I'm trying to increase my stock potential material, and not really sure there the best place is to bring on trees. Do I stick them in the ground and risk losing lower branches as all the energy is directed towards the top of the tree? Or leave them in pots? And when to chop? I have a few hornbeams, acers and beech trees in this position.
I'm trying to increase my stock potential material, and not really sure there the best place is to bring on trees. Do I stick them in the ground and risk losing lower branches as all the energy is directed towards the top of the tree?
This depends on several things: the type of tree (deciduous, evergreen, apically dominant, basally dominant), but also on what you do with it.
You can let a tree grow until it gets thick enough, then cut it, grow a new leader, and let the base and new leader get thicker. Then you cut again and repeat the process.
You can let a tree grow until it gets thick enough, then cut it, grow a new leader, and let the base and new leader get thicker. Then you cut again and repeat the process.
this is how i have been doing it and its working fine. i have several bald cypress's in pots being trained/conditioned for a forest piece.
and several other types.