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Beech (Fagus spp.) Bonsai – Growing and Care Guide

Beech bonsai trees offer a beautiful shape and a wide visual variety as they are deciduous. This beautiful tree is able to live in a wide variety of conditions in the wild and can help you connect to fall, rest through the winter and brighten your outlook in the spring, the beech (Fagus spp.) bonsai is a wonderful choice.

Best Temperatures

In the wild, beech trees are extremely hardy. They can actually be grown from USDA zone 3 to zone 9. As with all bonsai trees, they will need to be kept out of the most intense heat of midday.

If the wind temperature and speed tend to be high in your area, try to give your beech bonsai tree a sheltered spot or bring it inside. Hot winds and high wind speeds will cause leaves to shrivel and drop off.

As the length of sunlight exposure drops over the course of the day, leaves will change colors and fall naturally. Your beech bonsai tree will lose all leaves in the fall and need to be moved during the dormancy period.

Moisture Application

Your beech bonsai will need regular watering because they need to stay moist but not soggy. They require monitoring. They don’t thrive with wet feet, but they also don’t tolerate drying out. Extreme low or high humidity can also have an impact on the health of your beech bonsai.

If your air conditioning runs continuously on very hot days, your beech bonsai may dry out quickly. Those who prefer to open the windows during spring and fall may find that their watering need drops off; elevated humidity can leave your beech bonsai tree a bit more satiated than the dryer conditions of intense air conditioning. When you turn the heat on in the fall, your foliage may be changing to a beautiful fall color. Keep monitoring and watering your tree to avoid drying out.

Sunlight Levels

Your beech bonsai tree will thrive in some direct morning sunlight. However, direct overhead or western exposure over the course of a hot day can cause leaves to burn, shrivel and drop. It can also be tough to keep your beech bonsai tree effectively watered during the hottest part of the day.

Filtered sunlight and limited wind exposure is best for your beech bonsai. Too much wind, especially in the heat of the day, can risk the health of your tree.

Dormancy Protection

You can overwinter your beech bonsai inside your home if conditions in your area include intense cold. Do be sure to keep the soil moist. Pay attention to the heat sources in your home; if you’re considering placing your beech bonsai in a window, note where the heat registers are in the room.

Dry heat can be incredibly tough on any houseplant, but a dormant tree can quickly dry out if constantly sitting in a stream of dry, warm air. Keep your dormant beech bonsai in the house if you must, but keep it away from radiators, heat vents, fireplaces and woodstoves.

Protect Against Pests

Bonsai fans love the look of a beech bonsai. Unfortunately, pests also love the beech bonsai tree. Aphids, bark beetles and leaf miners are all happy to feed off of your beech bonsai tree and will likely attack your other houseplants.

It’s possible to get these pests off of your beech bonsai by simply spraying the plant with water. However, there’s a good chance that the pests that are easily seen on your beech bonsai are thriving on your other plants. One new houseplant can bring in many pests. Once you see one plant with a sticky stem from aphids or yellowing leaves from leaf miners, treat everything with an approved pesticide at one time.

Pests will migrate away from hostile conditions. If one plant has a particular pest, you can be fairly sure that all of your plants are either serving as a host or being scoped out by the invaders. Treat all your plants with a houseplant-safe pesticide to kill all the pests at once.

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Fertilizer

Fertilize your young beech bonsai tree with a nitrogen-rich product in the spring before leaves appear. Once it’s established, a balanced organic fertilizer can be quite effective before the tree buds. Be aware that your beech bonsai will feed more heavily as its preparing to leaf out.

Always guard the trunk of your tree before you apply fertilizer, particularly a nitrogen rich fertilizer. Applied directly to the trunk, fertilizer can burn the tissue and cause the bark to peel away. Once that bark is gone, your beech bonsai tree will be more vulnerable to pests.

After a burned area of bark heals, the tree can bear a scar for a long time. Scars can leave gaps where larva can bury, making it harder to keep pests away from all of your plants. Water immediately after applying any fertilizer, and once the water has soaked in, you can take the shield off of the beech bonsai trunk.

Propagation Methods

Cuttings and seeds can both be effective ways to propagate your beech bonsai tree. Be aware that this is not a quick process; these trees can be slow to start. Plant in the winter so the seedling or sprout can get started slowly. You want to give the tree a good base of support before sunlight exposure time rises and your beech bonsai starts to leaf out.

As with a dormant tree, do your best to keep your beech bonsai seedlings from drying out. Keep them indoors and provide plenty of light, but take care to avoid heat vents and radiators. If you heat with wood, keep your beech bonsai plants in another room so this dry heat doesn’t sap their remaining internal moisture.

A bonsai tree in your home is a wonderful way to enjoy the passing of the seasons. If there isn’t much greenery in your neighborhood, you may notice the change in sunrise and sunset as you run errands or move from your house to your vehicle. However, a deeper connection with nature can be hard to find. Your beech bonsai can help you celebrate the cool breezes of fall and anticipate the spring.