Should I leave my redbud tree as multi-stemmed or trim to standard?
bellafiore
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
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laceyvail 6A, WV
8 years agobellafiore
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoRelated Discussions
Help me choose the perfect multi-stemmed tree/shrub please!
Comments (8)my loquat has been a fast-growing tree that is about 10' tall from seed 5-6 years ago. i have a pittosporum tobira that has been pruned into an open, multi-stemmed shrub, standing almost 8' tall now. it is the variegated form and the soft green might combine well with the wall color. there is also 'wheeler's dwarf' if you want to try something smaller. i also think an oakleaf hydrangea could be something to consider. not growing too fast, it could be pruned for height and they grow naturally in the form you are looking for. japanese maples are a good idea. one with yellow fall color would look nice against that wall....See MoreCan I divide a multi-stemmed Serviceberry?
Comments (6)Generally, the answer is "yes" -- although with qualification. It will depend on just how much separate root system each stem has. If each one looks like it will have a viable root on its own, it will work. Nowadays, a lot of nursery stock is grown by sticking multiple rooted cuttings into a pot, so that it matures faster and gives the grower a quicker turnover. So, you may already have individual plants anyway. Hard to know without doing a little exploratory surgery. BUT -- it's the wrong time of year to do all of this -- should be done when the plant is dormant, preferably in late winter/very early spring, second best time would be in autumn just after the leaves drop. So, I would wait until them. Doing it now would probably stress the plants way too much, but once again, it will depend on just how much cutting you have to do, how much root system would be left on each one, and what kind of environmental conditions in terms of heat and moisture stress the plants would face afterwards. You really won't know without popping it out of its pot and at least checking the root system. I've purchased nursery stock before that was so barely rooted out that it virtually fell apart into separate plants when popped out of the pot, and I've purchased nursery stock that was in the pot so long I had to cut the plastic away from the root system just to get it out. Only you can be the judge of that particular situation. Once you get them separated, whether now or later, you will have no problem doing as you described. My serviceberrry bush makes lots o nice suckers, and each one can be separated to make a new bush should I desire. And, you can train them into a standard (single trunked tree) without much effort, just need to stake them and remove all of the suckers and shoots off of the stem. Hope this helps....See MoreMulti-Stem Autumn Blaze Maple
Comments (14)I don't know why it should be considered a mistake......although not as common a single trunked specimens, Freeman maples are available as multi-trunked selections as well. Typically these are listed in grower catalogs as "clump" maples. A number of maple species are inclined to grow with multiple trunks, sugar maples (one of the Freeman's parent species) among them. Because they are less common than single trunked trees and generally held for a longer period to confirm the viability of all the trunks before they are marketed, multi-trunked trees typically carry a higher price tag. "Should be grown as a single leader" is an artificial concept the public has assigned to various trees. As stated previously, as maples mature, single leaders - if they exist at all - disappear, leaving the tree without a dominant growing point but a broad, balanced canopy. There is no viable reason why they "must" be grown with a defined single leader. If the trunks are well spaced and approximately equal in proportion to each other and context, then you should have no problems. Prune as you would with the more common single trunked forms, removing conflicting branching and watching for narrow crotch angles. IMO, multi-trunked or clumped trees offer a much more interesting presentation, as well as a nearly immediate sense of more maturity, than do the more common single trunked selections....See MoreWhat do you think of this redbud? Should I bring it home?
Comments (22)Thanks for all the input. In Montreal we only Have one high-end nursery that sells these and the big box stores do not. It is a plain cercis canadensis. The grower is in Ontario with perhaps a milder zone. I don't think it was dug up from the wild. This one overwintered here in our conditions at the nursery and has done beautifully in terms of flowering and health. The price therefore might reflect this. I paid 450 Canadian for a 2.5 m high one. About 325 us? Even the small ones (4 feet) were almost 200 cad. I might be ripped off but I almost don't care? Supply and demand.... I think i will go for it. If you allow me to come back and ask questions :)...See More
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
8 years agobellafiore
8 years agobellafiore
8 years ago
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