Beech cuttings?

Hello,

I went to some friends' new house yesterday, and they have a 6-m long hedge made of Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia', fern-leafed beech.

Beech is very rare around here, except in some parks, and I had never seen this cultivar before.

Air-layering is out of the question, i can't ask them to watch after it, so i was wondering if cuttings are possible with beech, when, and if there are specific tips to propagate this tree.

As a stand-alone tree in a garden, it must be beautiful, and the shape of the leaves might make it an interesting candidate for a large-size bonsai I think...

So any advice on cuttings from this species will be welcome.

This variety is primarily grown by grafting. Kew gardens says "Although rarely used, cuttings from newly emerged shoots can be easily rooted under mist."

Wish I had a mist propagation setup!

Kev Bailey wrote:This variety is primarily grown by grafting. Kew gardens says "Although rarely used, cuttings from newly emerged shoots can be easily rooted under mist."

Wish I had a mist propagation setup!

So do I!... I have over a dozen Japanese maple cultivars that I'd really like to clone

On a French forum, someone suggested an approach graft on a common beech planted in a pot at the bottom of the hedge. This seems an interesting option too because if the soil retains enough water, it is much less trouble.

If I can, I'll try both methods I think.

Thanks for your input, Kev.

On a French forum, someone suggested an approach graft on a common beech planted in a pot at the bottom of the hedge.

I think that is a very good suggestion and the surest option, Alain.