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Damaged/topped NIPs/araucarias?

15 years ago

I've heard pruning a NIP can cause problems with it, but nobody seems to get into the specifics much, other than it can damage the tree's symmetry. I'm getting some conflicting information on this though.

http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/images/NIPine%20damaged.jpg

This is the only picture I've been able to find of a damaged NIP, but it looks like, if they get cut in half by a hurricane or something, they'll just send up additional leaders?

I've also heard that if an NIP gets topped, they'll send up another trunk from the base of the tree, instead of sending up a new leader (or leaders) from the top.

What sort of affect would this have on plant vitality?

Also, according to wollemi international, wollemi pines can be pruned extensively without causing much damage -- however, looking at pictures of trees in situ, they look like they also tend towards a fairly symmetrical growth pattern.

Comments (4)

pineresin
15 years ago
"This is the only picture I've been able to find of a damaged NIP, but it looks like, if they get cut in half by a hurricane or something, they'll just send up additional leaders?"

Yep, that's correct. The problem of course is that the new multiple erect leaders are not so strongly attached to the trunk, and break fairly readily in hurricanes. The result is large missiles dropping on whatever or whoever is below.

In the Florida case, the initial damage causing the forking in the first place is reported to be frost; single-stemmed trees are very resistant to hurricanes (if they go, it is by uprooting rather than trunk breakage).

"I've also heard that if a NIP gets topped, they'll send up another trunk from the base of the tree, instead of sending up a new leader (or leaders) from the top"

Never come across that before. It certainly doesn't apply to Araucaria araucana. They may send up new stems from the base, but that's in addition to new erect stem(s) from immediately below the damage.

Resin
salicaceae
15 years ago
In the case of Florida, there are virtually no NIPs here, all "Cook pines" or Araucaria columnaris. Despite what is often said, it is one of the MOST hurricane-resistant trees we can grow. It just sheds its branches and regrows them. Resin is correct though that the multiple leaders are weaker, but still the damage caused from these falling is far less than most trees.
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amccour
Original Author
15 years ago
"It just sheds its branches and regrows them."

I thought neither NIPs nor Cook Pines regrew lost branches. Do you mean that it regrows new ones from the top or something?

"Never come across that before. It certainly doesn't apply to Araucaria araucana. They may send up new stems from the base, but that's in addition to new erect stem(s) from immediately below the damage."

It's probably new erect stems coming up from the base. I'm actually thinking this might be the case more if the entire tree, or at least a large amount of it, gets taken down.

Specifically, people have to cut down trees because they've gotten too large -- either because they got too large as house plants, or because they're grown outdoors in a hurricane prone area and people are feeling threatened by them -- and new vertical stems come up.
pineresin
15 years ago
This pic shows A. columnaris re-growing new branches extensively in the lower crown, even without any damage. It's perfectly natural!

Resin

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:739356}}

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