Blue Beach tree that seems not to have enough leaves in the top branches / must prune??? - Ask Extension
Last year (June 2023) we planted a Blue Beach tree. We waited and entire year to see how it will behave to prune. However, It looks the same this ye...
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Blue Beach tree that seems not to have enough leaves in the top branches / must prune??? #867586
Asked May 08, 2024, 1:50 PM EDT
Last year (June 2023) we planted a Blue Beach tree. We waited and entire year to see how it will behave to prune. However, It looks the same this year (spring 2024). The top branches are a live but does not have enough leaves. I think we must prune it to make it look better, I think there are to many branches competing and making the tree waste energy to grow.
Let me know if it is ok to prune the branches that do not have enough leaves.
Let me know if it is ok to prune it to make it look like a shrub?
Do you know why the tree is growing this way???
Thanks for your time.
Ernesto
Ramsey County Minnesota
Expert Response
You are right that the tree is limited in its growth in that space. The reason it is growing this way is that putting it in a corner so close to the house leaves little room for the roots to expand normally. Consequently it does not receive enough soil nutrients/water to support normal growth. (This is especially true since it appears you have gutters that would limit rainfall.) This is an example of wrong plant in wrong place.
It will need fertilizer and mulching and watering to prevent the plants beneath from taking up all the moisture and nutrients. Although they are slow growing these trees can become larger and wider (35’x35’) trees than the current space allows. Your best bet if leaving it in place is to trim it into a shrub after it flowers. Trimming after flowering is second best time to trim. Best time to trim is when the tree is dormant in late winter. Even if you don’t get flowers that year, it will heal pruning cuts better in early spring.
See:
https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/blue-beech
It will need fertilizer and mulching and watering to prevent the plants beneath from taking up all the moisture and nutrients. Although they are slow growing these trees can become larger and wider (35’x35’) trees than the current space allows. Your best bet if leaving it in place is to trim it into a shrub after it flowers. Trimming after flowering is second best time to trim. Best time to trim is when the tree is dormant in late winter. Even if you don’t get flowers that year, it will heal pruning cuts better in early spring.
See:
https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/blue-beech
