skip to main content

Question on How to Prune Strangely Growing Tree

12 years ago

I just moved into a foreclosed home that's about 5 years old and I have a very strange tree in the yard. At first I thought it was some sort of bush but upon closer inspection, it looks like the trunk was chopped off at about 4ft tall for some reason and now the tree is sprouting from the base of the trunk.

Is it still possible to save this tree? If so, what's the best way to prune it?

This is the tree

https://webspace.utexas.edu/~jk2445/pictures/house/lowtree1.jpg

Here is what the base of it looks like.. you can the old trunk just left of center with some of the bark peeling off

https://webspace.utexas.edu/~jk2445/pictures/house/lowtree2.jpg

Here again, you can see the trunk..I guess they just decided to cut it down

https://webspace.utexas.edu/~jk2445/pictures/house/lowtree3.jpg

This is what looks to be the same tree on the otherside of the house. Unfortunately due to the drought in Central Texas, it's lost almost all its leaves before I could water it when I moved in. Ironically the strangely growing tree is doing just fine

https://webspace.utexas.edu/~jk2445/pictures/house/lowtree-otherone.jpg

Any suggestions?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
12 years ago
Any suggestions?

Fix the irrigation and all the other things in the house. Then rip it out and plant something new. Or, rip it out. Fix all the stuff. Plant new in spring.

Dan
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
we need an ID... i dont recognize it ...

but that wont stop me from guessing ... based on this fact:

it looks like the trunk was chopped off at about 4ft tall for some reason

===>>> my guess... it was a grafted tree .. and the graft above the standard died .... so they cut it off.. and left the trunk ... which sprouted from the roots .... it is not the named variety of what was above ... and it is probably not the same tree as behind ... its a lesser version ..

if so ... get rid of it ...

ken
Related Discussions
Pepper Tree: growing season and pruning
Q
Comments (15)
Ogrod - I'm sorry I never saw your posting. The tree should be watered only when a fair amount of soil is dry (stick your finger in it) or the leaves begin to just look a bit tired. Neilnfish - you say it's deciduous, but do you mean it's 'not' a conifer, or that it needs to have below freezing dormancy outside in winter? It's at least semi tropical, if not tropical, and while it might lose leaves in China in the fall, it would freeze to death in N. America outside except in the south and it's normally grown indoors under very bright light. If your leaves have fallen, there may be other reasons (and no 'deciduous' tree loses leaves in summer anyway). You may well have watered much too often, or provided no humidity tray (spraying is a waste of time), or not enough light, or else spider mites may be responsible. With no information about growing conditions where you live, it's hard to say. It's not meant to be a house plant, but at the same time cannot live outdoors (except in summer) in most of the U.S. and needs to be treated like other bonsai (tropicals) using the right kind of soil mix (mostly grit), 15 hours of bright sun all day and a fair amount of humidity.
...See More
Apricot tree pruning question
Q
Comments (1)
Give it some time. All you need to make a tree is one shoot. Post back with a picture of the actual tree after it grows more and I bet you'll get more responses.
...See More
Prune fig tree or let it grow?
Q
Comments (10)
It worked! :) It looks more like a fig patch--A one tree fig patch. I wouldn't know where to begin talking about whether you should prune it, or leave it alone. Are those dead branches under the tree, or are they the limbs that have rooted themselves? Do you feed the tree? If so, with what do you feed it? I got a kick at how you said it, "ate the fence years ago." It looks like you have a "creeping" fig tree. noss
...See More
Need help growing / Pruning my Li Jujube tree
Q
Comments (2)
Hello All, i got my Li jujube tree last spring(2020) 5 gal. Arounf 6 ft tall from the top of the container. Not sure whether grafted or air-layered. I rrplanted the tree into costco big container(17 gal may be). Also, fertilized the tree. i water it twice or thrice a week during spring & Summer & very occasionally during winter. The tree flowered last year & no fruits. Then during winter it went to dormant. This spring when the growth started, the side branches were dried & new growth started from next to some of the branches. The top 10 inches of the tree also got dried out (above the green ribbon). The side growth is around 8 inces now. I am not sure what mess i am doing. I didn’t do any pruning last yr. May be missed some waterings as well. We live near LA (South bay area - 90503). I would really appreciate if someone could give me some tips for fruiting & flowering. Here comes some pics.
...See More
Ament
12 years ago
I reminds me of the miserable little bushy crab apple tree that I was blessed with in my back yard when I moved here 4 yrs ago. Ugh! Rotten thing, some dolt hacked it off at the base nearly, then it did the same thing this thing appears to be doing. Same shaped leaves too nearly, well from what I remember after 2 years time.

Hehe, looped some semi chain around its base, hooked it to the Dodge Ram and slowly ripped it up out of the ground. Was quite worth the fun of watching that miserable thing go. :) I'd yank it like the guys suggest. Even have some fun doing it too, if you can. LOL

~Tina
christie_sw_mo
12 years ago
If you're in no hurry, you could wait and see if it blooms in the spring but I think if you keep it, it's destined to be a shrub, not a tree. Remember anything new that you plant will have to be watered regularly. Don't be too quick to get rid of stuff that survived your drought.
denninmi
12 years ago
I'm reasonably sure its rootstock from an ornamental pear. The top probably died and they let it grow. It will grow into a thorny tree with white blossoms and tiny fruits.

Overall, probably not a keeper.

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow 10 Favorite Fruit Trees at Home

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant a mini orchard in fall, winter or early spring to enjoy fresh-off-the-tree fruit the following year

GARDENING GUIDES How to Prune Your Flowering Shrubs for the Best Blooms

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Less is often more when it comes to properly pruning flowering shrubs. Here’s what to do and why

WINTER GARDENING Pruning Secrets for Exquisite Roses

By Annie Thornton

Encourage gorgeous blooms year after year with this time-tested advice on how to prune your rosebush in winter for health and shape

FRUIT TREES How to Grow Your Own Persimmons

By Marianne Lipanovich

Sturdy and easy to care for, these trees offer bright fruit through winter — and keeping them in bounds is no sweat

EDIBLE GARDENS Why Grow Quince? For Beauty, Fragrance and Old-Time Flavor

By Marianne Lipanovich

Delightfully perfumed fruit and lovely spring blossoms make this apple and pear cousin worth a spot in the garden

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow Your Own Peaches and Nectarines

By Marianne Lipanovich

Make gardening a little sweeter with these juicy fruits, which you can eat after plucking or preserve for later

BUDGET DECORATING 13 Versatile Furniture Pieces That Grow With You

By Laura Gaskill

Build a collection of high-quality pieces that will work from that first solo rental to a long-term home

KITCHEN DESIGN 9 Questions to Ask When Planning a Kitchen Pantry

By Susan Redman

Avoid blunders and get the storage space and layout you need by asking these questions before you begin

FEEL-GOOD HOME The Question That Can Make You Love Your Home More

By Laura Gaskill

Change your relationship with your house for the better by focusing on the answer to something designers often ask

GARDENING GUIDES 7 New Plants to Grow for Beautiful Foliage

Add color, structure and interest to your garden with these recently introduced plants that sport exceptional foliage

Sponsored

Whispering Pine Construction

Franklin County's Top Choice for Reliable Outdoor Construction

More Discussions

Pruning of young Chinkapin Oak

3

Our oak tree seems to be slowly dying, what can we do?

9

Tree trimming suggestions

2

Sassafras Foliar Peculiarity

14

Juniper virginians problem

6