In article ,
Brian Mitchell wrote:
These are common deciduous woodland trees, planted three years ago. In
their short lives they've twice come into leaf and then been hit hard by
a late frost. As a result, many of them have lost their leaders and are
dividing (feathering?) in their growth.

The question is: should I prune to encourage a new leader, or should I
let the tree take care of that for itself?

The tree will survive, but it may become bushy. If you want them to
grow with a single stem, then prune out all except the strongest.
If you prefer a bushy tree, then prune out a leader. It is as simple
as that!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.