American Beech nebari issue

I collected an American Beech 2 seasons ago. I collected it because it has excellent lower branching and the basal measurement is 2 inches caliper. The branches are excellently placed but as i looked at it a few days ago, a vision came alive for the tree. The problem: no nebari.
What i am wanting to know is, How can i develop nebari on a beech?? It is now in the growing field to speed up the classic slow development beeches are known for.

Mitch - Cedarbog wrote:I collected an American Beech 2 seasons ago. I collected it because it has excellent lower branching and the basal measurement is 2 inches caliper. The branches are excellently placed but as i looked at it a few days ago, a vision came alive for the tree. The problem: no nebari.
What i am wanting to know is, How can i develop nebari on a beech?? It is now in the growing field to speed up the classic slow development beeches are known for.

I had to chuckle a bit,

It has taken me 3 years to grow out even the most humble beginnings of an apex on a collected Beech, I cant imagine the time involved to grow Nebari, your best hope may be grafting, use grandifolia seedlings, (Pm me for sources) it may take several years for the grafts to take, if at all, and if it doesn't remember Beech's scar easily, and basically for life.

Some sort of a layering process could be an option but again Beech's don't layer well either. Thats a tough one!
-Jay

i think it needs digging up again, if possible prune out roots directly below the trunk and tie the tree to a slab or slate, then replant it so all the roots have to grow out away from the trunk to get past the slab - then you create the trunk base flare you want

cheers Marcus

Hard to say without a picture but I have seen fantastic results from air layers on beech to create a new nebari.

Hello,
Maybe an airlayer would indeed be the solution.
Try the tourniquet method in early summer, it should take at least 3 months.
I am talking about climate zone 8 and fagus sylvatica, but i think it will work with american beech as well.
A disk under the layer to direct the roots horizontal would be a good idea.
regards, Sunip

A picture would be very helpful here.
-Jay

the bonsai bark website had an article last year about this very issue. They were girdling the trunk and putting wire on it as well. They did it on a giant 4" diameter section. It worked extremely well.

I have some pics BUT i am unable to upload via my smartphone. Does anyone know how i can set it up to make it where i could "host" the pics. I have an arsenal of good pics and converstation pieces if just i could download those pics.

bucknbonsai wrote:the bonsai bark website had an article last year about this very issue. They were girdling the trunk and putting wire on it as well. They did it on a giant 4" diameter section. It worked extremely well.

IS THERE A LINK SO I COULD LOOK IT UP? thank you