Covey/lavender twist training it...

10 years ago

The photo is ideal but I can't see this going vertical after the turn/twist of the branch I picture it going downward. Curious if one staked it so high...then left it do what it wanted...then staked it again to keep it from heading to the ground and making it go up once more. What I read is they fall like a waterfall to the ground and need trained so high so you don't struggle to weed around it.

Plan on eventually getting one...but first I want a Ruby Falls. That area needs addresses first in the yard. Full/partial afternoon sun for it.

But for the Covey...
Full sun or partial shade...dumb question...under the shade of a huge oak...but several feet away...good jeep liberty length away if not more...or...plant in full sun at the back of the waterfall. In direct morning sunlight. Thinking under the tree is indirect sun.

Featured Answer

cadillactaste
Original Author

10 years ago

Thanks Ken! I found a site that said you must know what to do with it prior to purchasing...that it flows so low to the ground that it is a problem. They were training theirs over an arch.

But I love the look of this Covey...but I assumed one must train it to a point...so the site I found was Wrong info then.

I just want a wide short tree as this is...when said and done. Many look tall...unless the images are showing Ruby Falls...under the Covey name. I love how this does go up a bit...but want a 5 foot or so tree wider than it is tall.

Ken...your saying it does that by itself? They had a lavender Twist at the nursery...but said there is very little weeping to their specimen. Not sure what one needs to see in a young specimen to achieve a short wide tree when all is said and done.

Comments (9)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
i cant make out.. where you are going with the question ...

but this is one magnificent plant.. and it you are suggesting that you want to 'fix it' ,,, by making it higher.. so you can weed under it...

let me suggest you are out of your mind ...

you leave this thing alone ...

and fix your weed problem with a proper coating of mulch ....

if in fact.. those are weeds in the pic.. i would spray roundup on it from a quart bottle.. and leave them there to die.. do NOT pull weeds up thru mulch.. or you are bringing the soil with more seeds up from below...

if i missed the issue.. please clarify for me...

ken
cadillactaste
Original Author
10 years ago
http://www.louistheplantgeek.com/a-gardening-journal/289-cercis

The link...that made me think...one must have careful planning before taking on a tree of this nature. We have hardscape...with plastic under it. So weeds shouldn't be a huge issues. The wording on their wall...made me thing that the tree would look like ground cover...this is my comment for continual staking periodically. Maybe I over read the sites content...
cadillactaste
Original Author
10 years ago
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/prune-lavender-twist-redbud-tree-54310.html

Here it says.l.to just prune branches that are low laying on the ground...that makes sense. The specimen above most likely just had lower branches removed. Thus the space under it.
ghostlyvision
10 years ago
Geez that's cool, good luck training your own, CT.
cadillactaste
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks ghostlyvision...I sent a photo of it to my nursery's Facebook wall as a personal message. Maybe they can direct me into how to aquire this look. Maybe it needs to start out a specific way...they have been amazing at ordering things in for me...so if they can they will do their best with this task. They have one not weeping well so I was told...curious if it is more like this photo...because I don't see a weeping tree here so much as twisted.
ghostlyvision
10 years ago
That certainly does have an unusual growth pattern (unless it's mainly twisting.staking, I have no clue, but how cool looking. Hope your nursery finds one for you and can help figure out how to get the shape you're after.
cadillactaste
Original Author
10 years ago
May have to go over to the nursery and have a look. They have one that isn't so much weeping as it is twisting...around 5' tall.
cadillactaste
Original Author
10 years ago
The traveler redbud sure fits the bill of what I sort of want...