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Here are photos of an Acer pseudoplatanus 'Prinz Hanjery Dawes' that my nurseryman buddy gave me because the leader got knocked off and it was unsaleable. It has been in the ground for about a year - last year it leafed out beautifully but did not show any evidence of another branch assuming dominance. That didn't worry me, I didn't expect it to happen overnight and I am prepared to be patient. However, I thought that I would ask if anyone feels that I should do any pruning to coax it along. Other than its shape, it is a gorgeous tree.
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Follow-Up Postings:
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| Might wait a bit to see what it does on its own. Growth will not be fast. Spelling is 'Prinz Handjery'. "Dawes" tacked on the end might indicate this clone came from Dawes Arboretum, I don't know. By the way, the other one is 'Esk Sunset', not 'Eskimo Sunset'. It came from New Zealand and has nothing to do with the Inuit. |
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- Posted by formandfoliage 9b (Sunset zone 15) (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 13:14
| Thx - that is my inclination and I'm in no hurry. I just figured that I should get the opinion of someone who had more familiarity with both the tree and the situation. I'll see what it can do without my meddling. Thx for correction on names as well - I assumed Dawes Arboretum had something to do with that name, as I see the tree listed without the 'Dawes' tacked on, but it is just an assumption. I will correct spellings! Is there a good, reliable source for correct names? (Besides you...I doubt you'd want me to send you my plant list!) The 'Handjery' was my sloppiness, but I have never seen 'Esk' instead of 'Eskimo' and I wouldn't have known where to look. Once I had the 'Esk', I was able to Google that and find Esk Valley as the origin of the name, etc but if you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known to do it. As you have pointed out, you can't trust the growers or nurseries to get the names right. |
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| I'd be inclined to cut that back just a bit more so you achieve a 45 degree angle. Then just see what happens. Odds are, second pic, the two little twigs to the left, one of those will become the leader. In a couple years you sould be able to tie a bamboo stick to the main leader and tie it in. I'd think about making heading cuts to the upper third of the canopy...perhaps the entire canopy in a pyramidal fashion? |
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- Posted by formandfoliage 9b (Sunset zone 15) (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 14:02
| whaas do you mean right at the spot where the leader broke off? And the heading cuts - about a 1/4 to 1/3 of branch? I think I want to wait a bit as bboy suggests, to see where the leader forms. My guess is that since it is so newly planted (just a year in the ground) it will be slow for a while and as bboy suggests not fast in any case. Thanks - I appreciate the help. |
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 14:51
| As with most other maple species, not a type of tree to form a distinct leader, nor is one needed. Pruning to develop one is often counterproductive. What you want the tree to develop is strong scaffold or lateral branching and some training to ensure this is achieved is suggested. |
Here is a link that might be useful: structural training of decurrent shade trees
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 18:54
| post a new pic in 3 years.. and we can go from there ... me thinks you doth wish to act too quickly ... there are two leaders there ... you are just looking at the wrong whorl ... look 6 to 8 inches down from the old cut.. and ipso presto.. two new leader quickly jump out at you ... i think you take the trunk further down.. and stop fixating on the twigs at the very top ... or.. wait 3 years.. and decide then ... if you are thinking it is going to grow like a maple.. it wont ... if you are thinking it will grow like a sycamore.. it wont ... my esk sunset grows barely 8 inches per year.. maybe it will be different in CA .. in z9 .. longer season .. but i doubt it will be a aggressive as either of its named counterparts ... acer or planatus ... time is on our side ... ken |
Here is a link that might be useful: link
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- Posted by formandfoliage 9b (Sunset zone 15) (My Page) on Fri, Mar 30, 12 at 20:06
| Yeah, this is all confirming what my gut was, which was to wait and see how and what it does - I have no wish at all to act quickly. One problem here is that I don't know anyone that has any A. pseudoplatanus in the ground. My largest one is 'Nizetti' and even that isn't enormous - one of the attractions to me is that they are well-behaved and don't grow fast. I just wanted to see what others who may have dealt with broken leaders on this type of tree, or this type of tree in general might say, and make sure that I wasn't missing an opportunity to do something that I ought to do. It's doing fine where it is, biding its time, and typically, I think, a tree's degree of dominance required will assert itself when it establishes a new leader and the tree will take on its proper shape. Thx all. |
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| Might I add that the oak in the background is stunning! It has a lot of character, with it's gnarly branches |
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| Good thing you put in that horse run to keep those poodles contained. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Mar 31, 12 at 13:18
| btw .. should you wish to 'try' to get a leader from the cut piece.. why not head back the two leaders i mentioned.. 'hoping' that apical dominance may be recovered by one of your twigs??? ken |
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| Heading cuts reduce subsequent growth by reducing total volume of stem tissue. Since we're trying to get this one to get up a big enough head of stem to push a replacement leader, cutting it back would be counterproductive. New stem growth is fueled by energy made by leaves and stored in stems and roots. Cutting trees back makes them grow less, not more. Lopped branches appear to grow faster afterward as the tree produces seldom-branching whips in an attempt to replace the lost stem tissue, but the total volume of growth present is less than before. |
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- Posted by formandfoliage 9b (Sunset zone 15) (My Page) on Sat, Mar 31, 12 at 16:31
| bboy we only put the dogs (actually a labradoodle and a Portuguese water dog) in the corral to saddle them - then we go trail-riding! And regarding cutting back, am in agreement - had several pruning classes on this last few months...and those 'whips' or water sprouts are generally ugly, out of line with the rest of the branching structure and weak, as the cells are elongated. Also generally not attached very strongly, often absent a collar. Sometimes people use them as the new leader but I am not impatient, experienced or adept enough to contemplate that. I'm settled on letting nature take its course, although I will report back with photos once the tree grows a bit, and everyone can have another crack at it. This is one of the things that makes gardening so interesting - we have to wait and see... |
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