Beech (lat. Fagus) Is a genus of deciduous plants from the Beech family. Most of the representatives are distinguished by a majestic appearance, massive high trunks, decorative crowns. It is believed that these trees concentrate beneficial energy in themselves, maintain the emotional and physiological balance of a person. Beeches have healing properties. In their greenery, bark, wood contains biologically active substances that normalize the body.
Botanical Description
Most beech species are distinguished by columnar, high, powerful trunks up to 2 m thick. During life, many trees grow up to 35–40 m. The root system is widely branched, with several anchor roots penetrating to great depths. There are no central rods. In old trees, basal paws are developed, giving a curly appearance, there are grooves and hollows in the lower parts of the trunks. Beech bark is light gray, quite smooth.
In the first 100 years of life, the trees stretch upward, then begin to expand in breadth.. Slender straight trunks crown the tent-shaped spreading crowns. In places of dense thickets, the lower shoots are drowned out by the more developed upper ones, are deprived of sunlight, and gradually die off. Therefore, the green part of the trees in the forests is located at a high altitude from the ground. Single plants are more picturesque.
The buds are elongated, appear on shoots in late January, February. The leaves are dark green, alternate, arranged in two rows, rather large. They have an elliptical shape, pointed tops, wavy or fine-toothed edges. The front part is smooth with pronounced feathery veins, the back is slightly pubescent. In autumn, the greens take on a beautiful golden or bronze hue.
Monoecious trees. Male and female small axillary flowers are collected in small ear-shaped inflorescences, blooming in spring along with the leaves. Fruits - brown trihedral nuts about 1.5 cm in size. In each of them there are 2 seeds.
Kinds
There are about ten varieties in total. The most common ones are:
- European beech (lat. Fagus sylvatica) Large tree up to 40 m high. Has a dense wide crown, ovoid dark green leaves. Distributed in Western and Central Europe.
- Large-leaved beech (lat. Fagus grandifolia) Leaves are elongated, with wavy edges. The crown is large, cylindrical. The natural habitat is North America.
- Eastern beech, or Caucasian (lat. Fagus orientalis) Powerful trees about 35–40 m high with tent-shaped crowns. The leaves are elongated, oval in shape, with sparse teeth along the edges. Grow on the Black Sea coast.
- Japanese beech (lat. Fagus japonica) Less tall appearance. Distributed in the Far East, reaches a height of 20 m. The trunks are multiple-branched, leaves are elliptical in shape, pointed, dark green.
Place of growth
Most species live in the temperate climatic zone of North America, Eurasia. Distributed everywhere in areas up to 2500 m above sea level. Prefer fertile soils. In mixed and deciduous forests, beeches dominate. Thick dark crowns of trees obscure low species, shrubs. Usually, only a perennial grass substrate can be found near the trunks.
Trees are insensitive to lack of lighting; they like humid warm air. They can not stand cold winds, long winter frosts, polluted atmosphere.
Landing
Beech trees prefer loose neutral, slightly acidified or alkaline soils. Highly saline soils do not suit them. For landing, you should choose areas protected from the wind. It is recommended to add lime additives to the ground.
It is better to plant trees in mid-climate climates in early April, before active vegetation. Autumn plantings may not have time to take root before severe colds.
Wells are prepared with a depth and width of about 80 cm. When creating group plantings between plants, a distance of about 1.5 m is left. A drainage layer of small stones is laid on the bottom. After placing the seedlings, the soil is slightly tamped, watered abundantly. It is advisable to cover the near-stem areas with a layer of moss, grass or mulch with peat.
Care
The first top dressing is carried out during planting. Equal parts of nitrogenous and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are added to the soil. In the future, it is necessary to provide seedlings with organic matter, minerals. Every 3 weeks you can water the plants with a liquid solution of mullein.
Beeches are very sensitive to lack of moisture.. It is recommended to water them in the first 2-3 years throughout the warm season: every 15 days at the rate of 15 liters of water per 1 tree. In hot summers it is useful to spray the crowns from a shallow watering can.
In winter, the roots of young beech trees are covered with a thick layer of sawdust and spruce branches. In frosts, crowns are wrapped in burlap.
In the first few years, beeches grow very slowly. In the fourth year, they usually begin to quickly stretch in height, up to half a meter per year. From this period, you can begin to form a haircut. Freezing branches are sheared annually in early spring.
Breeding
The beech is bred mainly in the vegetative way, using cuttings, abduction of daughter shoots.
Planting material taken from adult trees. Annual branch branches are cut. Cuttings should be about 12-15 cm long, have several developed kidneys. Slices are treated with a growth stimulant, planted in boxes with a mixture of sand and garden soil. The soil is watered daily. Cuttings are kept under a membranous or glass cover for two weeks. Periodically, mineral fertilizing is applied to the soil. In open ground, the material is transferred after a year.
From the root system of adult beech trees, daughter shoots often depart, which can be separated and transferred to a new place.
When propagating by layering, the young lower branches are tilted, a small annular incision is made on the cortex, pinned to the ground, and sprinkled with soil. Before rooting, layering is looked after, regularly watering, feeding with nitrogenous fertilizers. After a year, the shoot should start up its own roots.
Beech seeds are propagated by professional breeders. Before sowing, the nuts are soaked in a warm solution of potassium permanganate, then deepened into a nutrient substrate. Contain seedlings at a temperature of 20 ° C, stable lighting. Sprouts are planted in open ground at the age of two years.
Pests and diseases
Representatives of beech trees are often affected by aphids, earthworms, a bear, a red-tailed caterpillar, speckled moth, and forked tail. When they appear, the shoots become eaten, the leaves curl, darken, become stained.
Beeches are also affected by root rot, powdery mildew, ascomycete, chaga and hundreds of other fungal diseases. The fact that the lesion occurred is indicated by a strange appearance of dark growths or deep cracks in the cortex, leaves covered with a whitish coating.
For treatment and prophylaxis, plants need to be treated with fungicides several times during the season: Coronet, Antracol, Aliette. Insecticides are used to control insects: Aktaru, Provado, Calypso.
Using
Beeches are used in landscaping parks, squares, gardens, suburban areas, city streets. They are planted on the slopes along the banks of the rivers. The dense green of trees actively produces oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide, creates a healthy microclimate in the places of growth. Due to the low frost resistance (beech trees freeze at temperatures below -20 ° C), difficulties arise when cultivating them in the northern regions and sharply continental climate.
Wood use
The beech wood is equally dense, viscous, durable, has a color from almost white, beige and light pink to red, with a beautiful contrasting pattern. Before use, it is steamed, achieving an even shade. The density after drying is about 750 kg / m3. By its hardness, the beech resembles an oak, bends well and can be processed. At the same time, the material is very capricious, easily warps, swells with high humidity, and is susceptible to damage by fungus.
It is used for the production of composite building and finishing materials, including fiberboard, parquet, veneer, plywood. Furniture details, containers, decorative kitchen utensils, picture frames and panels are cut out of beech. Wood waste is used as fuel and for the production of pulp.
Use in medicine
All parts of the tree contain volatile essential oils, organic acids, tannins. Alkaloids, fatty oil were found in the composition of the seeds. From dried leaves, crushed bark, drugs are made to lower sugar, blood cholesterol, treat diseases of the respiratory tract, liver, gall bladder, inflammatory pathologies of the joints, increase the tone of the body, improve blood circulation, eliminate disorders of the nervous system, heal wounds.
Beech nut oil is used in cosmetology, adding to lotions, face masks, creams, hair care products.