Common Beech Bonsai Care Guide

Fagus sylvatica

Common Beech Bonsai

Native to the UK, the Common Beech belongs to a genus of temperate deciduous forest trees. Fagus sylvatica has grey soft bark and foliage of broad pale green leaves that darken before turning orange-brown in Spring. A popular specimen in temperate regions that is easy to train. 

Common Beech Bonsai Care Tips

Fagus sylvatica is a thoroughly hardy species. They can grow well in full sun and semi-shade. Consider protections from strong gusts of wind and the hottest midday summer sun.

Thorough and consistent watering throughout the summer is advised for this thirsty specimen. Transpiration costs the Common Beech a lot of its water. If sunlight and wind are strong and your Common Beech is planted in a shallow pot, more water is advised. 

To maintain thriving leaf growth in Spring avoid fertilising 3-4 weeks after the leaves appear. Once the initial strong growth has taken place feed every two weeks until the end of summer. If your Common Beech is still developing its trunk or primary branches, feed as soon as the leaves as starting to spread. 

Prune anytime across the growing season. As soon as two leaves are showing pinch out the growing tips of new shoots. Prune in early spring if the twigs have formed densely. 

Take care wiring your Common Beech as its bark marks very easily. It is predominantly shaped through pruning, but wiring can take place between Spring and Autumn. We recommend using wires with a thickness that matches the thickness of the branch: if the wire you choose is too thick you will damage the bark. If it is too thin, it won’t be effective.

Repotting your tree is an important way to provide a fresh and suitable soil mix and ensure appropriate root health. Repot your Common Beech bonsai every two years as new buds extend in the Spring. Older Common beech can be repotted less frequently when necessary. 

Trees that are ready for repotting will require root pruning, a suitable new pot and appropriate soil mix.

When repotting, do not cut back the root mass by a large amount, and choose a well-draining soil mix that has a neutral or slightly higher PH value of 5-6 but not over 7. We tend to use a mixture of different speciality bonsai soils on our trees. Every species is different so please contact us for free soil-mix advice or to take advantage of our repotting service.

The Fagus species is a deciduous tree genus found in temperate climates from North America to Eurasia. Of the two species popular for bonsai, Japanese White Beech is the other. Comprised of some 10 to 13 species, these large graceful trees are found in some of the world’s most breathtaking forests.  

Bonsai trees aren’t only magnificent additions to an indoor oasis, they are more than capable of standing out in any garden. Many Bonsai species are incredibly hardy and withstand nature’s colder and damper turns with aplomb making them worthwhile outdoor plants. We have an extensive library of care guides for outdoor bonsai trees. It’s not about selecting the perfect bonsai, it’s about selecting the perfect bonsai for you. 

Common Beech Bonsai - Typical Queries

Proper care for Common Beech bonsai is vital otherwise they will incur pests and diseases. This species can incur aphid and white fly attacks. It can also suffer from bark scale and mildew if suffering from inadequate care.

Common Beech can be propagated using seeds. The two periods for sowing seeds outside are after cold stratification in Spring or in Autumn. After the Spring growth has hardened air layering can be done in late Spring.

Common Beech bonsai are not recommended to be kept indoors. They need considerable fresh air for healthy growth, not to mention a consistently supply of strong sunlight.