Melinda's Garden Moment Radio Tips
Melinda Myers
Nationally known gardening expert, TV/Radio host, author & columnist with over 30 years of horticulture experience and tons of gardening information to share! www.melindamyers.comMelinda's Garden Moment videos will help you create that beautiful landscape you’ve always wanted. Each week throughout the growing season, a new gardening video will be added right here, so be sure to stop back. You can also watch Melinda’s Garden Moments on your local network TV station affiliate.
Enliven your summer landscape with a unique tricolor European beech. Its purple tinged leaves have an irregular edge of rose pink and pinkish cream.
Like all beeches the Tricolor needs moist, well-drained soils and is hardy in zones 4 to 7. Avoid planting it in areas with compacted and waterlogged soils. The leaves will scorch, developing brown leaf edges in hot dry weather.
Mulch newly planted trees to keep the soil moist and reduce the competition from grass. As the tree matures keep the area around your beech tree mulched or planted with perennial groundcovers. Both create a better environment for the tree and reduce your frustration as you try to mow around the surface roots.
Once established, they can grow up to a foot each year. The ultimate size is 30 feet tall by 20 feet wide, so give this tree room to grow.
A bit more information: New plantings may take a year or two to adjust to their new environment. They spend the first few years focusing their energy on root growth. Good for the tree, but frustrating for impatient gardeners. As the tree becomes established it begins putting on top growth at a more rapid pace.