Trunk chop

[travislivid]

When I collected this Cedar Elm I cut it quite a bit high to see how it would bud out. I just went through and removed most of the dead branches and wires I had on it to keep it down in it's pot while it recovered. Now that it is going pretty well I am thinking about cutting it down to a branch that has grown into the trunk. I have a red line where the chop would be. I would really appreciate any thoughts. The trunk is 3" and it is 24" tall right now. The chop would make it about 16" tall.
Chop it or leave it?
.

 

[JudyB]

Looks pretty healthy, when did you collect this guy? I think your intended chop is well placed, and you have a perfect new leader that has nice built in movement already. What does your gut say to do?

 

[travislivid]

My gut says to chop. I am thinking about trying to air layer because the top could make a nice start to another one.

 

[JudyB]

I think you should go with the chop. Unless you want another tree. I find that I want to work on the main tree too much to loose a year for air layering.... but that's just me.
J
And if you found this one, there are prob. more out there waiting for the shovel...

 

[Poink88]

I'd chop it (a bit lower than your red line). The top doesn't look worth air layering IMHO.

It looks like this is just collected early this year. How about just stripping the bark around the chop line...like air layering and then removing all the branches/leaves above it. This way, you won't disturb the roots of the newly collected tree but will kill the branch so all the energy gets directed to the rest of the tree.

 

[Baldemotions]

I agree with a chop. I think Judy hit it right. It will look nice with the new leader.

 

[rockm]

Skip the air layer. not worht it, especially if you have a lot of CE growing near you. Air layering is mostly a waste of time for that kind of return.

I'd also reconsider what's on the other side of the red line. The leader you have proposed removing has some merit, including taper and character. It may lean a bit, but there are ways to minimize that...

 

[JudyB]

I'd also reconsider what's on the other side of the red line. The leader you have proposed removing has some merit, including taper and character. It may lean a bit, but there are ways to minimize that...

I'd agree with you rockm, except for the thickness of that upper part. It's just too thick to be at the top of a tree, unless this is going to be a much taller tree in the end. I do agree that there is nice character, and a bit of taper, but for me it's just too heavy.
I have a couple of trees that I was hesitant to take the heavy top part off, because of the nice shape, or whatever, now all I see is that heavyness too high in the tree, and it detracts from the credibility of the tree as a whole. Take another look at shot #3, and see what I mean?
But this is just my opinion of course!

 

[rockm]

I agree it is heavy, BUT it could be worked to reduced that--the area around the proposed new leader could be carved out a bit, for instance.

I would be very hesitant at this point to remove it in favor of the thin twig proposed. In working with CE for the last 20 years, I've found that new leaders and new branches can take a long while to develop anywhere near the bark and aged quality existing old wood on the species has. I'd willingly exchange a bit of heavyness for "real" age in the trunk...

 

[JudyB]

Well, I've had no experience with Cedar Elm, only other types of elms, so I bow to your judgement.

Travis, you should def. take a good hard look before chopping..... you can't glue that puppy back on after you do it!

 

[rockm]

"you can't glue that puppy back on after you do it!"

Exactly

 

[travislivid]

Thanks everyone. I went ahead and chopped it. No air layer. Have several of these about his size. All of the others don't reLy need to have a new leader grown . This one seemed to just be too thick and abruptly end. I can see from rockm that it will take a long time for this new leader to grow and develop bark. I am going to resign this one to be a long term project. The other ones I am working with taper off better and I am more confident working with what the tree has given me. I am just not experienced enough to make that original leader work. I figure if i just work on letting this new leader grow out and by the time it is close to matching the lower part of the tree I will have a better grasp on making it complete. The tree is doing really well and growing fast so I will be diligent on keeping the new leader going.

 

[Tieball]

I'd leave it and work on it.

 

[Tieball]

The season of Elm.

Thanks everyone. I went ahead and chopped it. No air layer. Have several of these about his size. All of the others don't reLy need to have a new leader grown . This one seemed to just be too thick and abruptly end. I can see from rockm that it will take a long time for this new leader to grow and develop bark. I am going to resign this one to be a long term project. The other ones I am working with taper off better and I am more confident working with what the tree has given me. I am just not experienced enough to make that original leader work. I figure if i just work on letting this new leader grow out and by the time it is close to matching the lower part of the tree I will have a better grasp on making it complete. The tree is doing really well and growing fast so I will be diligent on keeping the new leader going.

How did the rest of the summer season go on the elm after the chop?

 

[travislivid]

The summer was hard on this tree. I think I pushed my luck. We will see how it has lost it's leaves much faster then the others have. I think if I had to do it over I would have waited another season to chop. That's what this is all about. Learning the hard way.

 

[Poink88]

The summer was hard on this tree. I think I pushed my luck. We will see how it has lost it's leaves much faster then the others have. I think if I had to do it over I would have waited another season to chop. That's what this is all about. Learning the hard way.

I still think root disturbance is the problem, not the chop it self but the "side effect" of the operation.