A small Beech tree in our yard was almost completely girdled last winter. As a result, there was almost no new growth this summer, although the leader grew a good foot all at once. For some reason, it drooped over until it 'wept'. By the time we noticed, the first inch or so had already begun to thicken, so even though we staked it, there is still a crook in the trunk. We thought this was a normal European Beech, but could it be a weeping beech? The other twigs are too small and stiff to tell. In this picture, I unstaked it for the moment. In the past few weeks, the branch has stiffened so it is only crooked. One of the leaves.
Could well just be a normal European Beech. The lead shoot usually does lean to one side at first like this, it'll straighten up next year.
Would that be the same thing for a Heritage Birch tree, the leader keeps leaning over. My son tied a wire to it and has it pulled the opposite direction attached to a fence post a distance away where we can walk under the wire. but since he is a teenager and just learning these things and not listening to his mother, the wire is bare, and I think eventually the tree bark is just going to cover it. Anyway, I hope to get it wrapped with some rubber hosing and then attach a guy wire. I really don't know if the tree is going to ever grow straight up, although some of the lower branches do shoot upwards. Well, this should probably be on a birch forum.
Btw, I think the beech tree you have is very attractive. And will probably grow to be a gorgeous looking tree.
In bonsai, they use wire to control the shape of the trunk and branches. Just get some copper or aluminum wire, and wrap it around the leader in a spiral, then bend it up straight. You'll have to keep an eye on it, and remove the wire when the trunk starts to thicken, or it could permanently scar the bark.
