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What to do about this ginko?
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Posted by katy_bug z7 GA (My Page) on Thu, Oct 29, 09 at 16:55
| I have no idea how old this tree is but it is HUGE. There was a bradford pear planted way to close to it that shaded out one side. We cut the pear down a year ago and were told the ginko might fill back out. It hasn't . . .
We are going to plant a glowing ember japanese maple about 20 feet away from the bare side, but can I do anything to encourage the ginko to fill in? Should I prune out the leaf-less limbs?
BTW - the past year was a horrible drought and the ginko is usually much fuller than this.
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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- Posted by jean001 z8aPortland, OR (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 29, 09 at 19:49
| Well, if the leafless limbs are dead, yes, remove them. If not, wait. |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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| If it is going to fill that side back in, it's going to take ALLOT longer than one year. But it will almost certainly never be perfectly balanced, at least not in our lifetimes. Just the same I would keep it, and enjoy it for what it is. Takes many years to get them that big, and even if you planted a LARGE one, it would be many years before it behaves normally again. JMHO
Arktrees |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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| The main problem here is that Ginkgos are very slow-growing so your tree isn't going to fill out anytime soon. However in time, I bet it will do a decent job filling back out especially with one side of it so open to the sun. At the very least, it won't look quite as lopsided as it does now. |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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| is it imperative to keep it???? i doubt ... you will ever be happy with it... looking at it everyday for the next 10 years.. wondering if next year.. it will yet be normal .... if it were me.. i would be done with it ... otherwise.. it just depends on your tolerance ... ken |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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| What a perfect demonstration of how the invasive bradford pears choke out native trees in the wild. Am I seeing double or is there a co-dominant leader in there too? I'd cut the dead branches and remove the other stem and give it another year and see if anything happens. In the mean time, I think you're probably one ice storm away from a broken-in-half ginkgo with it being that lopsided but if it's not detracting that much from the landscape and your not getting letters from an HOA telling you to get rid of it then I'd give it more time. |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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| I would definitely keep it. Ginkgos are great trees and although they are slow growing at first, but they do speed up. That tree has put in a lot of years to get to that size, and I bet you'd be surprised how quickly it will start to fill out on that side. Definitely prune off any dead limbs. My ginkgo will put on 1-2" of growth on the ends of most limbs every year if there is sufficient rain. Give it some time to shoot out some sprouts on that side, and I bet you'll be surprised how fast they will grow. A tree that size has a well developed root system to feed them. There is nothing wrong with an odd shaped tree, it gives it character. Especially a strong wooded tree like a ginkgo. |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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| Its hard to say what to do with it. I like the comment about tolerance. Personally, I would cut it down. I wouldn't be shocked if after all those years, its been trained to force all its growth to the one side. If you where to give it a chance, prune any deadwood in late winter. Monitor its progress over the growing season adn make a call from there. I |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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| I would keep it. I like the situation with this particular tree. Generally, but not neccessarily slow growth, strong wood strength, and a great tree overall. It will be an easy tree to remove for several years. It will also be an interesting tree to watch. |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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| I would plant another ginko tree in the same spot the pear tree was removed from. It will blend in with the old tree and pretty soon you won't even notice they are separate trees. |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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| I would definitely plant another tree to fill in the empty side, something fast growing like a loblolly pine would work and may even still let a little bit of light through. |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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| Not sure how much chance the tree will bud out new branches out of the trunk in the worst area, maybe somebody knows for sure. But if you are patient the tree will look better in 10 years, and probably will be a beautiful big tree in 20. Depends on how much it bothers you now. A Japanese maple sounds like a good idea. |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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i think generator's suggestion is brilliant: plant another ginkgo with it. what a handsome pairing they will make.
best,
mindy |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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| Thanks everyone for the comments. I am definitely keeping the tree. I does have 2 leaders but it is very far from either the house or the power lines and we don't get much ice or snow here anyways. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't any pruning I could or should do to help the situation. Planting a ginko next to it is a good idea, but we already planted the Japanese maple this weekend. I think it will add interest to that side even if the ginko never fills out. Thanks again! |
RE: What to do about this ginko?
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| Well, you could always cut back the branches on the other side, so that it's not so lopsided. Otherwise... |
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