Are my copper beech dead?
By Martin_53
United Kingdom 
Hi. I planted thirty bare root hedging copper/purple beech trres about the first week of April. I gave them a bedding of compost and bonemeal for root growth and watered them in. I'm not much of a gardener but since then I haven't seen any life i.e. new growth/shoots at all. I think one of them may have grown upwards but that could be an optical illusion! I'm a bit miffed having spent £200 on them , can any one tell are they well or are they dead/dying? regards martin
10 May, 2009
Answers
thanks for the advice mate much appreciated.
10 May, 2009
I have a two foot high beech tree which is a couple of years old, and it only came into leaf in my garden about a week ago. Yes, beech is naturally late into leaf it seems.
11 May, 2009
Previous question
Firstly, April is rather late for planting bare rooted trees; they would have been better if planted during the winter.
Otherwise I think it is much too early to start worrying about them. A month is barely sufficient time for the trees to start putting down new roots and start into growth and copper beech are a tree that is late to come into leaf anyway.
By planting them so late they will be late coming into leaf this year. Have patience and I am sure that in the long term they will be OK.
10 May, 2009