How to grow Beech
How to grow Beech
Beech is a genus of trees or shrubs (Fagus L., 1753) belonging to the Fagaceae family, which includes various arboreal and shrub species originating in Europe, America, Japan and China; these plants have a height ranging from 15-20 m up to 30-35 m. The beech is however a plant that prefers calcareous soils, of good fertility and well drained. It grows well in humid areas at least 500 meters above sea level. It is not a plant suitable for growing in pots, but some species, of smaller size can be grown even in small gardens and in particular urban areas. The beech plant can be made from seed, with sowing to be carried out, preferably, in October, with a consequent transplantation when two years have passed and the young seedling has issued a good root system. The sowing operation can be done keeping the seeds present in the fruit under the wet sand and, in the spring, sowing in the soil to multiply the cultivation. For the areas, it is preferable to choose a bright but not too sunny.
For the first pruning you must then wait at least two years, provided that you have started seed cultivation, otherwise for nursery plants these are already normally well-trimmed and pruned. In any case, the recommended period for pruning is the winter season, when the leaves are stripped. considering the period, it is always good to treat cut wounds with putty, since the beech tends to keep scars too obvious and unsightly.First of the beech plant it is appropriate to perform a good preparation of the soil by fertilizing with organic substances, such as humus of earthworm or manure, as it is a plant that grows well in organic soils. The manure fertilizer must be mixed well with the soil in depth so as to ensure a longer and more optimal humification of the organic substance. This operation can be repeated after three years, in this case spreading the organic substance near the plant and working on the surface The soil to mix it. The very best is also the mulching technique which, mixed with the manure, improves the characteristics of porosity and organic soil content as well as repairing the roots of young seedlings in the first years of life. the beech fears drought, favoring fresh areas. During the hot season, especially in the milder climates, it is advisable to water even the adult trees, although they tend to be satisfied only with rain water. In addition, the young plants are more afraid of the attack of animal pests. Among the insects we remember the aphids that, especially at the beginning of spring, settle on young shoots, while beetles and dipterans look for the newly developed twigs. The plants suffer from massive attacks of aphids and tend to leaf yellowing following an attack by these insects. In plants that are still young, a soil that is too humid and with stagnant water can promote root rot. The rot of young seedlings can be recognized by the necrotic lesions present on the collar of the still young plant.