jacob letoile's Not a Contest entry

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Cut down that scrawny third trunk, tree will send all it's energy there as it's in an apical position.
Cut it short or cut it off? I kind of like the 3 trunks, there is a really good spread on thickness. Thank you for the advice. I am hoping to get lots through this process. And would you cut the tiny branch on the left side?
 

LanceMac10

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I just worry about that third trunk taking over. It's happened to a few of my trees as I tried to use sacrifice shoots. Particularly this time of year.
This tree will probably end up much shorter than as it stands now. That third trunk is so far behind, it might not ever look proper scale wise. You want those two big trunks to be the focal point.


I feel like fresh growth such as this gets all the trees energy, even if you cut it back a bit.

No an expert, that's for sure. But this is common sense angle....lots easier for the tree to push new buds on young growth as opposed to pushing buds on a couple of fat trunks. Apical buds are powerful.
 
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I'm thinking that I can regrow most of that trunk in the timescale needed to develop that big one. Aesthetically I prefer the 3 trunks, but I don't know much about the "best" way to develop this. I think there is a ton of potential though and I don't want to close doors at this point. The buds haven't moved so I have some time to sit with it. Intuitively I think your rite though. Who here has these nailed down?
 

Hyn Patty

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Wow, I hope this does well for you. I just love, love, LOVE hornbeams and really want to find a good one myself. I agree I'd be worried about that third skinny trunk as well for a few reasons but if you leave it for now and it dominates even after cutting it back (I would at least cut it fairly short), you could always try your hand at using it's new growth for thread grafting the other two trunks - if it lives. Not mind you that I have tried thread grafting yet. I still have a lot to learn and try myself, but there are some great videos on how to do it and I want to try it in a future project. Good luck with it and keep us updated.
 
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Now we wait. Nothing to do but check the soil and leave it to do its thing. Crossing my fingers, but we will see.
 

TN_Jim

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You want to keep this very not remotely dry. I have mine in 100% de (more water retentive than your mix) and @rockm reccomended/warned that this could be an issue

..rather than adding more organic, I elected to keep a 2” layer of long sphagnum wet on top and watch closely
 

humboldtmadness

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That is a great looking start to a really cool tree! Love it. Not in a position to give any advice, just to cheer on another "not a contest" tree.
 
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I am going to be putting these on an automatic watering system. They won't dry out... i have 4 i dug all at the same time, one in 8822 and pumice, mostly (3/4) pumice, 2 in equal parts 8822, lava and pumice and 1 in strait pumice. The 8822 is very wet.... i water it a third as often. We will see what happens when leaves appear.
 

rockm

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Cut it short or cut it off? I kind of like the 3 trunks, there is a really good spread on thickness. Thank you for the advice. I am hoping to get lots through this process. And would you cut the tiny branch on the left side?
Get rid of the smaller third trunk completely now (and all of the smaller twigging you have in the back too). All that adds nothing visually and has no future with such a base. It could also allow the trunk to push energy into that younger growth at the expense of pushing buds on the trunk where you want it.

If you haven't sealed the chop wounds, GET OUT AND DO IT NOW! If you don't you will get significant die back down the trunk. Sealing big chop wounds at collection is a must with hornbeam.

I would also not use an automatic watering system. Just me, but a watering system will not be able to tell if the soil is dry or not. It will just water. If there is any field soil on the root mass, it will stay soggy. Removing all the field soil helps tremendously with this species. Take a spray nozzle to the root mass and get it all out...
 
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sorce

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Take a spray nozzle to the root mass and get it all out

I am assuming you mean now?

I totally agree about the third trunk...
Feeling that energy thing Lance is talking about....

Knowing it don't help your design...and won't ever!

If this thing wasn't 100 with just them 2 trunks! But it is!

And the indent that trunk grows out of is ugly and gets too much attention with that trunk.

Seal that cut too!

Sorce
 
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Get rid of the smaller third trunk completely now (and all of the smaller twigging you have in the back too). All that adds nothing visually and has no future with such a base. It could also allow the trunk to push energy into that younger growth at the expense of pushing buds on the trunk where you want it.

If you haven't sealed the chop wounds, GET OUT AND DO IT NOW! If you don't you will get significant die back down the trunk. Sealing big chop wounds at collection is a must with hornbeam.

I would also not use an automatic watering system. Just me, but a watering system will not be able to tell if the soil is dry or not. It will just water. If there is any field soil on the root mass, it will stay soggy. Removing all the field soil helps tremendously with this species. Take a spray nozzle to the root mass and get it all out...
Thank you for taking the time to write that. I really appreciate it. I did go back and trim the bark and cambium back to green tissue then sealed everything. Im not picking a automatic watering system becaise i think its best, but rather because its the least bad... my job in the summer is unpredictable. And the hotter and dryer it gets the less im home to pay attention and take care of things. I am typing this on my phone, on a tractor. Im open to better ideas that recognize that i may be gone 14 hours a day for a week while its 90deg and breezy.

I also took everything off but the 2 big trunks. Again, thank you to everyone for your advice.
 

sorce

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automatic watering

Is this schedule new?

What did you do last year?

If you can water yourself in the morning....

You can probly just set up a system to lightly rewet the surfaces at about 3-4 PM.

At least that would work here for me.

Sorce
 

GGB

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Love the species, hoping to add one to my collection. Good luck with it
 
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Is this schedule new?

What did you do last year?

If you can water yourself in the morning....

You can probly just set up a system to lightly rewet the surfaces at about 3-4 PM.

At least that would work here for me.

Sorce
Last year i killed trees which is why i want to do something different this year. I have had this schedual for 20 years or so, its not changing any time soon.
 

Hyn Patty

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Maybe you should just bag it instead of going with the automatic watering. You might want to look over this article by Tony Tickle about bagging certain species like this and his high success rate. I collected a few hawthorns and bagged them and so far they are doing great, throwing out lots of new growth very rapidly.

https://yamadori.co.uk/2016/01/04/improving-the-success-rate-of-yamadori/
 
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