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Green Giant Arb prune question

6 years ago

Hi, I have 8 GG Arbs planted last Oct. They all sustained minor freeze
damage early this spring when it warmed very early and they greened up
and then got extremely cold for 3 weeks. I did have to prune some
dead/frozen parts including some top leaders. They are all doing great
this summer except one. There is growth all over this tree except the
top leader. It has green at top but no new growth this season and seems
like the there is damage there. My question is should I just leave it be
for this season since it's getting close to winter? Or should I prune
the top down to a better part, probly 6 to 8 inches from top. TIA, John

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Comments (9)

plantkiller_il_5
6 years ago
let the plant decide which is the better part

ron
tjohn37
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks, so you're saying it will grow no matter what I do.
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Sara, while some pics would help, it doesn't sound to me as though any pruning needs to be done. A little tip browning is normal for all arbs and will be completely obscured by new growth later. Also, GGs have a strongly predetermined growth form. Any pruning done in this regard will, IMO, make them worse, not better. Now if there was to be a whole complete branch that died for some reason, that should be removed. but it doesn't sound to me like this is the case. As to fertilizing, if the trees are surrounded by turf that is receiving regular fertilization, the trees will be getting enough from that. Even where this is not the case, folks tend to want to overuse fertilizer on trees. Mostly, they don't need it. But.......a moderate dosing of some nitrogen could well speed up top growth on the plants. Just go very mellow with it, if at all. The GG grows so fast that there tends to be some space between branches where the stem has elongated. Please resist the tempatation to "fix" this. They will be just fine, filling in as side branchlets elongate and multiply over time. To me and many others, the best possible appearance with most conifers is achieved when we do nothing to alter it. Be patient and I think you will see this too. +oM
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I'd advise you to not top the larger GG. All single-leader conifers are "thin" at the topmost part. The apical bud grew the most, by far, and both within this year and in subsequent growing seasons, the side buds/branches will grow more, get heavier, drape down a bit, and completely alleviate the "problem" as is is now. As to that other one, you could do some correct pruning on the neighboring tree-it's just a matter of which plant you wish to favor. You won't kill it by removing a few branches, and this may well allow enough light to reach the little GG to boost its growth. If you do elect to go this route, be sure to remove whole branches right up to the trunk, not head them back. While I am not certain what species it is, almost all conifers lack the ability to bud out and grow new branchlets off of a main branch when headed back. Pics would help in the certainty of this. +oM
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Hi RC. If the unwanted leader(s) can be removed completely without doing so taking a too-big chunk of the tree with it, go ahead and do that. However, and especially given the size of these already, it may be better to just "shorten up" the competing leaders. I know these are arbs, but to the extent possible, look for a side branch that points out away from the main stem and cut the offending leader back to that point. Even just shortening codominant leaders like this very often serves the purpose of slowing them down and forcing them to behave more like branches. Give it a try. If, after another year or two of growth, it seems not to have been enough, you can go back in to the same codominants and shorten them further down. Although more of a technique that is used in training broad-leaved deciduous trees, this "subordination pruning" is a time-tested method to help a plant remain or become one with a single central leader, +oM
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hey al .... single trunk GG are best ... especially if snow load is an issue ... i presume you replied to this very old post.. because you were searching for answers.. good for you ... but if you started your own post.. answers could be sent to your own email ... multiple leaders are a problem caused by the propagation methods ... single leaders are not indicative of plant ID ... in other words.. just because they are not single leader.. does not mean they are not GG ... take off multiple leaders at the trunk ... leaving the branch collar if possible .... if there are many.. i dont know how many i would do at once .... if there were 4.. i might take two.. and cut the others halfway down.. to make a single dominant leader.. and then next year take the other two out .... dont worry if the plant looks thin.. it will fill in nicely ... but before you act.. when were these planted ... ken
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KennsWoods
6 years ago
During the Easter freeze of '07 after a month of summer-like temps the temp dropped into the upper teens on two nights, one of which had winds gusting to 35-40 MPH. My GGs had not started into growth yet. None made ANY new growth that year, they just stayed green. The following year they all grew away as normal.

Leave your tree be until next growing season. If the leader dies cut it back to live wood and it will releader.
tjohn37
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks, sounds like good advice. This tree will be hard pressed to catch up with the other 8. They are going nuts. First pic is over a foot of new growth on most and second pic is the stragler
plantkiller_il_5
6 years ago
Also , I tell everyone with GGs , cultivate soil around them first 2 yrs.

ron
tjohn37
Original Author
6 years ago
I have thick grass right up to the bottom leaves. Top of root ball beyond that.
plantkiller_il_5
6 years ago
kill that grass back ( roundup ) get some mulch under there

although yours sound as though they are doing just fine

ron
tjohn37
Original Author
6 years ago
They are in between properties on a lawn. I do have mulch under them, I'll post a pic of the situation when I get home later. They are doing well. I had 5 more planted on the other side of my property along my driveway this season and they are even showing growth which I didn't expect until next spring. We've had a lot of rain here this summer. And I've been watering.
tjohn37
Original Author
6 years ago
Some pics, first two are the ones planted last October @ 5'. And the third are the ones planted this July 1st same height

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