My Beech Trees

In December I had 50 beech trees planted in an attempt to make a hedge.
They are all between 5 and 7 foot high and when they were planted they had brown leaves on them. The problem I am having is that in the main, they still have the same old brown leaves and have not grown any new green leaves.

A couple of them have some green leaves and quite a few others have leaves near the very base of the tree trunk, but the upper part of the tree is still bare.

I have been told that they were planted at the wrong time of year. Does anyone have a view on this, or can offer any advice on what to do next with them?

 

Young beech trees retain their leaves during the winter, but then put out fresh green ones in the spring. Any of yours which have no green leaves now are dead. Green leaves at the base mean that the upper parts have died back, but they should regenerate from the base and give you a good thick hedge. Wait till the autumn and then cut off the top dead growth even if that means going right back to the bases.

 

It was the right time of the year (assuming they were bare-root trees?? for container grown ones, any time is ok!) but maybe the conditions were too severe - too wet or too frozen? Bare root plants should be planted while dormant, but if the ground is frozen, it's not a good idea.

 

Thank you both for the advise.

Hornbeam - some of the trees have a small amount of green leaves at the top, but the rest of the tree remains bare, any idea what's happening here?

Also, some of the ones with no green at all did show signs of a feathering of the buds, but no leaves materialised. Any thoughts ?

Thanks

 

I would wait and see what happens. Scratch the bark with a knife and see if it's green beneath. If it is, then it is alive and the sap is still flowing :D . If its brown and dry then it's dead and can be cut back to a lower level where it is still alive. I reckon they will recover, but if you get no buds next spring then they will have to go.