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| I'm getting a little concerned, although I don't know if there is a reason to feel that way. It's funny, I was at first concerned I'd have any growth since being new to all this, and now I'm concerned at so much growth. lol
I planted 15 European Hornbeams in March, and almost all of them have grown 2 feet already since being planted in March. Some have even grown closer to 3 feet. I'm shocked by that much growth because I read online they grow at "moderate" speed. 2 feet by middle July is not what I consider "moderate", I'd say that is extremely fast. My 4 Golden Raintrees are growing extremely fast too. Even the ones I planted just a couple of weeks ago started new growth from the day after I planted them. When will this new growth stop, or when should I expect it to stop, so that it all has time to harden off? None of the trees show any signs of slowing down. Is this point near the end of July too soon to expect a slowdown? Or does slow down not occur til sometime in Sept? The reason I ask is because I read online awhile back that no one should fertilize after late June because the new growth may not harden off in time. Thanks in advance to those who can answer. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| In a nut shell...Spread out your waterings and the growth will slow. Especially when you hit mid-August. Other random tidbits. If the temps allow for it and ample water is available some species will just continue to put new growth on. Carpinus tends to grow fast when young and slows down by age. |
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| Any application of fertilizer after mid-summer can facilitate late season growth that is unable to harden off in time. No fertilizer after July 1st is usually the zone 5 guideline. |
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Sun, Jul 22, 12 at 18:16
| You may want to research that no fertilizing after "x" date issue :-) Fall application of a relatively low nitrogen fertilizer is consider the preferred time to fertilize woody landscape plants. When applied at the proper rate, there is no more inclination to produce lush and therefore damageable stem and leaf growth than at any other time of year and the plant roots are most able to efficiently metabolize at that time. Scroll down to the last paragraph. (and this is only one of many sources that recommend the same practice) |
Here is a link that might be useful: best time to fertilize
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| I am aware those guidelines however I was speaking only in the context of sustaining continued new growth over the summer. I could have mentioned that one could resume fertilizing in September with little risk of a tree or shrub resuming growth but neglected to do so. One also has to recognize that many people who access this forum are not particularly interested horticultural science, preferring instead layman's terms that can be safely applied in virtually every situation. So, zone 5 - Don't fertilize woody trees and shrubs between July 1st and September 15th. |
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| I've seen plants still growing in August and manage to successfully harden off. Don't worry until at least August 15th. Even then, "most" of the new growth will harden off anyway. Only the branch tips which are actively growing may fail to harden, in which case you will be left with a tree with long shoots that are dead for an inch or three at the end. |
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| Many times, young trees that are well fed and watered will just grow, grow, grow, and often harden off in late Aug/Early Sept, sometimes, the tip does dieback a couple inches over winter...that said it doesn't really hold them back the following spring. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Mon, Jul 23, 12 at 10:10
| i have killed many a plant .. in z5 MI.. fertilizing to late in the season .. and you do NOT know what too late is.. until afterwards ... if .. mother nature decides.. in this bizarre season.. to hard frost/freeze 9/1 and FORCE the plants into dormancy .. then fert in sept is NOT recommended ... dont you think??? if she decides its going to be a normal fall.. and the first hard freeze is mid to late october.. 30 to 60 days prior on fert.. its USUALLY OK ... presuming moderation on application ... sooo.. to avoid las vegas .. and betting against mother nature .. the simplest answer .. is.. DO NOT FERT TREES... but if you insist on a bit of this or that.. then be done with it 7/1 .. which is NORMALLY 90 days prior to leaf fall.. in z5 ... all that said.. if you fert your lawn ... do NOT fert your trees a second time ... and you better be sure.. whatever is used on the lawn.. is pretty light weight ... all that said.. shorter days.. cooler to cold nights ... will slow down the growth ... but that is not the description of july/august.. so i am glad you are contemplating such.. but you are way ahead of the curve.. if you are worrying about it now ... ken ps: back when i grew roses.. one fall.. i figured i would get a jump on root growth.. etc .. and applied some fert ... and come spring.. 50 of the 100 were dead ... this was pre-WWW .. so there wasnt an easy way to find out these things .. and who knew.. authors who wrote books didnt all live in z5 MI .. and didnt really discuss how their z8 rose growing.. meant little or nothing to my z5 rose growing.. go figure on on that ... |
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- Posted by ilovemytrees (My Page) on Mon, Jul 23, 12 at 11:41
| Hi everyone and thanks for your responses. Appreciate it as always. I am not currently fertilizing them. I only fertilized all of them one time, and the only reason I did that was because of this odd spring we had where it was SO warm in March and then in April we had frosts and hard freezes several times a week. I was concerned that the stress from that and from being newly planted that they could use a TINY bit of fertilizing so I used Miracle Grow Liquid Quick Start solution with a Fertilizer Analysis 4-12-4. Just a wee bit of Nitrogen. I have not fertilized them since, so it's been 4 months. I have already cut back my watering dramatically from every day for 30 minutes each tree to at the most twice a week 20 minutes a tree. I don't see any symptoms of stress from doing that. I do not water or fertilize my lawn or put any chemicals on it to de-weed. I may be in the minority (or in fact the only one) but I don't mind dandelions, and the purple-y weed looking flowers growing everywhere in the yard (have no idea what they are). I like the color. I had no idea these Carpinus trees would love it here so much. No one around here has this tree. I was tickled a couple weeks ago when as a fluke I put on HGTV and it was called Yard Busters or whatever it's called. They only do the outside of the yard. Anyway they brought out a HUGE Carpinus tree for their front yard and I yelled that's our tree! lol My husband and 3 kids looked at me and laughed. I just thought it was a wild coincidence of never seeing the show before and then seeing them plant our exact tree, albeit a much taller one. The guy went on about all the good things about the European Hornbeam. As corny as it sounds, I loved it. So anyway thanks again, everyone for responding. I can't help but laugh at myself for now actually hoping for a massive slowdown in their growth. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Miracle Grow product I used
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- Posted by Dzitmoidonc 6 (My Page) on Mon, Jul 23, 12 at 18:33
| Sometimes trees from warmer areas like where this Carpinus comes from grow well into the fall. They are not as bad as trees from China and Japan, where some of them don't even make terminal buds. Development of the terminal buds means the tree is ready for dormancy even if the leaves stay green. The C. betulus growing here has gotten to be a massive tree in about 10 years. Maybe 20ft. tall, and 10-12 ft. wide. Thick green growth with contorted branches which you only see in late winter. Leaves stay on almost until spring in the protected sides. It takes pruning well, I've had to prune to keep a walk area and to keep it from infringing on my filberts. Nice trees, you will be very happy with your choice. |
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- Posted by ilovemytrees 6a Western NY (My Page) on Mon, Jul 23, 12 at 19:32
| How big was your C. betulus when you planted it? Thank you for responding! |
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- Posted by Dzitmoidonc 6 (My Page) on Mon, Jul 23, 12 at 21:43
| About a foot tall. I had to put a bamboo stake near it so I wouldn't mow it over. Few of my trees are bigger than that when planted. I planted a 3-leaved American Beech I dug from my sister's woods. My brother mowed it over. It is now over my head (7-8ft). That was 18 years ago, but they truly grow slow. On the other hand, I planted an 8 inch Magnolia grandiflora stick, not brown back leaf, that is about 22 ft. tall. That was also about 20 yrs. ago. For height measurement, I use a straight bamboo stick. You cut it the length of the distance from the web between the thumb and forefinger to your eye, when your arm is extended 90 degrees from your body. To measure the tree, hold the stick with your arm completely extended, perpendicular to the ground and parallel to your body. Walk towards the tree in question (keep your arm 90 degrees from your body). When the stick is exactly as tall as the tree in your eye, the tree is as tall as you are from the trunk. Hint: hold the stick nearer the bottom so that you won't be lifting your arm as you walk towards the tree. |
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- Posted by formandfoliage 9b (Sunset zone 15) (My Page) on Tue, Jul 24, 12 at 8:48
| Trees - I have several Carpinus carolinianas (American hornbeams) and they are great trees, too. Another common name for them is musclewood, due to the rippling bark. Mine have grown fast over the 12 years they have been in, and as noted, all of the Carpinus are marcescent - they hold their dead leaves very late into fall (all winter long here - where you are they may drop before spring). I also find seedlings from time to time which I have potted up and then planted elsewhere when they were large enough, so keep an eye out. Carpinus are great trees - good choice and enjoy them! |
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- Posted by ilovemytrees 6a Western NY (My Page) on Fri, Aug 24, 12 at 15:57
| Here it is, one month later, and the new growth is still coming. No sign of anything slowing down....No fertilizing since that one time in March with that tiny bit of fertilizer.. As long as we don't get some freak ice storm like we did in October of '08, or something similar to that. Mother Nature better cooperate. lol What's weird is around here maples are already changing color. I think they're about 2 months ahead of schedule.. |
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- Posted by Dzitmoidonc 6 (My Page) on Sat, Aug 25, 12 at 10:16
| I've noticed a bunch of my trees making late growth this year. Everything from Cedrus libani to Carpinus and even the Campsis radicans. I'm thinking we had a mild winter (or no winter at all if you wish), then a March with 90F for 3 days, then a normal April (goodbye peaches for me). Most of June and July was hot and dry dry dry. Then since late July we have been quite wet. I think this set up a scenario where some plants will take advantage of the late moisture and heat to make late growth. Assuming we have a normal fall, the growth will harden and be ok next year. Then again, if we have an early winter and a cold one, I am prepared to see all the new growth killed. |
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- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Sat, Aug 25, 12 at 16:55
| ^ Yes. It seems we are going to have more such anomalies in describing various plant growth issues across a wide swath of the US. There's normal patterns, there's slight aberrations, and then there's this year, which is one for the record books in so many places. Kind of throwing things off a bit. +oM |
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- Posted by franktank232 z5 WI (My Page) on Sat, Aug 25, 12 at 22:29
| I've always noticed that my apricots will continue to grow into the fall. The maple in my neighbors yard is already dropping leaves into my yard. |
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- Posted by ilovemytrees 6a Western NY (My Page) on Sun, Sep 9, 12 at 11:40
| I think the growth has finally stopped for the season. It's been 1 week that there's been no new growth on any of the trees. And then this week we've had 3 days of decent rain, including yesterday and today, where it's a cool 60 degrees out. I love it! It's so nice to not have to drag the hose out, and with it being cool the soil will stay moist longer. Hopefully all this blessed rain won't start up new growth all over again... |
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- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Sun, Sep 9, 12 at 13:06
| Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but species vary greatly in their ability to make use of more or less of the growing season. Something like larches, for example, grow whenever conditions are suitable. This, more than anything else, accounts for their rapid growth rates. And they have the additional advantage of being deciduous. If they do grow very late in the season, such that tender newish foliage gets hit by a hard freeze, it's no big deal to them as that foliage was going to be shed soon anyway. +oM |
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