Hi,

Does anyone have some advice for pruning this tree (see pictures) ?
It has a bad V shape at the base, so I was considering major surgery by
removing the smaller V branch (on the right), but the larger branch
seems to have some nasty wounds in the bark...so I don't know!

Thanks,
Chris

http://images9.fotki.com/v168/photos...ee_full-vi.jpg
http://images15.fotki.com/v226/photo...e_trunk-vi.jpg

head back all the growing tips! of the smaller diameter trunk off the lower V on the
right.
then head back all the tips of the branches of the higher V on the left so the ONLY
growing tip(s) is on the branch centered in the middle.
as the tree grows those headed back trunks will become branches with a better crotch.

may take years.
Ingrid

wrote:
Does anyone have some advice for pruning this tree (see pictures) ?
It has a bad V shape at the base, so I was considering major surgery by
removing the smaller V branch (on the right), but the larger branch
seems to have some nasty wounds in the bark...so I don't know!
http://images9.fotki.com/v168/photos...ee_full-vi.jpg
http://images15.fotki.com/v226/photo...e_trunk-vi.jpg



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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sign up: http://list.lovemyoldhome.com/web/wa.cgi?REPORT&z=3
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for
any of the recommendations I make.
AND I DID NOT AUTHORIZE ADS AT THE OLD PUREGOLD SITE

wrote:
Hi,

Does anyone have some advice for pruning this tree (see
pictures) ?
It has a bad V shape at the base, so I was considering major
surgery by removing the smaller V branch (on the right), but
the
larger branch seems to have some nasty wounds in the bark...so
I
don't know!

I think it is too late.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

Thanks for the advice Ingrid.
Travis, if you think it's too late would you suggest I just leave it as
is?

It doesn't have to be a quick fix, we aren't moving for at least 10
years.

wrote:
Thanks for the advice Ingrid.
Travis, if you think it's too late would you suggest I just
leave
it as is?

It doesn't have to be a quick fix, we aren't moving for at
least 10
years.

If you had pruned out the smaller of the branches when the tree
was very young the remaining branch would have become the central
leader.

As is the tree is prone to split at the "Y". I would still take
out the smaller branch and hope for the best.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

dont have to take it out, just top it a bit and over the next few years the central
trunk will thicken while that branch wont and it will become a stronger crotch. you
can always take the branch off later if it doesnt strengthen. taking out the two
main side branches would be overpruning. seriously, I did this to a ginko with a
double leader and it does have one hellatiously large branch now arching over a
walkway, but the crotch is getting more "ramified". Ingrid

"Travis" wrote:

wrote:
Thanks for the advice Ingrid.
Travis, if you think it's too late would you suggest I just
leave
it as is?

It doesn't have to be a quick fix, we aren't moving for at
least 10
years.

If you had pruned out the smaller of the branches when the tree
was very young the remaining branch would have become the central
leader.

As is the tree is prone to split at the "Y". I would still take
out the smaller branch and hope for the best.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List at
http://weloveteaching.com/puregold/
sign up: http://list.lovemyoldhome.com/web/wa.cgi?REPORT&z=3
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for
any of the recommendations I make.
AND I DID NOT AUTHORIZE ADS AT THE OLD PUREGOLD SITE

Thanks again everyone.

I received another email telling me the tree looks like a 'silver
maple' which can be nuissance (lots of feeder roots, helicopter fruit
droppings...) and maybe I should just remove it altogther.

I like the fact that it's a big tree, it is helping shield some road
noise, but we do have a pool close by so the fruit droppings would be a
problem. I live in Ottawa Canada BTW.

I think at this point I might as well just aggresively prune the small
branch without removing it completely and hope that the central branch
grows stronger.

On 24 Sep 2005 14:50:55 -0700, wrote:

Hi,

Does anyone have some advice for pruning this tree (see pictures) ?
It has a bad V shape at the base, so I was considering major surgery by
removing the smaller V branch (on the right), but the larger branch
seems to have some nasty wounds in the bark...so I don't know!

Thanks,
Chris

Here's some basic advice:
http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/pruning_young.aspx
http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare...ng_mature.aspx

As fro your specific tree, it isn't a great situation. I agree it
looks like a questionable maple, and it's clearly got problems. If it
was adjacent to a nice oak, I'd say go for the basal cut (i.e.,
removal). Since it's all you've got, plant another (different species)
and make the best of this one while you have it. Consider reversing
the earlier advice. Shorten the larger side with the damaged bark
(which may represent a failure point at some distant time) and develop
the smaller branch into the main leader.

Avoid "limbing up" and stripping out the interior; low branches
support development of a strong trunk.

good luck,
Keith Babberney
ISA Certified Arborist