I just want to make sure. Lou just said the tree was now officially a three inch stump. That is right. I saw another comment about cutting it to ground level--that would scare me. Here is why. First, I have to admit that I have not done studies and have no official knowledge--what I have is just a lot of ovservations. The sprouts I have seen on red oak trees seem to me to come from points above the root collar--I can't recall ever seeing red oaks sprout from roots, even after the tree is cut. I can't say it doesn't happen, but I do know that a red oak tree will usually sprout vogorously from points just above the root collar. Hence my recommendation for the three inch stump. If the tree were much larger, I would have recommended a 5 inch stump above the obvious root flare. Anyway, to be on the safe side I recommended a three inch stump, "no more, no less." But if any of you have any more specific knowledge concerning this recommendation, let me know. I do know that the vigorous sprouts that come from as close to the root collar as possible make the better trees and have less risk of inheriting any rot from the old stump. But I recommend a "margin of error," hence the idea of leaving three inches above the root collar for sprouts to grow from. Also, the more sprouts for the first two or three years, the better, to maintain the health of the root system, which will be the support of the future growth of the tree. I know some other trees will sprout from the roots if cut. But I have a serious question about whether red oaks do, and if they do, whether the probability and/or quantity of sprouts would be sufficient. Well, I invite information from others on this point--even though I am getting "long in the tooth," I am as eager to learn as ever, if not more so. --Spruce

Kicked off a baby? Are you sure your plant isn't grafted and the (I'm assuming it's a) basal sprout isn't from the root stock? Obviously, trees in nature branch just fine w/o our help, so if you wait, the tree will develop secondary branching on its own. You CAN force it to branch by removing the terminal bud on the leader (or cutting back harder), which contains the apical meristem. This removes the source of the growth regulator/hormone (auxin) that suppresses secondary growth. IF you do that, you need to take steps to train one of the branches that emerge to the vertical as the new leader, or risk changing the trunk line from straight to something with a crook/bend/curves in it. Al

Many trees are upright growers by nature, but can easily be induced to form multiple trunks. It is a common bonsai practice & referred to as a trunk-chop. Once the tree is well established, feed it particularly heavily after the initial spring growth push ends. In August, stop nitrogen applications & apply 0-10-10. The following spring, before buds move, make a diagonal cut with a very sharp saw or lopper a few inches above the basal flare. This will activate dormant buds & multiple new branches will begin growing. Select your new trunks from those growing in appropriate places, and remove the rest as they occur. The wound will quickly heal. Painting the wound with waterproof Elmer's Glue, being sure to seal the exposed cambium, will help keep the cambium in the wound area moist, prevent the wound from drying, and die-back of cambium in the wound area. This isn't to hasten healing per se, but to allow new buds to activate nearer the cut. In the case of trunk chops, it does, in the end, allow the wound to close faster. Al

No need to move your post - we maple people are general tree people as well:-) We just like maples a lot! And the answer to your question is pretty simple. The anthracnose will be an ongoing problem if conditions exist for its development and regular, at least annual, treatments will be required to control it. It is seldom a fatal affliction but it can cause defoliation and that can weaken the tree, leading to other issues. Plus, a tree with anthracnose always looks pretty funky and unhealthy. The pathogen that causes sycamore anthracnose is unique to that species so composting the diseased leaves should not pose any problems unless lots of other sycamores in the vicinity and the composting process not very thorough. Although a diseased sycamore will not grow as fast or as large as a perfectly healthy tree, they can get quite large and maybe not the best choice for a suburban garden. I'd look into replacing the tree with something that will be more attuned to your specific climate and location, like a native Texas species or something like a Shantung maple, Acer truncatum, which is very well adapted to a TX planting situation.