Cjr live oak yamadori #2

[Cajunrider]

Collected another live oak. This one is 6 inch at the base.

 

[Cajunrider]

Collected another live oak. This one is 6 inch at the base.View attachment 223424View attachment 223425View attachment 223426

The trunk on the right is mostly dead. What should I do with it?

 

[Potawatomi13]

See if life prevails. If so keep for interesting wood rot out.

 

[Cajunrider]

I'm planning to make a cut at red to remove the inverse taper. The branch with the green mark is alive but weak.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Cut back at red mark will help send energy to green area/trunk IF tree has strength to survive.

 

[Cajunrider]

Cut back at red mark will help send energy to green area/trunk IF tree has strength to survive.

I am planning to make that cut tonight when I get home.

 

[Cajunrider]

Cut off the inverse taper and wired a new apex. Also cut most of the dead part of the other trunk. The low branch of the good trunk will be a sacrifice branch to improve taper. I'mnot sure what to do with the branch on the half dead trunk yet.

 

[Cajunrider]

Driving to work today I went by a grove of live oaks damaged by hurricane Rita. I now have some idea of what to do with the lower branches, particularly the one on the half dead trunk.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Let it grow, let it grow, let it grow.
Sung to the tune of ''Let it snow''.

At least for one growing season.

 

[Cajunrider]

Let it grow, let it grow, let it grow.
Sung to the tune of ''Let it snow''.

At least for one growing season.

I'm planning to let it grow for at least 3 years. The only reason I wired that top branch was because it was heading the wrong way. I expect to chop that branch in two years. The lower branches I'm going to get them to grow real close to the ground like the live oaks I've seen.

 

[Cajunrider]

Starting to see a lot of buds.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Yippee!

 

[Cajunrider]

 

[Potawatomi13]

Pretty decent job winding that copper.

 

[Cajunrider]

Pretty decent job winding that copper.

Thank you.

 

[Cajunrider]

It is coming back strong.

 

[Cajunrider]

 

[rockm]

View attachment 233475

FWIW, wiring the leader is not really going to do you much good. ALL of that extension leader, except the bottom two inches or so SHOULD be removed down the road--in favor of the next "grow out" section that will also be severely reduced. That process can go on for a while, until you build a believable taper into a stout oak trunk. If you leave that smoothly curved thin section as the top of the tree, your oak image is going to look strange... same for the existing upright branching...

 

[Cajunrider]

FWIW, wiring the leader is not really going to do you much good. ALL of that extension leader, except the bottom two inches or so SHOULD be removed down the road--in favor of the next "grow out" section that will also be severely reduced. That process can go on for a while, until you build a believable taper into a stout oak trunk. If you leave that smoothly curved thin section as the top of the tree, your oak image is going to look strange... same for the existing upright branching...

Thanks for the advice. I only wired it because, prior to the drastic pruning, that branch was perpendicular to the trunk. I wired it so it became the new apex knowing I will cut it later saved perhaps 2 or 3 inch.

 

[Cajunrider]

View attachment 233475

20 days later.