Thought I would share with you a process that I started in 2014,=. From a stump laying about in a tree nursery, to something that is getting near a tree..

nice tree! good job on the nebari.

Good!

Can you give a short description what you had in mind with the tree, what options did you choose and why?

Hi there LB,

Great progression for this tree. That said, I do have one question though... What is the purpose of those 3 long growing upwards branches at the left side of the tree? I´m sure that is not a random feature right now... Please, elaborate on that

Thanks in advance,

Alain

Madartej21 wrote:

Can you give a short description what you had in mind with the tree, what options did you choose and why?

As you can tell from the first picture.. What I started off with was a bare stump. I just planted it, and hopes for buds, which I let grow freely to establish roots. After the first year, I trimmed back the your growth, and cut the stumps back to the lowest new growth on the trunk. I was at the time hoping it would close the cuts. Which it does not (I have less than half a cm of bark over the cuts now)

This plant is wired while the branches are a few weeks old. That is the point where they are flexible and allow smooth bends. So now I am focussing on the primary and secondary branches, as well as the roots.

alainleon1983 wrote:

Hi there LB,

Great progression for this tree. That said, I do have one question though... What is the purpose of those 3 long growing upwards branches at the left side of the tree? I´m sure that is not a random feature right now... Please, elaborate on that

I use those to fatten up the bases of the branches. As wound close badly, I wo not want to go the cutting back rout. Rather I use sacrifice branches for 1-2 years each and remove them. Hopeing these cuts will heal better. But I do not know the species well..

leatherback wrote:

I use those to fatten up the bases of the branches. As wound close badly, I wo not want to go the cutting back rout. Rather I use sacrifice branches for 1-2 years each and remove them. Hopeing these cuts will heal better. But I do not know the species well..

Great! Thank you for the explanation LB... I knew they couldn´t be a fortuitous feature. I´ve learned something new today.

Alain

When is a good time to choose leader and remove other unwanted branches?

Madartej21 wrote:

When is a good time to choose leader and remove other unwanted branches?

The moment you have clippers in your hand.
Honestly, I do not know. I work my trees yearround, in order to get finished. So in some cases I make mistakes (I only have one flower in my Syringa microphylla this year). But most of the time I trim when it fits me. So it could be now (I trimmed this one last week) but alse in the middle of winter. (I have die-back on a large carpinus due to winterwork).

In general I would guess, trimming of deciduous species is better with rising sap, so late winter/early spring up to July so you get quick recovery & backbudding & growth. Then I avoid it untill after mid-winter. (Except for my carpinus..)

Still developing this one.. With each passing year it gets denser, branches get more taper and the wounds close another mm. One day this will become convincing. I hope.

Getting towards time for a pot..