Hello all,

I collected an American Hornbeam on my property 2 seasons ago and I've left it to grow and re establish its root system in a large box I made. I have only trimmed off smaller branches that were crossing over other ones and pruned some of the outer shoots that were getting out of control. I'm trying to get rid of the stump look it currently has as well as establish a leader. Any advice on how to proceed is welcome. Should I be concerned about shaping the dead part of the trunk at this stage or just worry about clipping back the smaller, lower branches so the leader thickens up? Thank you in advance.

I would certainly carve back the chopped area. THen create a clump-style tree out of it. Start by giving each sidebranch an outward lean.

How would I go about doing this? I tried wiring but the branches surrounding the wound are too upright and stiff.

Hornbeam handles strong pruning well (As you have seen I think). So I would probably go all the way back to short stumps in different heights (Reflecting the thickness: Thicker= taller). Maybe all the way until the stumps are in the 5-15cm range. Then when it starts growing, wire the branches before they get to old to set.

Deciduous trees do take a long tie to develop. Cutting back to stumps is part of the process, as it enhances taper in the branches. And it is a dificult process as it requires very long term vision for a tree.

Of course you can also trim to half the height now, see what pops in buds lower down and in summer cut down to new branches if that makes you more comfortable.