# Tree trimming



## danrclem (Feb 8, 2009)

I have a sugar maple that's not too big but it has a fork down low. If I cut one side of it off would it straighten up after a few years? How high should the lowest brances on a yard tree like this be? 

<a href="http://s236.photobucket.com/albums/ff93/danrclem/?action=view&current=IMG_0343.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff93/danrclem/IMG_0343.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


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## Raymond (Feb 9, 2009)

*Clean it out...*

and leave it alone. 
What did you just get your first chainsaw or what? 

If your eager to cut something, get with your mom she still has that tree she wants you to trim.


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## Raymond (Feb 9, 2009)

*One more thing...*

when you're cleaning out your tree, it's OK to be done.

What I mean is your going to start on it and should be done in just a few minutes. When you're done you're done.

Don't goofy it up just because you're STIHL in the mood to cut on something. 
Throw the saw in your truck and head to your moms.


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## danrclem (Feb 9, 2009)

No it's not about cutting. I have plenty of trees on my place that I could cut. I just didn't want a fork to be about two feet or less off of the ground to split on me later on when it got bigger.


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## Raymond (Feb 9, 2009)

*Sorry Danrclem*



danrclem said:


> No it's not about cutting. I have plenty of trees on my place that I could cut. I just didn't want a fork to be about two feet or less off of the ground to split on me later on when it got bigger.



Man I wanna apologize for being a butthole. Here you come back with a nice responce afterwards. 

I'll work on that but it's kinda fun, ya know.

We good?


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## RUBE (Feb 10, 2009)

danrclem said:


> No it's not about cutting. I have plenty of trees on my place that I could cut. I just didn't want a fork to be about two feet or less off of the ground to split on me later on when it got bigger.



It is not a real good idea to remove more than 1/3 of a tree at a time. That being said it appears that your tree is in need of alot of attention. 
Things to research starting at the roots:
Girdling roots
Root flare
Included bark unions
Branch union or branch collar

To answer your original question the tree could straighten out and in time the wound would disappear and the tree would "be straight", provided it lives. I like low limbs on trees as when it gets older it would be a wonderful secluded shade area in need of a bench and hostas


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## danrclem (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks for the advice Rube. I think I'll go ahead and take one of the main branches off and hope that it lives. I don't know much about taking care of trees and I really should learn.

I don't like the lowest limbs to be too far off of the ground either. I'm hoping to enjoy shade from that tree later on.



Raymond, I'm glad that you came back and admitted that your post was out of line. I wasn't going to get upset because it's best not to major in minors. I'm good with it.


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## JeffL (Feb 10, 2009)

Prune it over a period of time. Removing one of those entire leads at once would be a real stress on that tree and make things really tough on it. Post a picture of the entire tree, and maybe plan on taking 2-3+ years to completely remove one of those leaders.


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## danrclem (Feb 10, 2009)

Here's a picture that I took the other day. It's not the whole tree but more of it than the other picture. This is the right time of the year to do this isn't it?

<a href="http://s236.photobucket.com/albums/ff93/danrclem/?action=view&current=IMG_0342.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff93/danrclem/IMG_0342.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


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## (WLL) (Feb 22, 2009)

lopping half the tree will be a mistake, dont do it. let the tree grow, there is no cutting needed! expose the root flare give her some organic food. later on down the road put a dynamic cable in her if it makes you feel better. dead wood as needed to protect against decay. dont clean out the tree it looks good and needs its leaves to feed


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## oldirty (Feb 23, 2009)

i dont think rube was saying to cut.....was he?


btw.........no need to cut it.


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## Dadatwins (Feb 23, 2009)

Tree will always be codominent, the time to cut it off was a few years ago. Looks like a third lead growing in the back that might be a candidate to remove, instead of having a triple lead. The crotch will always be at that height, it does not move up only gets bigger.


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## RUBE (Feb 23, 2009)

My opinion would be to cut out the lead on the right as it appears to have many more branch union issues. I am basing this on my knowledge and history of included bark unions. I have cut that much, and more, out of young trees and they are still alive. In the trees lifetime this union, and others like it, will help shorten its life. 
Yes it should have been done along time ago. If it is slowly reduced to adhere to the 1/3 idea than the final cut will only be larger and more inviting to decay. 
If the tree was a columnar than I would say leave it alone but from the pics it isnt. It would appear to be a nursery tree that had its apical meristem broke either by mother nature or my first guess would be a propagator that didnt go back and do corrective pruning before the sale. How many of those have ya seen? On that note some nurseries will knock the top off so the tree has "more leaves" and they have more stock to grow. To the average Joe a fuller tree is a better tree. To the tree it is set up for a shortened life.
danr posted a pic and question and I offered my ideas based on my personal experience and arborcultural training. The beautiful thing about nature is it didnt read the book and has a very strong desire to live. 

I would also address the root flair issue and whatever else you find down there. Thats a whole new can o' worms.


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## RUBE (Feb 23, 2009)

Id rather a tree look this way instead of bush form. Personal preferance.


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## (WLL) (Feb 23, 2009)

*Jesus Pete*:jawdrop:, cut that thing down *immediately*!!! Grind the stump before some troll trips over it and dies Nosak, a TV super-star tree cutter told me; along with the rest of the world, "trees are the deadliest vegetation on the planet".... that thing is a liability and/or an accident waiting ta happen!!!! you want shade, pave the whole place than build a house like normal people do





















^^^^:spam:


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## Toddppm (Feb 23, 2009)

All about opinions isn't it? I'd say if it's in a prominent part of the yard, I'd cut that thing down and start another. It has a terrible form right from the get go that will not be easy to correct if it's even possible. If you want to play with trying to straighten it out go ahead and cut off one of those main leads but it's hard to tell which from the pics, looks like the largest on the side is trying to take over as the main leader? 
Still a small tree and can handle some abuse when they're young and growing fast.


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