Tridents second chop

[crab apple]

I got this Trident maple during mild (beginning) part of winter and planted it in the ground on a tile. This spring it has come up really vigorous. When I bought it it was already chopped w/ a new leader wired up. I'd like a thicker trunk but I'm not sure if that possible now, if not its no biggie, ill figure out a smaller plan. What im not sure about is the new main leader, it seems about the thickness it ought to be proportionately to the main truck, if I let it grow much longer it will be just as thick as the main truck-no tapper. So do I need to chop the second main leader now and let it start working on a third main leader. Seems like the wrong time of year for that but who knows?
Also should I do any other pruning or just let it run wild.

 

[crab apple]

It just hit me-what I need to do, just let it run wild and eventually rechop the whole thing below that junction. I'm still curios what to do in the other scenario.

 

[River's Edge]

I got this Trident maple during mild (beginning) part of winter and planted it in the ground on a tile. This spring it has come up really vigorous. When I bought it it was already chopped w/ a new leader wired up. I'd like a thicker trunk but I'm not sure if that possible now, if not its no biggie, ill figure out a smaller plan. What im not sure about is the new main leader, it seems about the thickness it ought to be proportionately to the main truck, if I let it grow much longer it will be just as thick as the main truck-no tapper. So do I need to chop the second main leader now and let it start working on a third main leader. Seems like the wrong time of year for that but who knows?
Also should I do any other pruning or just let it run wild.

Take two aspirins and check on the tree in two or three years. Occasionally trim back side shoots to keep the main apical leader dominant. When the base is close to the overall thickness you want then cut back the second leader to the length you want that section to be and repeat until you have the movement and taper desired through all sections wanted in the final trunk design. Throughout the process be sure to reduce branching in the same locations to prevent inverse taper and swollen knobs on the trunk portion.

 

[Shibui]

What im not sure about is the new main leader, it seems about the thickness it ought to be proportionately to the main truck, if I let it grow much longer it will be just as thick as the main truck-no tapper. So do I need to chop the second main leader now and let it start working on a third main leader. Seems like the wrong time of year for that but who knows?
Also should I do any other pruning or just let it run wild.

Trees add similar amount of thickness all along the trunk so the lower trunk should stay proportionally larger than the upper section. + each branch adds even more thickness below it. Therefore the lower section will not only stay proportionally thicker but will be even larger due to that branch.
Occasionally I get a tree that just does not conform and will do something completely abnormal but that's what we get for working with living things.

I see the previous grower chopped above a pair of shoots and used 1 for the new leader and 1 for a branch. I stopped doing that because that scenario often bulges at the chop - new leader, growing branch and callus healing the chop all add thickness.
I now chop to take off the branch, just leaving the new leader. Do that even if you want a side branch. Usually new buds will emerge from the branch collar of the new leader and 1 of them will usually be OK for a side branch. Makes the transition from thicker lower to new leader better and far less bulging in my experience.

I also agree that some more growing is required to heal the chop and develop more trunk thickness.

 

[sorce]

Not "wild" wild.
"Smart" Wild.

Sorce