Scott's Collected Hedge Maple

[pweifan]

I've talked a few times about collecting a Hedge Maple this year and I wanted to get a thread started. The weather this past week has been just awful with storms and strong winds, so I haven't been able to document any of the work with this guy. As a teaser I'll just post the one bad pic I took yesterday in the garage with no light. I promise to get better pictures when the weather improves.

I haven't measured it yet. The grow box it's in is a 18" square made out of 1"x6"'s. I plan on letting it grow almost unchecked this year to keep it healthy. The only major change I'm thinking of making this year is trimming off the low bar branches to prevent a reverse taper issue. Depending on how vigorously it grows, I may trim some of the outer leaves to allow light into the interior, but that depends on how it does this year.

What do you guys think? A good idea to remove the bar branches now?

 

[Steve Kudela]

I've talked a few times about collecting a Hedge Maple this year and I wanted to get a thread started. The weather this past week has been just awful with storms and strong winds, so I haven't been able to document any of the work with this guy. As a teaser I'll just post the one bad pic I took yesterday in the garage with no light. I promise to get better pictures when the weather improves.

I haven't measured it yet. The grow box it's in is a 18" square made out of 1"x6"'s. I plan on letting it grow almost unchecked this year to keep it healthy. The only major change I'm thinking of making this year is trimming off the low bar branches to prevent a reverse taper issue. Depending on how vigorously it grows, I may trim some of the outer leaves to allow light into the interior, but that depends on how it does this year.

What do you guys think? A good idea to remove the bar branches now?

View attachment 135563
View attachment 135564

it appears that the lowest right branch runs out the back of the tree. If so, remove the low left one and retain the rh branch as a sacrifice to build taper

 

[TomB]

I'd take off the left one (inside of the curve), and retain the right one for now at least.
This is Acer campestre, right? On these, it's a good idea to keep as many branches as you can during the development process - it stops your eventual 'keeper' branches becoming too leggy.
I spray mine regularly with fungicide, as they can be vulnerable to mildew.

 

[sorce]

3 for keep the right one...

I'd probly cut one of those top branches off too...
In hopes of getting a bud to pop mid second section, where the 3rd section could start.

Nice start!

Sorce

 

[sorce]

Matter of fact.....

I'd take most of the top off, save a couple twigs...

Seems you could lose all that taper if you leave so much up top.

Sorce

 

[pweifan]

See? This is why you ask for feedback before taking action! Duly noted, I'll keep the right branch and lose the left one.

@sorce, I agree that the top should be reduced, but I'm afraid of doing too much to this tree in one season. I should have mentioned that there weren't as many feeder roots as I was hoping for when I collected it. Does that change your opinion at all?

 

[sorce]

See? This is why you ask for feedback before taking action! Duly noted, I'll keep the right branch and lose the left one.

@sorce, I agree that the top should be reduced, but I'm afraid of doing too much to this tree in one season. I should have mentioned that there weren't as many feeder roots as I was hoping for when I collected it. Does that change your opinion at all?

Without many feeders, I'd surely cut it back, and seal it good...

Once that little stored energy sends out those leaves, it's gone. Plus more leaves to lose water out of.

Better to take off most of the buds and let the tree decide if it can make extra new ones.

So yeah...
I'd only leave the thinnest lowest branch above the V. With a couple buds.

But seal it up good...

I been using loctite GO2 glue.

Sorce

 

[Paulpash]

I agree with Sorce about chopping to induce taper in that third trunk section. You have quite short changes in direction in the lower trunk which suggests a smaller tree. From such a big chop (do this when you're sure it's healthy btw - not this year) you will get a ton of backbudding and it's from these that I'd build the lower branch structure. Obviously let the top run rampant to develop the next trunk section & absorb some of the inevitable long internode length. Best time to chop is when the leaves have just started to harden off. At this time all the fall energy has been used in the spring flush so initial response is smaller internodes until it starts building strength again. You will probably get some good basal shoots (hopefully at the back of the tree) that you can use to bulk out the trunk just above the nebari - I'd keep these while you're growing the apical trunk section. By the time you've got the branch structure finished it will have healed over.

If you are really unlucky we can graft - they have a similar callus response to trident maples and I've never had a thread graft fail on campestre.

Another technique you can use to reduce it's vigour and internode length is defoliation. It responds positively to this, producing smaller leaves.

I know in my climate in the UK that campestre can survive with little root volume. It's cool and rainy here in early Spring though. If yours is much hotter then I'd reduce it a bit but make sure there are still many active, swelling buds on your tree. Chopping a tree with a compromised root system (even a hedge maple) to bare trunk with no visible buds is too risky imo.

Good luck with your tree

 

[pweifan]

It's a crappy picture but I've been waiting for the weather to cooperate and it was beautiful after work. I took off the lowest branch inside the curve and left the right-hand one. Looking at the picture, I probably should have trimmed it more. I wanted to make sure there were live buds on each branch. Like @Marie1uk pointed out, I'll want to chop it more aggressively next year anyhow.

Thanks everyone for the advice! Hopefully, this has a great year

PS: That lowest left-hand branch that's horizontal actually wraps around from the right-hand branch. That will go after the trunk thickens a bit more.