Fagus crenata
Japanese White Beech Bonsai
Native to Japan, Fagus crenata is a stunning species thanks to its spellbinding white bark on its fine, elegant trunks. One of the most commonly trained Bonsai in Japan, the native white beech has notoriously small leaves that brown in the Autumn but remain protecting new growth throughout the winter.
Japanese White Beech Bonsai Care Tips
Placement
Choose an outdoor spot that can provide full sun during the summer. Some shade will benefit the tree in the height of summer. During very cold weather periods a frost-free environment like a shed or greenhouse is advised.
Watering
Water your Japanese White Beech as soon as the soil gets dry. Use the top inch of soil as a judge and ensure it doesn’t dry out completely. Be careful not to overwater the tree. During the growing season these bonsai appreciate being watered at least once a day and sometimes twice.
Feeding & Fertilising
A younger Japanese White Beech should be fed with mild organic feed high in nitrogen content from spring to the end of the growing season. This will aid their health and size. For older trees use a milder organic feed lower in nitrogen content. Only fertilise after the first growth set has hardened.
Pruning & Wiring
Pruning your bonsai is important not only to create or maintain an aesthetic style but to also ensure optimal health. Allow the Japanese White Beech new shoots to elongate in the spring. Around May, this should allow you to cut shoots back to two or three leaves once around six or eight are present. Allow new growth for six to eight weeks before cutting back once more. Repeat this process throughout the growing season. Japanese White Beech is not suitable for defoliation. Go for leaf-cutting as opposed to defoliation, along with the new shoot trimming in May.
Wiring Japanese White Beech is best done in late spring or winter, promptly after the leaves have fallen. If wiring in winter avoid bending branches too aggressively as this can onset die-back. 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
Repotting your tree is an important way to provide a fresh and suitable soil mix and ensure appropriate root health. Repotting your Japanese White Beech should take place at the start of Spring as the buds start swelling. This is a rare Bonsai in that around half of the roots can be cut during repotting without detrimentally affecting the plant.
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, Common 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.
Japanese White Beech Bonsai - Typical Queries
How to propagate a Japanese White Beech bonsai?
As a Fagus species, Japanese White Beech are easily propagated with seeds. Cuttings of Fagus don’t take to rooting well and air-layering an be hit or miss.
Will my Japanese White Beech bonsai get pests and diseases?
Japanese White Beech can attract mealy bugs and subpar watering conditions can lead to mildew. The right pesticide can help. Scale can onset as well. Overwatering can bring on root rot. If using calcareous water be mindful that this could bring on chlorosis.
Can you keep a Japanese White Beech bonsai indoors?
It’s not advisable to keep your Japanese White Beech indoors. For growth it requires good aeration consistently and a healthy dose of sun throughout the day.