Acer Palmetum Katsura

[Estonio]

Hi there,

I got this one 2 years back, last year I repotted and prunned it a bit, but basically let it grow for the rest of the year. Now I wonder on the next steps.. to let it grow one more year or remove some branches before it will be more difficult to heal as it gets thicker....

Feb 2020


I removed all this original soil and worked on the roots, I was quite positively surprised seeing they are pretty much coming from the same level.





March 2020



Today 14th Feb 2021:


In the below picture the branch on the left has very long internode as to be new apex... I think:



Long internode - Yellow line... but what if I cut the whole left branch to provoke some new branch will grow from that spot next to the trunk which I could use in the future as new apex? I can as well chope the apex later in the spring and reduce considerable the right branch so the energy doesn´t go to that one


any other idea? I can as well leave it as frowing freely for another year.. I´m looking for a 12inches tree approx.

 

[JudyB]

Hi there,

I got this one 2 years back, last year I repotted and prunned it a bit, but basically let it grow for the rest of the year. Now I wonder on the next steps.. to let it grow one more year or remove some branches before it will be more difficult to heal as it gets thicker....

Feb 2020
View attachment 354499

I removed all this original soil and worked on the roots, I was quite positively surprised seeing they are pretty much coming from the same level.
View attachment 354500
View attachment 354501

View attachment 354502

March 2020
View attachment 354503
View attachment 354507

Today 14th Feb 2021:
View attachment 354498

In the below picture the branch on the left has very long internode as to be new apex... I think:

View attachment 354508

Long internode - Yellow line... but what if I cut the whole left branch to provoke some new branch will grow from that spot next to the trunk which I could use in the future as new apex? I can as well chope the apex later in the spring and reduce considerable the right branch so the energy doesn´t go to that one
View attachment 354517

any other idea? I can as well leave it as frowing freely for another year.. I´m looking for a 12inches tree approx.

12" tall, but what sort of trunk do you want? If you want a thick trunk then I would say it needs to grow for a few more years. If you want a taller slender feminine tree, then you can begin to choose your branching.

 

[coltranem]

I just happened to come across this blog post from Michael Hagedorn

https://crataegus.com/2019/10/05/deciduous-early-development-part-i-japanese-maple/

 

[JonW]

I just happened to come across this blog post from Michael Hagedorn

https://crataegus.com/2019/10/05/deciduous-early-development-part-i-japanese-maple/

Yeah, that's an interesting take - a while back, I posted a question about this in terms of when to prune:

• Fall pruning allows the cytokinin all winter to reallocate to internal buds encouraging inside growth / back budding / activating dormant buds, while pruning during the growth season often only activates the two buds behind the cut point (unless hard pruning)
• Pruning AFTER spring growth allows all the vigorous spring energy to be divided over the most number of buds, resulting in shorter internodes. After the first flush, you can prune and get a less vigorous second flush.

I was surprised the article you linked didn't also mention pinching as an alternative. I think these techniques might also apply at different stages. The fall pruning probably helps push back growth, pruning after the spring flush probably helps maintain refinement, and the article seemed to refer to structural and selective pruning which it suggests to do in stages. I did all fall pruning this year aside from a couple structural things. One additional argument for fall pruning is that the tree won't activate all its buds anyway, and the fall pruning just divides that energy across more internal buds keep the tree compact. The downside about fall pruning is that your removing growth before the possibility of winter dieback - if there is some dieback, you might be left with fewer options come Spring.

 

[coltranem]

Yeah, that's an interesting take - a while back, I posted a question about this in terms of when to prune:

• Fall pruning allows the cytokinin all winter to reallocate to internal buds encouraging inside growth / back budding / activating dormant buds, while pruning during the growth season often only activates the two buds behind the cut point (unless hard pruning)
• Pruning AFTER spring growth allows all the vigorous spring energy to be divided over the most number of buds, resulting in shorter internodes. After the first flush, you can prune and get a less vigorous second flush.

I was surprised the article you linked didn't also mention pinching as an alternative. I think these techniques might also apply at different stages. The fall pruning probably helps push back growth, pruning after the spring flush probably helps maintain refinement, and the article seemed to refer to structural and selective pruning which it suggests to do in stages. I did all fall pruning this year aside from a couple structural things. One additional argument for fall pruning is that the tree won't activate all its buds anyway, and the fall pruning just divides that energy across more internal buds keep the tree compact. The downside about fall pruning is that your removing growth before the possibility of winter dieback - if there is some dieback, you might be left with fewer options come Spring.

I think the reason Michael isn't talking pinching is that he is talking about very early development of Maples.

You points have been what I have read as well. However I need more experience trying them out to fully gather their potential.

 

[JonW]

I think the reason Michael isn't talking pinching is that he is talking about very early development of Maples.

You points have been what I have read as well. However I need more experience trying them out to fully gather their potential.

I feel similarly. When I read research for my field of work, the questions they come to mind are about sample sizes and statistical power. When I have a small collection of different types of trees, and confounding factors other than pruning, it is hard to get a better sense than something subjective. I try to listen to experts and read about physiology to make good decisions.