Planting a Hedge of European Beech Trees
Here in the Northeast, we’re expecting temperatures in the high 70s and a chance of rain later this week. With so much good weather, we’ve been able to complete a lot of planting projects around my Bedford, New York farm.
Last week, my outdoor grounds crew took on the task of planting a hedge in front of my peafowl and pigeon pens. For this specific area, I chose a collection of beautiful European beech trees, Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Gold’ - a deciduous and relatively low-maintenance tree with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Once mature, this hedge will look so pretty with its golden-yellow foliage in spring, pale green leaves in summer, and glowing shades of yellow in autumn.
Enjoy these photos.
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- I already have a hedge of Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Purple’ surrounding my pool. This variety is ‘Dawyck Gold’. Columnar beech trees are fastigiate meaning their branches slope upward more or less parallel to the main stem. I knew these would be perfect in front of the bird pens.
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- The leaves are simple, alternate, and about five to 10 centimeters long. The serrated pointy leaves are highly ornamental and turn beautiful colors through the seasons.
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- Pete and Carlos dug holes about a foot and a half deep along the fence line.
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- Pete uses jute twine to ensure all the holes are dug in a straight line. Here, the potted trees are positioned in the holes to see how they look. I’ve had these trees a few years, but they did not do too well in their original location, so I nurtured them in pots first before transplanting them here. I think they will now flourish in this space.
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- Pete goes to the other end and looks at the alignment of the trees again.
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- Pete removes each tree from its pot and places it into the hole. Planting depth is one of most important factors. Planting a tree too deep can kill it. “Bare to the flare” is the rule of thumb. Look for the root collar or root flare – the bulge just above the root system where the roots begin to branch away from the trunk. This root flare should be just above the soil surface.
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- Next, Pete measures the distance between each tree. It is important to make sure the trees are spaced equally.
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- A good fertilizer made especially for new trees is sprinkled generously around the root ball. We use M-Roots with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
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- The root ball is then backfilled with our rich soil.
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- Pete tamps down on the soil with his foot to ensure good contact.
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- The peacocks and peahens are all so curious. This blue boy watched the entire process from the other side of the pen. These birds are so photogenic with their iridescent blue necks.
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- And here’s my bronze peacock. Bronze peafowl are very rare – not all breeders will have them. This male is so beautiful. He has chocolate brown tail feathers.
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- Pete also edges the bed, so it looks clean and well-manicured. This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water.
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- Once the bed is edged, Carlos uses a weeder to pull any vegetation between the cut edging line and the mulched bed.
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- Here are the trees all backfilled. These trees are planted perfectly – all of them are well aligned and spaced just right. It is best to prune these trees in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Another advantage of planting beech trees – deer don’t particularly care for it, so they will usually leave it alone.
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- Meanwhile, Pete gets a bucket load of good, nutrient rich mulch from the compost pile here at the farm. He uses our Kubota model M7060HD12 tractor – a vehicle that’s used daily for hauling mulch, equipment, and so much more.
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- Pete shovels a good amount of mulch into the wheelbarrow to bring to the garden bed.
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- And then puts down a good amount in between the trees. The crew has been dressing beds for many years and can do it very quickly and efficiently.
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- Then, using a hard rake, one with 14 tempered-steel tines, Pete breaks up any compacted mulch and spreads the material evenly over the entire bed.
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- The bronze peacock is now fanning his tail feathers, hoping to get the attention of one of the hens.
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- From a distance, these trees look excellent. A newly planted beech tree hedge needs regular watering during its first year or two. Once established, it can tolerate dry spells but should be given extra water during drought.
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- Look closely, and all the trunk bases are perfectly straight – the branches will all grow upward in time. ‘Dawyck Gold’ Beech will grow to be about 45 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of two feet from the ground. Under ideal conditions these trees can be expected to live 120 years or more.
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- The beech tree has a naturally attractive growth habit, with one central trunk that grows straight up and through the tree’s crown. I am looking forward to watching this hedge develop and flourish.
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