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cashmonee

Leaning October Glory Maple

cashmonee
10 years ago

Just planted an October Glory, and it's a bit of a leaner. It seems to lean more because of its size since I cannot see a definite bend point. Just a general curve of the trunk. It came from a nursery in a 15 gal. I have the lean pointed into the prevailing wind that we get in that area (wind blows left to right in the picture vast majority of the time.) What can/should I do to help get it a bit straighter? I am not interested in it being perfect, but I also would like not to be this curved. Will it outgrow it? Will the wind push it back?

Comments (8)

  • cashmonee
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Here's a shot opposite the previous photo.

  • cashmonee
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    And a shot of the side. Obviously straight here. The wind, what we get anyways would be at my back.

  • Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
    10 years ago

    Big transplant!

    I bet it was grown in nice tight rows at the nursery and now finds itself fighting the breeze. I like the fall planting, it will drop leaves soon and not be catching much breeze.

    Personally I bet things will turn out ok.

    Am I seeing a knot by the base of the tree? On the cell so sometimes I can zoom in better than the PC, sometimes not.

  • cashmonee
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the reply! I would just as leave not stake it or anything if I can avoid it. Here is a crop of the area you were talking about.

    This post was edited by cashmonee on Sun, Sep 29, 13 at 20:49

  • ilovemytrees
    10 years ago

    Wow, that is really bent!

    Just bend it back ------->carefully. People do it all the time, and so do nurseries; I have as well. Just be careful. I had an October Glory that I got from an online nursery, and I had to bend it back to make it straight.

    I wouldn't be able to tolerate for 5 minutes a bent tree like that in my yard without fixing it.

    This post was edited by ilovemytrees on Mon, Sep 30, 13 at 10:54

  • j0nd03
    10 years ago

    It should go back to straight on its own without any help from you. The wind might help some, but the tree will do most of the straightening on its own as it tries to grow straight up for light. I have seen trees about the same caliper as yours right themselves in similar predicaments without any help from myself. Now staking/straightening for your human desire to have a visually attractive specimen like ILMT's states, is another situation and that's fine if that's what you want to do.

    What you want to pay attention to is making sure the rootball doesn't shift and move. By next spring the tree should have enough new roots out in the surrounding soil this shifting should not be a problem.

    Edit: I'd bet my last dollar it will finish straightening itself by the end of the next growing season as well

    This post was edited by j0nd03 on Mon, Sep 30, 13 at 11:32

  • cashmonee
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I really do not want to stake, and am okay if it isn't perfect. It sounds like I suspected, it should straighten up a bit as it grows. Thanks for the replies guys!

  • hairmetal4ever
    10 years ago

    Oh, an actual LEANING tree!

    From the thread title, I figured you meant you were trying to decide on a tree to plant, and "leaning" towards the OG Red Maple as your choice.

    Anyway, yeah, I agree it should straighten up.

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