trees and are well adapted to cool climates. The biggest problem in winter is dryness. You should therefore protect younger trees with a layer of mulch and water them if necessary.
How do you care for a beech tree in winter?
Beech trees are hardy and do not require traditional winter protection. However, young trees should be protected with a layer of mulch to prevent the roots from drying out. In addition, beech trunks can be protected from strong sunlight in winter with burlap (€12.00 on Amazon) or brushwood.
Beech trees are hardy
Beech trees have no problem with low temperatures. Older trees can even cope with temperatures down to minus 30 degrees without any problems. That's why well-grown beech trees don't need winter protection.
It is important that you stop fertilizing the trees from August onwards and, if possible, do not prune them. This would stimulate new growth. But the new branches are not hardy.
Protect beech from drying out in winter
A beech tree must always be slightly moist. In very dry winters, the roots dry out and the tree dies. However, this usually only happens with young trees whose roots are not yet very developed.
In the first few years you should therefore protect the ground area under the tree with a layer of mulch.
Beech trunks have a very thin bark, which can cause sunburn if exposed to strong sunlight - even in winter. You can protect young beech trees from this with burlap (€12.00 on Amazon) or brushwood.
That's why a mulch cover makes sense in winter
A mulch layer made from
- Leaves
- Lawn cutting
- Compost
- Straw
always makes sense with beech trees in winter. These organic materials protect the soil from drying out and prevent weeds from emerging. The cover also decomposes and releases valuable nutrients, saving you the trouble of fertilizing.
For beech species that lose their leaves in autumn, you should simply leave the leaves lying around in winter as a natural protection.
Winter bonsai beeches frost-free
If you grow a beech tree in a pot as a bonsai, you need to keep it as cool but frost-free as possible over the winter. A cool garden house is well suited.
You can also take the bonsai out of the pot and plant it directly outdoors in October. The tree is then dug up again in spring and placed in the bowl.
Tip
The fruits of the beech tree have to go through a cold phase in winter. Otherwise the seeds will not germinate. If you want to propagate a beech tree yourself from beechnuts, you can put the fruits in the refrigerator for some time.
