Cut to two buds = ramification. Really?

[Smoke]

If you note in your photo - you didn't cut to two buds - you cut to three. The key is to let the new growth push, unrestrained, harden, and then you cut back back hard - two leaves on weak growth and one leaf on strong growth - and no leaves on a long shoot with too long internodes.

From a horticultural perspective think of it this way - you let the tree grow and bulk up with energy, and then you cut back hard and remove the source of auxin (branch tips) that suppress bud development. If you cut back too early and there is no stored energy - no new buds. If you wimp out and don't cut back hard enough and don't eliminate enough sources of auxin - no new buds.

This really pains me. It is auxin, not 'energy'. There is lots of auxin generated in elongating tissues, but it isn't being exported down the stem. Therefore, when one cuts soft, unhardened stems, it has little or no effect. Once hardened, auxin is being exported. Then lopping off the auxin produces releases bud(s) --> Thiman=Skoog, nearly 100 years ago now.

Just gravitropism reduces the auxin flow enough to release interior elm buds.
Wire your shoot and bend the tip down. Position the node where you want a new branch to be at, or near, the top of the arc. Wait a week or two. It is just like 'pegging' roses.

The other part is that soft, unhardened tissues are consuming more carbohydrate than they produce. So, removing it does just reduce carbon in either case. But hardened foliage allowed to remain exports lots of carbohydrate - thus feeds the rest of the tree. Feed your tree for a while by keeping the hardened new growth for a while if you want to build its strength (opp. if you want to weaken it).

Interesting, I don't partake of this method at all. This method is a branch ramification nightmare here.

 

[iant]

Smoke, ahh the mystery of your words.... there's a question begging here.

 

[MichaelS]

This can happen with zelkova sometimes. Remove the first leaf entirely (straight after you prune) and leave the second. See if that doesn't help. Or you can cut all the leaves off leaving just a very small portion attached to the stem.

 

[sorce]

Thanks

Thank you!

So you really haven't cut it too much...
And...
If vigour is a problem it might be too vigorous!

Seriously!

Is this thing in a state of trimming back to a silhouette?

Or are you still building branches?

I ask because it looks the latter...
A little unruly!

I mean...a little more unruly than a "elm that needs a haircut".

What I'm getting at is....come fall naked time....
Seems you need to "take back control".

When they are so vigorous...if you cut it back...it might just decide any number of buds anywhere else in the tree are better to "become a full size tree with".
Which could leave you in your situation.

I look at branching like an electronics wiring diagram....
You have to know understand where everything is and where everything goes in order to understand how it works...or how to build the final tree.
If the tree gets to throwing its own ideas into the diagram...
We don't understand the diagram anymore so when we remove a resistor, we don't know exactly what will happen.

Sometimes a tree will throw a bud/branch that doesn't fit into the program.....if we know where it is and include it in the diagram...we can use it to gather more power for the system.
If we don't know it is there....our diagram is once again misunderstood. Leaving us guessing at results of actions.

An Elm is quick to draw its own parts.
Naked time is best to identify them .....
Then they must be dealt with constantly.

The collar buds. Snuff em out.
These are the worst IMO...
They rarely amount to more than a few weak interior leaves that never harden off...
These are the "capacitors" that need removal before they enter your diagram .

Once those collar buds are there...
The tree is pretty much saying...
"Eff this old branch you wired down...I want to set a new branch to reach for the sky...and...in case one don't work...
I'll set three buds here to be sure...so...go ahead....eff with That branch again...see what happens!"

Removing those buds in fall, and again in spring...
Is our reply...which is...

"Eff you tree, you're going to do what I tell you."

IMO...you're at about 90%+ health....
Somewhere around 70% is still very safe for this tree and will allow you control.

The difference is 90% energy going wherever it wants takes six years to build a tree.
While 70% energy exactly where you want it takes 3 years to build a tree.

When in doubt....cut!

Where with a species more reluctant to backbud...
You have to balance using what's there with a nice design..or chance cutting off possibilities....

With a zelm..(zelcova yes?)
If there's a flaw...cut it.
Slight heavy branch...cut it..
Inside the curve branch of an otherwise wicked trunk(That's a mAybe!))) cut it!

Anyway...I can't wait to see this naked.

Once you write your diagram...and streamline it...
This'll build nice.

Mind the Rantinish !

Sorce