If you’re dreaming of a beautiful beech hedge for your yard, you’re going to need some saplings (young plants) to get started. The cool thing is, you can actually grow these yourself without much fuss! Whether you want to save a few bucks or just enjoy the process of watching something grow from scratch, here are my top tips for successfully raising and planting your own beech saplings.
Growing Your Own Saplings: Here’s the Scoop
Growing beech saplings is actually pretty straightforward. There are three main ways to go about it:
- Propagating via seeds (beechnuts)
- Taking cuttings
- Air layering
To get started, you’ll need access to a mature beech tree that’s producing nuts, or a healthy hedge where you can snip some cuttings.
A quick heads-up: Air layering is a bit tricky for beginners and is usually something more experienced gardeners or pros tackle.
The best part? Every little sapling has the potential to become a majestic standalone tree or part of a lush, private hedge. No matter how tiny your plants are when you start planting your beech hedge, their final height and shape are totally up to you and how you handle pruning down the road.
Sowing Beech Seeds
If you decide to grow your plants from beechnuts, they’ll start out as tiny seedlings with just a stem and two little leaves. I recommend keeping these in pots until they’ve developed a strong set of leaves and look sturdy enough to be transplanted outdoors.
Pro tip: Beech seeds won’t sprout unless they’ve gone through a cold snap. To “wake them up” and break their natural dormancy, just pop the seeds in a small bag and keep them in your refrigerator for about six weeks before planting.
Taking Cuttings
To get healthy cuttings, look for a tree that isn’t too old. Springtime is the sweet spot for this. Once you’ve taken your snips, stick them into a pot with good soil or directly into a garden bed. Just be patient—it can take several months for them to root and start showing new growth.
Buying Beech Saplings
If you’re not the “wait and see” type, you can always buy saplings at a local nursery. It’s an easy, affordable way to see results fast, and you’ll have plenty of varieties to choose from. You can grab one large specimen to stand alone or a bunch of smaller ones to line your property.
You can also find beech saplings online these days, and they’re often cheaper than what you’ll find at a brick-and-mortar store. Plus, the selection is huge!
However, don’t let a low price tag be the only thing you look at. When you buy online, you miss out on expert advice, and there’s usually no guarantee if the plants don’t take root or die off. Shopping at a local garden center is usually the safest bet for quality and peace of mind.
