Two questions on young trees

[Touchdown]

Novice here...

First, my son and I are watching a young tree grow from some apple seeds we had planted a few years back. Although it's growing well, I observed as the leaves shed recently that it could use some pruning, and that there appear to be three separate trunks forming. Is this normal/good, or should I cut two of them and pick the most dominant one?

(See photo, attached.)

Second, we planted some ~7ft tall Japanese maples last year, and they're doing well. yesterday morning, however, I noticed that some hoofed animal had gnawed on a ~1-foot section of the trunk, all around. It appears only the outer bark was disturbed, but it's a good chunk of the tree, all the way around). Other than protecting it with netting from further damage, is there anything else I can/should do? Wrap it with some kind of fabric for Winter protection?

(No photo for this one.)

Thanks!

 

[skygear]

Use a Stihl MS661 with an 8'bar for that monster!!!! kidding

Could prune if you wanted to. I would leave it personally. Maybe wrap them tighter together with some natural twine.

Short of seeing the actual damage to the acer palmatum, hard to assess and recommend (or not) treatment. Most likely no treatment is necessary and they will recover nicely. If you are concerned about animals doing more damage, there are many solutions such as repellants or the PVC trunk wraps out there.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Most fruit trees are grafted The rootstock source are generally not desirable trees. The same goes for growing some trees from seed.

Multi stem trees are usually not desirable. If you really want to keep the tree dig down to find where the stems split and cut off two. You’ll probably need to do this for a few years

 

[Jem4417]

Depends on your goals fruit, trees are a little funny don’t want to over prune but they can be a pain when left unpruned. I agree with skygear. Let it mature for another two or three years before taking any serious action

 

[JeffGu]

If your intention was to get edible fruit, then cut it down and buy a tree from a reputable nursery of a variety you like. Most apple trees can be pollinated by any kind of apple... even crabapple... provided they both flower around the same time. They'll set fruit as long as there's a compatible pollinator nearby, and the pollinator insects find both trees.

If you don't have a nearby pollinator tree, you'll need to plant two trees. They do not have to be the same variety, but you need to ensure that they are going to be flowering at the same time in your area. The nursery should be able to help you with this.

They need to be planted with the graft a couple of inches above grade. Pruning fruit trees is an artform, but worth researching and learning.

Does someone in your family enjoy home canning? After they've been in the ground for a couple or three years, the yields can be quite substantial. If you don't home can them, you'll want to find local friends or family who do, rather than letting them rot on the ground.

WARNING: Once you start canning your own fruit, it is very likely that your property will become a giant garden/orchard within two years. It's that much better than the tin can crap at the store.

 

[skygear]

Jeff and Tom. As a father, and taking into consideration what the "customer" is asking. That is partly why I chose to not take any action/ advice with this specific instance. Letting it get some growth to it over the next couple years then stress it when it's heartier. I mean, they are watching it grow from seeds they planned.

The only other real advice I could give would be...

Make sure if this is where you want it to grow that it's in a good spot. that there's no other trees that it will interfere with or that will interfere with it as it grows larger. If this is not where you want it to grow specifically. It would be a perfect opportunity to dig it up and transplant it to where you do want it to grow. While it's still small and the root structure is small.