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Beech Tree

Beech Tree

A common deciduous tree in forests, the beech tree has a trunk with smooth gray bark,
2- to 3-feet in diameter. The leaves are up to 5 inches across, oval or elliptical in shape, dark green
in color with prominent veins that end in toothy edges. Yellowish green flowers appear in April to
May, and the female flowers give way to triangular- shaped beechnuts. The foliage turns golden
bronze in fall. This is a large tree, often growing to 80 feet or even more.


Although sometimes used as a landscape tree, the American beech is not well suited to urban
conditions; it does not like even low pollution levels. Left unattended, the shallow roots will readily
sucker, gradually forming a thicket of trees. This is quite a slow-growing tree, generally adding no
more than 6 to 9 inches per year, very gradually achieving a mature height.

Introduction
Mr. John Doe

Head Director

Description

Optimal Time/Temperature for Germination:
It is normally planted as a bare-root specimen in late winter or early spring. Soak the bare roots overnight before planting. (If you purchased a ball-and burlap tree, soak the ball thoroughly with a hose as you prepare a planting hole).
Optimal Soil Conditions:
Choose a planting spot with deep, well-drained soil and where there is plenty of room. most important is a deep, well- drained soil. A soil that drains well will discourage fungi. And furnishing a deep soil may help discourage the shallow rooting so problematic for this tree. Shallow rooting can wreck nearby hardscape features, causing sidewalks and driveways to heave.
Seed Planting Depth, Spacing and Procedure:
Beech trees are not fussy about sunlight. They seem to grow equally well in full sun or part shade. To propagate from stem cutting: Take 6- to 10-inch cuttings from the tip of the branch, from new wood no more than 1 year old. The fall is the best time to start this process. Remove the bottom leaves and soak the cut end in a bucket of water. While the branch soaks, fill a small pot with a mixture of potting soil and wood-based compost (such as pine bark composts). Dip the cut end of the branch in rooting hormone, then plant it in the prepared potting mix. Moisten the potting mix and Cover the pot with a loose clear plastic bag. Place the pot in a bright location and continue to grow it until roots begin to develop and new leaves begin to sprout, Then, remove the plastic bag and continue to grow the cutting indoors over the winter (or on a patio, if you live in a warm climate). By the following spring, the cutting can be planted in the landscape to grow into a tree.
Best Companion Plants and Plants that Hinder:
Beech tree’s branching pattern, with its impressive density and horizontal orientation, is one of its great features. It is also a low-branching tree. The result of these traits is that the tree casts such dense shade that little will grow under it. (Lovely picture on this: dwarf and weeping beech versions fit well in gardens planted with perennials and small shrubs. Plant purple leaved weeping beech trees as a backdrop to more brightly colored, large shrubs such as lilac and weigela.)

Growing Instructions

Crop Maintenance

Newly planted trees can be susceptible to the wind, so it’s a good idea to drive a stake and tie the tree trunk loosely to the stake for the first few months of growth. However, at this point, the stake should be removed, as the tree will develop better long-term strength if the wood is allowed to flex in the wind.
Moisture Requirements & Solutions:
This plant has average water needs. Make sure it gets about 1 inch of water per week through rainfall and/or irrigation. Do not allow water to puddle around the tree, as this can cause root rot. Keep young trees well watered.
Weeding Needs & Solutions:
Since beech trees are shallow rooted, mulch around the trunks to prevent damage to the roots from lawn machinery. Grass won’t grow well under mature trees due to their cascading growth habits.
Feeding Needs/Optimal Natural Fertilizers:
A balanced fertilizer is acceptable. In early spring, apply 1 pound of the fertilizer per 100 square feet. Spread it over the ground directly under the tree’s canopy and water it in. Older trees don’t need plant food.
Pests, Diseases & Solutions:
The American beech tree has been under attack from a foreign invader and suffers from a serious disease: beech bark disease. Two things working together cause this disease: a non-native insect (the beech scale) and certain fungi (Nectria species). The beech scale insects pierce the bark (the bark is thin, making their task easier) to remove sap. These piercings give the fungi open access to the insides of the tree. The result is bark cankers. At worst, death can result from beech bark disease. At best, the tree’s looks will be marred. Control of the disease is possible, but it is difficult and best left to professionals. Understanding what causes beech bark disease should dissuade you from engaging in the time honored practice of carving initials in your beech tree that will be visible for decades. The thinness of the bark is what has made this tree the preferred target of such carving: A knife easily pierces the bark, leading to scarring that never heals. Just as piercings from an insect can open the way to damaging fungi, so can human-made piercings. Beech trees have few major pest problems. Fruit drop can be a litter problem near formal gardens. Beech trees can sucker freely sending up new trees and become overcrowded. Prune in early summer to clear out these trees as needed. The tree has the ability to resist damage, effectively overcoming infections.
Though ripe nuts are deliciously edible, the unripe nutsof this tree contain small amounts of a mild toxin known as fagin, confined mostly in the skin of the nuts. Large quantities of unripe nuts need to be consumed before ill effects occur, but this does occasionallyhappen with dogs and grazing animals. The American beech is less toxicthan the European beech, but there are instances of poisoning, usuallyin the fall, when dogs or other animals eat the fallen nuts. The illness is usually self-correcting in a short time, and treatment is rarely needed.
When to Harvest/Number of days to maturity:
Beech nuts begin to ripen in late August and can be harvested into October. One gatherer offered this tip “If you find trees that are putting out nuts in a certain year, spread a sheet underneath it. And let them fall on that rather than trying to pick them up out of the duff.” Furthermore, do beech trees have nuts every year? We know that, generally speaking, trees require a lot of energy to produce nuts so a tree won’t produce every year. The books say every two or three years for beech nuts and three to seven years for oaks, but take it all with a grain of salt.
How to Harvest:
Optimal Storage temperature and conditions:
The fruit known as beechnuts or mast, is found in small burrs that drop in autumn. They are small, roughly triangular and edible, with a bitter,astringent, or in some cases, mild and nut-like taste. They have a high enough fat content that they can be pressed for edible oil. Recipe -Peel as many beech nuts as possible. Heat the pan on low and melt 1 Tbs of butter. After the butter is melted, wait 1 minute and add the peeled nuts. Sprinkle sea salt to taste. Nibble or toss over a salad.
Optimal Preserving Procedures:
Seed Saving:
To propagate from seeds: Gather some dried, ripe beechnuts from the tree in the fall, and plant each one in a container filled with potting mix. Cover the seeds with 1/2 inch of potting mix and place them in a sunny indoor location. Keep the potting mix moist but not wet until the seed sprouts, then continue growing in a bright location. At the end of the first year, transplant the seedling into a larger pot and continue growing it until it reaches a height of 1 to 3 feet, at which time it is ready to plant in the landscape. You’ll need patience, as this can take several years.

Harvest and Storage

Notes

The beech nuts are prized food for bears and squirrels. t is grown and harvested for flooring and furniture. As a native tree, beeches serve many positive purposes for the environment. Hollow trees house birds and small mammals. Interesting shaped triangular beech nuts provide food for wildlife like birds, mammals, including mice, squirrels, chipmunks, black bear, deer, foxes, ruffed grouse, ducks, and blue jays. Regarding pruning, these trees will readily sucker from the shallow roots. Keep these suckers cut away as they appear. Damaged or diseased limbs can be removed as you notice them. With diseased branches, it is fine to cut them back to a point a foot or so below the diseased area. Beech tends to develop a low canopy, so if you prefer a more towering tree, cut away low branches. Because large forks tend to be weak, it is best to remove one of the two branches as these forks appear. This will be easiest to do as the tree is young and still developing; mature trees will probably need an arborist to do the trimming. Late winter or early spring, before the tree has begun active new growth, is the best time to perform major trimming for shape. Sneaking a few raw beechnuts is fine, but for the most part, they need to be cooked or roasted in small portions first because raw, they contain the toxin saponin glycoside (can cause gastric issues with raw). Add them to salads, muesli or vegetables. Their oil was used as lamp oil also. According to experts, the tree has a lifespan of 300-400 years

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