Small leaved lime chop

[Choppychan]

Hi,

I have a small leaved lime tree with 3 issues I'd like to fix for now.

I have circled them and highlighted the proposed cuts.
I have a more aggressive chopping option which could take it down to the lowest branch. Personally I think that the second lowest branch should be fine and more conservative for now. Which option do you think would be best?

Also, what would be the best way to correct the root crossing over? I have seen videos of people stripping the bark off and covering the area with soil to create a new nebari. Would that the case for this tree.

I'm fairly inexperienced and this seems like a more advanced trick. Any pointers would be much appreciated.

 

[Shibui]

Again, the angle of the photos from above make it hard to properly appreciate the real shape of the trunk and branches.
The real question of which chop will depend on the roots and what we will see if/when the trunk is tilted to make the new trunk line look good. If there are more roots under the soil on the right side (pic 5 and 6) then the lower chop might look better. Much harder to guess what the trunk would look like with the upper chop as there's no clear shot of that side of the trunk.

Tilia cordata strike readily as cuttings which means that layering (stripping off bark to grow new roots) should also be easy so you can grow new roots wherever you want and at an angle that suits whatever trunk lean you choose.
You can also chop off any roots that don't look good. There's no problem taking off up to half the roots on most deciduous trees if that would give a good result.

The chops in the branching all seem appropriate.
Just wondering about the red circle on the trunk. Is the issue there just the 2 branches close together or can you see inverse taper (swelling) there?
If the problem is just that there's 2 branches too close, a simple solution would be to remove 1.
Swelling is not so easily solved.

 

[Choppychan]

Again, the angle of the photos from above make it hard to properly appreciate the real shape of the trunk and branches.
The real question of which chop will depend on the roots and what we will see if/when the trunk is tilted to make the new trunk line look good. If there are more roots under the soil on the right side (pic 5 and 6) then the lower chop might look better. Much harder to guess what the trunk would look like with the upper chop as there's no clear shot of that side of the trunk.

Tilia cordata strike readily as cuttings which means that layering (stripping off bark to grow new roots) should also be easy so you can grow new roots wherever you want and at an angle that suits whatever trunk lean you choose.
You can also chop off any roots that don't look good. There's no problem taking off up to half the roots on most deciduous trees if that would give a good result.

The chops in the branching all seem appropriate.
Just wondering about the red circle on the trunk. Is the issue there just the 2 branches close together or can you see inverse taper (swelling) there?
If the problem is just that there's 2 branches too close, a simple solution would be to remove 1.
Swelling is not so easily solved.

Thank you. I will take better pics tomorrow. Need to get in the habit of taking them straight on. This tree has more exposed roots compared to others I own so I thought it would be okay. I'll see if I can get a better look at the roots tomorrow.

The red circle on the main trunk is the reverse taper caused by multiple branches coming out the same level. I will need to cut below that for sure. Just need to evaluate whether the second branch is sufficient or whether I need to cut to the lowest branch. Like you said, I need to consider the roots situation to decide on the best cut.

I think for now I will focus on getting a better understanding of pruning and development/structure. I will leave the nebari till later.

 

[Choppychan]

Thank you. I will take better pics tomorrow. Need to get in the habit of taking them straight on. This tree has more exposed roots compared to others I own so I thought it would be okay. I'll see if I can get a better look at the roots tomorrow.

The red circle on the main trunk is the reverse taper caused by multiple branches coming out the same level. I will need to cut below that for sure. Just need to evaluate whether the second branch is sufficient or whether I need to cut to the lowest branch. Like you said, I need to consider the roots situation to decide on the best cut.

I think for now I will focus on getting a better understanding of pruning and development/structure. I will leave the nebari

Again, the angle of the photos from above make it hard to properly appreciate the real shape of the trunk and branches.
The real question of which chop will depend on the roots and what we will see if/when the trunk is tilted to make the new trunk line look good. If there are more roots under the soil on the right side (pic 5 and 6) then the lower chop might look better. Much harder to guess what the trunk would look like with the upper chop as there's no clear shot of that side of the trunk.

Tilia cordata strike readily as cuttings which means that layering (stripping off bark to grow new roots) should also be easy so you can grow new roots wherever you want and at an angle that suits whatever trunk lean you choose.
You can also chop off any roots that don't look good. There's no problem taking off up to half the roots on most deciduous trees if that would give a good result.

The chops in the branching all seem appropriate.
Just wondering about the red circle on the trunk. Is the issue there just the 2 branches close together or can you see inverse taper (swelling) there?
If the problem is just that there's 2 branches too close, a simple solution would be to remove 1.
Swelling is not so easily solved.

Hopefully these pics are clearer. The root situation is not the best but I can look to improve it with time. For now I'd be happy if I could just improve the structure and remove the reverse taper at the top.

From these pics would you say the lowest or secod lowest branch would be better for the chop?

 

[Shibui]

Always take online advice with some salt because we can only see what the photos show. You are the one who can see the full tree in 3D and so get a full perspective.

Taking the lower trunk, roots and branch angles all into account I would opt for the lower branch.
Upper branch seems to make an odd trunk line given that there's a slight opposite bend in the trunk below it. Also has a long, bare section which may give problems getting new branches on the revised trunk.
using the lower branch would tilt the main trunk to almost cover the tangled roots and maybe bring all roots down to a similar level? Lower branch also has more side branches which will be useful to build branches on the future tree.

 

[Choppychan]

Always take online advice with some salt because we can only see what the photos show. You are the one who can see the full tree in 3D and so get a full perspective.

Taking the lower trunk, roots and branch angles all into account I would opt for the lower branch.
Upper branch seems to make an odd trunk line given that there's a slight opposite bend in the trunk below it. Also has a long, bare section which may give problems getting new branches on the revised trunk.
using the lower branch would tilt the main trunk to almost cover the tangled roots and maybe bring all roots down to a similar level? Lower branch also has more side branches which will be useful to build branches on the future tree.

Once again, thank you for your help. I agree with the bottom branch being the best option. My understanding is that once you make a cut to a lower branch, you should chop the remaining branch back to the remaining couple of buds to allow the tree to fucus its energy towards growing a new leader. Is this correct?

Is it common to leave only 1 bud or is it best to leave two? (Similar to pic below).

As for the nebari, I think I might cut any roots that are too high up crossing over and strip to the bark all around. I will need to repot to correct the angle of the tree so it makes sense to address the roots situation while I am at it. I have never done it before but I won't learn if I don't have a go at it.
I have a rooting hormone paste (clonex) I can use to create more roots. I will need to pot it a bit lower down to cover the roots. Potentially this means that the tree need to go in a slightly larger training pot.
Any advice on this? I will make sure to watch more videos about it.

 

[Shibui]

My understanding is that once you make a cut to a lower branch, you should chop the remaining branch back to the remaining couple of buds to allow the tree to fucus its energy towards growing a new leader. Is this correct?

I have never heard or seen this.
Branches that are long are often chopped in conjunction with a trunk chop but that's only to force the branch to ramify more which will give better branches on the new trunk.
Often it is better to leave the new leader a bit longer. The more sap that branch can draw past the chop the quicker and better the cut will heal. Limited sap flow can cause some of the trunk below the chop to die back. In some cases the roots that were feeding the old trunk have nothing to feed (or to feed them) which can lead to part of the trunk and roots below the chop to die.
It may be better to leave the branch longer in the short term. It can be cut back after the sap flow adjusts to the new leader.

The plan you have outlined for root development sounds like normal process. The area that needs roots definitely needs to be buried. If it dries out the new roots won't emerge or survive.