Structural pruning

[oceans]

I’ve seen it on different parts of a tree. Of course not this uniform but just to articulate, left side one year top growth second right side third.

This would be super interesting to track with data.

 

[Daniel]

You can subordinate competing trunks back to laterals in order to reduce weight/leverage on the bad unions. I have noticed that this practice over time can stunt the growth of the competition while increasing the growth of the desired central leader. If one of the trunks is facing a house/target, then I will usually choose that one for reduction. As you mentioned, catching them early makes a huge difference.

from 2019:

and revisited a few weeks ago:

 

[Neill]

Nice to get to revisit your work and really see the outcome.

 

[ClimbingTN]

We were given this little red maple that I planted at the back of our property. It is wonky and I think I should do something with it before it gets older. It’s not like it’s near anything but, I think it needs some structure to it. I’m not sure what to do, suggestions?

 

[Neill]

I would let it develop a bit more. It’s tiny without much foliage to produce food and few pruning options.
Most people will advocate to remove or reduce one of the leaders which is also a good plan

 

[ATH]

I would let it develop a bit more. It’s tiny without much foliage to produce food and few pruning options.
Most people will advocate to remove or reduce one of the leaders which is also a good plan

I guess I'm most people. That would be such a tiny cut right now, I will cut off the entire right side at the bottom. If those were an incher to in diameter, I would probably think harder about making a significant reduction cut now in removing the rest later.

 

[oceans]

Choose a side! I would likely cut out the left side, but I can’t see much of the upper right side. Sometimes the apical dominance of a shoot can be contrasted against another when determining which to retain. When I’m managing large shade trees with clustered interior growth, I often retain sprouts that have good vigor but also meander and branch out a bit vs. the super slender, upright ones.

In your case, That decision may not be important right now (aside from enough scaffolds to support trunk strength), especially if you haven’t even establish your lowest branch.

 

[oceans]

Yesterday I got back into a hybrid Elm I’ve been trying hard to keep up with for a couple years now. I have a few results to share that might be helpful or encouraging to anyone fighting back the endless inclusions they form. I’ve seen far too many left alone after installation and suffer from included leaders failing like mad. Excessive crown loss, poor remaining shape and large tear-out wounds never mind an overall lack of safety for passers by.

Here’s a wound just over a year old. It was a trident union with the center and right side of equal diameter and the left side being thinnest. For the sake of open interior angle, I cut out the middle.


This is another area with the same issue but at a larger scale. I’ve already suppressed the leads I intend to remove and will do so further until I get good closure of this old thinning cut and I can take out another. If the suppression improves aspect ratio, I can retain them but I don’t see that happening here.



This little thing was already included up to my thumb!!!


Here’s the before and after…

Before


After:

 

[evo]

Yesterday I got back into a hybrid Elm I’ve been trying hard to keep up with for a couple years now. I have a few results to share that might be helpful or encouraging to anyone fighting back the endless inclusions they form. I’ve seen far too many left alone after installation and suffer from included leaders failing like mad. Excessive crown loss, poor remaining shape and large tear-out wounds never mind an overall lack of safety for passers by.

Here’s a wound just over a year old. It was a trident union with the center and right side of equal diameter and the left side being thinnest. For the sake of open interior angle, I cut out the middle.
View attachment 100029

This is another area with the same issue but at a larger scale. I’ve already suppressed the leads I intend to remove and will do so further until I get good closure of this old thinning cut and I can take out another. If the suppression improves aspect ratio, I can retain them but I don’t see that happening here.
View attachment 100030


This little thing was already included up to my thumb!!!
View attachment 100031

Here’s the before and after…

Before
View attachment 100034

After:
View attachment 100035

Nice work. For conversation sake do you have concerns about that trident union (now open) becoming included years from now as they develop?
I don’t work on many elms, but I ponder the longevity of my choices in maples.

 

[oceans]

Nice work. For conversation sake do you have concerns about that trident union (now open) becoming included years from now as they develop?
I don’t work on many elms, but I ponder the longevity of my choices in maples.

Yes, there’s a concern for co-dominance but much less for inclusion. I can always try further suppression of one side. I often do this with dogwoods.

Part of the problem with getting into these species later in their life is the insane number of choices to make and managing the more mature development of poor structure.

Get ‘em while they’re young!

 

[colb]

Yes, there’s a concern for co-dominance but much less for inclusion. I can always try further suppression of one.

Part of the problem with getting into these species later in their life is the insane number of choices to make and managing the more mature development of poor structure.

Get ‘em while they’re young!

Great work. Just have to take the next step each time.