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I have a spot I would like to plant a Tri Color Beech. It would direct sunlight from 9:00 AM until 4:00PM at this time in July. That is seven hours of full sun.
I was told it would do best in "full sun/part shade". My question is, should I be concerned in the winter when that same spot gets far less sun? Is full sun used as a reference for only summer sun or do you need to have full sun hours in the winter as well?
The amount of sun required is generally indicated for summer when the leaves are photosynthesizing the sunlight they get. Beech is a deciduous hardwood, that means it drops its leaves and goes dormant for winter so the amount of sunlight it gets isn't as important in winter as the underground temperature at the roots is. You want to make sure the roots are insulated enough and protected from freezing if you're in a region that gets dreadfully low freezing temperatures in winter.
I have a spot I would like to plant a Tri Color Beech. It would direct sunlight from 9:00 AM until 4:00PM at this time in July. That is seven hours of full sun.
I was told it would do best in "full sun/part shade". My question is, should I be concerned in the winter when that same spot gets far less sun? Is full sun used as a reference for only summer sun or do you need to have full sun hours in the winter as well?
I hate those tags on plants that say "full sun". In AZ anything planted in full sun in the summer is fried to bits in a couple days. The tags should specify what zone you are in and how much sun a plant needs before croaking.
You want to make sure the roots are insulated enough and protected from freezing if you're in a region that gets dreadfully low freezing temperatures in winter.
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I do plan to mulch the bed. How deep should I apply it?
I hate those tags on plants that say "full sun". In AZ anything planted in full sun in the summer is fried to bits in a couple days. The tags should specify what zone you are in and how much sun a plant needs before croaking.
I agree. Here in North Texas, you translate full sun tolerance label to part sun. The plant growers idea of full sun is not 8+ hours of 90+ degree heat beating down for 5 months. Full sun in Kansas perhaps, not Texas.
I do plan to mulch the bed. How deep should I apply it?
That depends on your location and climate and you haven't said what yours is. Are you in a dry or wet climate? What kind of freezing temperatures do you typically get in winter in your location and for how long, and how deep is your frost line? Is your frost line above or deeper than 2 feet down from the surface?
Also, how tall and wide is the beech tree you want to plant, what is its age and how big is the root ball?
Full sun, Part shade designations are a guide so you should not be concerned with the sun position in the winter, summer or any other time of year. If you plant a tree that needs full sun in a location where it will get a minimum of 6 sun hours, the tree should do well. That doesn't mean it won't grow in Part shade, it probably would but not do as well as it should.
Regarding the frost and frozen ground, as long as you plant according to the Zone map and properly plant the tree and provide mulch as recommended, you should be fine. I believe the initial planting process has much to do with the success of the tree as well as the making sure it's getting the correct amount of water for the first year or so.
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