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| this red maple was planted from seed in 2010 to commemorate the birth of my first son. after getting chomped to the ground by a deer last year I caged it in. last summer it reformed a central leader (I cut off a secondary at the ground) and then put on 2' of growth, and finished the year as a single straight twig about 2' tall. this year when new growth began it did not continue the single central leader but rather branched out from the top of last year's growth. see pic.
question: should I cut off all but one of these branches and train it to be the leader, or just let it go from here out?
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Jun 23, 12 at 10:53
| is it still in the pot???? if so.. i would plan of getting it out of the pot.. in fall after its leaves fall off ... and if that is the case.. i would leave the food making machines.. the leaves.. intact until later ... you might want to choose one ... and get a long stake.. and bind one of them straight up ... while shortening the others.. to force one into vertical dominance.. and discourage the others ... personally.. i would run my hand up and down the trunk.. to remove all those leaves.. and remove any small side branch buds ... and then.. being a maple hater.. i would kill it.. lol .. but you have that whole memorial thing going.. so DONT do that ... do you know about gardening under maples.. ?? .. in the decades to follow.. it will become very hard to do such ... so if you do have to unpot it in fall .. you might choose a better place for it ... [like a park 10 miles away .. lol.. just kidding] ... since it looks like it is in the middle of your perennial garden ... ken ps: any chance you will be willing to lie to your child in a few years.. and just go buy a 'GOOD' tree ??? .. lol ... i am just kidding around with you.. i wish all the luck with it... |
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| yes still in pot, and it will definitely be planted out in the yard this fall. so if I just leave it will it forever have a 2' tall trunk? or will that junction grow up with the tree? I also wonder if pruning back all but one branch will leave a disfiguring kink in the trunk? I personally love red maples and their cultivars. very hardy trees that provide good shade and stunning fall colors. I'm currently growing another new seedling for my 2nd son born last month. both these trees will occupy a place of importance in my yard so I can drive by in 30 years and see them. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Jun 23, 12 at 20:56
| fine with me.. lets think perspective.. when you drive by in 30 years.. and it has a 2 foot diameter trunk.. do you think you will see that little nub you left there... nope.. ignore it.. it will disappear.. if you dont kill it on transplant ken ps: i cracks me up.. when the tree becomes problematic in 30 years.. you plan on living elsewhere.. lol ... |
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- Posted by krycek1984 6a/Cleveland (My Page) on Sun, Jun 24, 12 at 0:38
| Rude responses. First of all, Ken, you may hate maples but others don't so don't push your opinion on others who may love the trees. At least it's a good, long-lived shade tree instead of a Bradford Pear or Crabapple for heaven's sake! Be happy someone is planting a "real" tree. "it will disappear.. if you dont kill it on transplant" Why do you presume the OP will kill it just because it's transplanted? Rude. "ps: i cracks me up.. when the tree becomes problematic in 30 years.. you plan on living elsewhere.. lol ..." Actually, the OP posted the questions in order to *avoid* problems in 30 years, regardless of who owns the property. But, somehow, you managed not to answer the important questions the OP had in your posts. I, like the OP, am still wondering, how do they make sure to keep a central leader? Do they just let it grow as it wants now or how to keep it going straight up? People don't post on Gardenweb to read snarky comments and responses...they post in order to have discussions on problems, ideas, and/or issues. |
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- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Sun, Jun 24, 12 at 13:10
| Sky, no, tree parts are not lifted upwards as the tree grows. New growth is always issuing forth from where the previous year's growth ended. I think you can safely just plant it for now, retaining as much life-giving foliage as possible to get it over transplant shock. Then in a year or two, given that RM grow fast, begin to gradually "raise it up" meaning remove a low branch or two each growing season to raise the point at which branching starts. Then there's the whole "subordination pruning" thing, whereby branches that are competing for main leader status are shortened back to an outward facing branchlet, thereby reducing their vigor and allowing the one you have selected to be the main leader to retain its dominance. This works extremely well. We do it with thousands of young trees every year. It is the preeminent means of structurally pruning young shade trees. BTW, within subordination pruning, you are sometimes heading back branches that are in fact temporary branches. They will be coming of at the trunk eventually. This tech is a way to leave them on the tree longer, thus helping to supply photosynthesis for the tree as a whole. And obviously in this case, where and how the pruning cuts are made is slightly less critical than it would be when performed on what will be a permanent part of the tree's structure. Feel free to holler back if this isn't clear. +oM |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sun, Jun 24, 12 at 15:14
| if krybaby got off their high horse.. defending a third party.. and actually read what i typed.. they may have found the answer they were looking for ... i said: you might want to choose one ... and get a long stake.. and bind one of them straight up ... while shortening the others.. to force one into vertical dominance.. and discourage the others ... ken |
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- Posted by toronado3800 Z6 St. Louis (My Page) on Sun, Jun 24, 12 at 15:30
| Is that rope I see on the tree? My favorite method of staking is a little different. I get one of the wife's old nylons and tie it in maybe a 3"circle with the tree's trunk in the middle. Then i tie that circle of nylon up to three of them posts like you have. The pantyhose seems to cause very little trunk damage and let the tree sway a bit. |
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| yeah it's a thin rope. gardening twine really. I guess I didn't know what to use, and I was wondering if twine would be too tight for this purpose. I'll switch it out. thanks for the tips. |
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- Posted by oceandweller 8B (My Page) on Mon, Jun 25, 12 at 19:13
| I have to agree with krycek, ken you might think your trying to be funny, but get real man. About reading what you typed, its so hard to read what you type it is not even funny. Like my grandmother used to say when I was 5, stop and think before you speak. Skyjumper, I personally think its a really cool thing you have done and a really good idea. I personally like Maples as well, especially in the fall "minus having to rake the leaves/something to think about with placement". Just think about 50 years from now when you can take your grand kids out there an be like this is what stewardship is all about. If your area is drought prone you can sometimes plant a 2-4" pvc pipe at the base of the planting at a 45 degree angle, it helps with water and adding fertilizer, not to mention increases the depth of the roots when watering. Then just pull up after the first year or two. I agree with ken on the central leader, but am no tree guy. |
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