One thing is for sure: you don’t need to be a pro to successfully propagate a beech tree. However, not every method is a guaranteed win. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, things just don’t take. To save you some frustration, I’ve broken down which methods give you the best shot at growing a brand-new tree.
Propagation Methods at a Glance
- Growing from seed (Beechnuts)
- Rooting cuttings
- Air layering
- Ground layering
Air layering is a bit of a technical challenge that requires specific expertise and a fair amount of experience. While seasoned gardeners might have luck with it, it’s usually a bit much for beginners, so we won’t be diving into the nitty-gritty of that method here.
Growing from Seed
A beech tree has to reach a certain age before it’s “mature” enough to reproduce. This means it will bloom in the spring and produce fruit—better known as beechnuts—in the fall. Once they’re ripe, they’ll drop to the ground, and you can simply gather them up from under the tree.
- Place your collected beechnuts in a glass of water.
- Discard any that float (they aren’t viable).
- Sow the “sinkers” directly into your garden right away.
- Alternatively, you can stratify them in the fridge (this mimics winter to break their dormancy).
- If you go the fridge route, sow them in pots the following spring.
If you start your seedlings indoors, keep them in a frost-free spot for their first winter. Wait until the following spring to plant them out in the garden.
Pro Tip:
Beechnuts aren’t just for growing new trees—you can actually eat them! During “mast years,” the trees produce them in huge quantities. Just be sure to soak or roast them first to make them safe and tasty; they are slightly toxic if eaten raw.
Rooting Cuttings
If you want to try cuttings, your best bet is to take them from a younger beech tree between April and May, or in mid-July. I highly recommend taking three times as many cuttings as you think you’ll need, as many of them simply won’t develop roots.
- Look for semi-hardwood shoots.
- Cut segments about 8 inches (20 cm) long.
- Snip off the very tip and make a diagonal cut at the bottom.
- Strip the leaves off the bottom third of the cutting.
- Treat the base with rooting hormone.
- Stick them directly into the soil where you want them to grow.
- Alternatively, start them in pots indoors.
- If started in pots, let them overwinter safely and transplant them outside the following spring.
Ground Layering
Sometimes young beech trees have long, thin, flexible branches near the ground. If you can get one of these shoots to stay in contact with the soil for a while, it will eventually grow its own roots.
- Gently nick the bark where the branch will touch the ground.
- Pin the branch down, cover that section with soil, and secure it.
- Once it has established its own root system, you can snip it away from the mother plant and move it to its new home.
