Where would you cut this beech?

[Fonk]

Hi there!

Long time lurker, first time posting. I'm a begginer, living in northwest Spain (zone 9b-10a).So far, I have a small collection of trees, most of them on training stages.

One of them is this Fagus. I will move to a new house in a few months and when I'm there, I intend to pot it in a growing box but I'm thinking about shortening it a bit, because is getting tall.

My doubt is where to cut it... I think that the right branch should go and then I should shorten the left branch. Seems a bit drastic getting rid of that right branch but I think that it will make that junction to swell and there's no much taper there.

What would you do? Would you chop the left branch instead? Or would you let it be for another year or two as it is?

 

[Gabler]

If I were you, I would bury the roots a bit deeper and let it grow out another year or three.

 

[Gabler]

I would eventually cut it where marked in red. Cut the branches you plan to keep sooner, and chop off the large section of trunk to the right of the fork later.

 

[Fonk]

Thanks for the advice!

I intend to let it grow for a few years, but I thought that if I don't cut that right branch, it will make a bulge on that junction. Is it not a concern in this early stage of the tree?

 

[Shibui]

The good thing is that the big branch is not part of a cluster so it will take longer to cause swelling, if it ever does. That big branch is valuable to help increase thickness of trunk below the junction. I'd also leave it on until I could see any possible swelling there. Definitely cut if you think you see any hint of reverse taper but until that happens let it grow.

 

[Fonk]

The good thing is that the big branch is not part of a cluster so it will take longer to cause swelling, if it ever does. That big branch is valuable to help increase thickness of trunk below the junction. I'd also leave it on until I could see any possible swelling there. Definitely cut if you think you see any hint of reverse taper but until that happens let it grow.

Got it! Very helpful, thank you all so much for your help