Dual Leader Dawn Redwood?
I have a dawn redwood that I planted in April 2014. It was about 30" tall when I planted it and is now about 40" tall. It looks very healthy. My concern is that I think it may be developing a dual leader. I'm not sure though. There is kind of a green bud right in between the two leaders (or branches - I'm not sure.) However, the green bud hasn't done much of anything for the past six weeks that I have been watching it. Meanwhile the dual branches (or leaders) are growing very fast.
Are they dual leaders? Should I give the center bud a chance to shoot up? Should I prune one or the other branch off?
I will add close up shots of the top of the tree, right between the dual branches.
Comments (63)
hairmetal4ever
9 years agowisconsitom
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Leader of Dawn Redwood Tree Dead, Will Tree Be OK
Comments (6)The top of one my bald cypress broke off in hurricane rita, it developed about eight new "leaders" and is about half the height of the others planted at the same time. It does look different and interesting though....See More'White Spot' Dawn Redwood
Comments (2)It all depends on what you want it to be, if you want it to stay low, don't prune the bottom branches. If you want it to grow tall, prune the lower branches and remove all but one leader. I've seen fifty year old trees that were twenty foot tall but had a branch-around width of seventy feet. There's a tree at morton arboretum in chicago that has this quality, it's amazing, it looks like a valley oak but it's a dawn redwood....See MoreShould I prune multiple leaders of the Dawn redowwd? - see picture
Comments (13)Yeah, that is really terrible structure in the making. If you can,envision each crotch as being V-shaped. As the individual leaders grow and put on weight, it becomes increasingly likely that the right wind, snow or ice load will split it out there, since V-crotches usually have included bark and are therefore not strong. But nevertheless, these trees can def. be salvaged. Just do as I said above-let them grow a bit, then cut back those leaders which you are not selecting to be the main central leader. This cutting back (always to a branch, branchlet or bud) will slow these down, allowing the one you selected to remain to put on more growth and take on the job of being the main central leader. I know I said wait, but you could even do this heading-back stuff now. Just cut back to where there's a cluster of growth. Then leave it be and let it sort things out. I think they will....See MoreShould I prune this dawn redwood to single leader?
Comments (12)I am not the end all expert Indianagirl, but essentially yes. If I recall the recommendation was to take foot to eighteen inch hardwood cuttings about Christmas to make sure they are dormant. For best results cut at a 45 degree angle near a bud. Then I dampen the end so the hornone will stay on, apply the hornone. Stick it in some well draining potting mix and water occasionally. I've done this three times. My best results were putting about 6 cuttings in a pot and putting the pot in a semi-sun area. One seems to always take. Far as where I take cuttings from, I don't really have donor trees, just my yard trees so I take what I feel are less than prime cuttings. This means from branches which are crossing others, or from these interior sprouts which are pointed upwards. A real expert would have a higher success rate than I if recall back when I read instructions. There HAS TO BE more they do....See Morewisconsitom
9 years agojqpublic
9 years agowisconsitom
9 years agojqpublic
9 years agowisconsitom
9 years agoSteve Gall
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoI shot these photo of the dawn redwood today. The tree seems very healthy and is growing fast. It has grown 20" since I planted it 14 months ago. It is in zone 5b, about ten miles from zone 6a (nowhere near zone 5a.) I did try unstaking it, but it seemed like it still needed the stake. I fastened it higher to the stake, though. Should I be concerned about the tree growing so unbalanced to the one side?
(Reverse angle photo compared to above.)
Before I read this other thread, I did subordinate it again this week. I cut it where the yellow circle is. That new shoot was catching up to the leader. After seeing the photos in the other thread I will likely be lighter with my pruning attempts, but all seams to be well so far.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years agoSteve Gall
8 years agoI unstaked the dawn redwood yesterday. The tree is about 68 inches tall now.
Also, here is a closeup of the spot I pruned the second leader off at the end of winter.
Steve Gall
7 years agoI did cut the little shoot off in August of 2015. Now in August of 2016 the tree is 93 inches tall. It has good form and is my favorite tree.
Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
7 years agoSteve Gall
6 years agoThis photo was taken in October 2017. The dawn redwood is now 123" tall and has a much larger mulch ring. The background looks different because a house is being built on what was the empty lot next door.
toronado_3800
6 years agoSteve Gall
6 years agoSteve Gall
5 years agoOctober 2018. The dawn redwood grew 40" since October 2017 and is now 163" tall.
Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
5 years agoSteve Gall
5 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
4 years agohairmetal4ever
4 years agojqpublic
4 years ago
whaas_5a
4 years agopoaky1
4 years agoUser
4 years agoUser
4 years agoSteve Gall
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoThat Ogon is gorgeous! Here is a collage of our Ogon, which was 127" when planted in 2015.
2016 = 131"
2017 = 143"
2018 = 177"
2019 = 188"
jqpublic
4 years agojqpublic
3 years agoWe have another DR and it is the standard variety. This year the inner and bottom branches are pretty bare. Any thought as to what is impacting the tree?
Steve Gall
3 years agojqpublic
3 years ago
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
3 years ago
bengz6westmd
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agopoaky1
3 years ago
Stephen Brooks
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoHi, Really enjoyed this thread!! I was wondering if anyone here could advise me with another young DR.
As you can see here, at the top of my tree, the only true "leader", to the far left here, which dwarfs the other possibilities in both girth and height, is jutting off to the side at a substantial angle. It is growing a ton at its very top and is the tallest part of the tree by over a foot.My concern is how much of an angle it is growing at, & that it is not in the true center of the tree. (The bamboo stake is aligned to the center). (There is a lot of shade in the area where this is planted, though the tree catches some sun).
Here you can see more of the whole picture...the angle in question is even more pronounced that comes through in the image. Should I just stake that thick leader to straighten it up? Would anyone recommend pruning something you can see in the first image? Should I just leave it alone? Thanks in advance for any thoughts!poaky1
2 years agoSteve Gall
2 years agopoaky1
2 years agoStephen Brooks
2 years agoStephen Brooks
2 years agoSteve Gall
2 years agoStephen Brooks
2 years agolast modified: 2 years ago
Steve GallOriginal Author