Fixing a "topped" young maple tree
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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BillMN-z-2-3-4
last yearlast modified: last yearMaple trees in general have a 'mind of their own' when you're trying to grow a single leader. They tend to grow in a decurrent manner and want to form a 'ball' shape with branches going outward in all directions, especially when grown in the open. So, expect doing light pruning over the next few years.
I wouldn't touch it during the cold season. Branches tend to be quite brittle in colder weather and could snap/break trying to bend them. Also, the top branches look to be on the slim side, so I'd just use a bypass cutter or lopping shears to remove the extra leaders and stub.
I've been working on this tree for several years. You can see the trunk is not perfectly straight but will become less noticeable over time. It's getting to the point it's too tall to continue reaching up that far, so it will be growing in a more decurrent manner as the years go by.
picture from 10-1-2022:
Christy Fitzgerald thanked BillMN-z-2-3-4Christy Fitzgerald
last yearken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last yearlast modified: last yearChristy Fitzgerald thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5BillMN-z-2-3-4
last yearlast modified: last yearThis is similar to what I use. Climbing ladders or foot stools are a thing of the past for me.
I have a 12 ft. pole when extended. I do recommend getting one with the steel pruning hook. The plastic hooks tend to crack after a while and are thicker so not as easy to get into the branch crevases. The hook will clip up to 1" diameter branches and the saw takes care of larger limbs.
I also have a hand saw and other tools for when limbs are low enough to be working from the ground.
Christy Fitzgerald thanked BillMN-z-2-3-4klem1
last yearBillMN-z-2-3-4
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last yearlast modified: last yearSorry but I didn't read through all the posts, so I don't know if this was suggested. It's a very easy fix. Prune off the top immediately below where the 4 top branches converge. Leave the stub because you'll be using it as a stake. Select a lower branch that looks flexible and is oriented at least somewhat vertically, and tie it to the stub, using a strip of towel or something similar that won't cut into the bark. You might need to use more than 1 strip and tighten it monthly if the branch doesn't bend willingly. You could also make a few shallow cuts with a hacksaw blade on the outside of the bend in the new leader if it is uncooperative insofar as bending it. It will make it easier to bend and it will heal just fine.
Prune all growth off the stub above where the new leader is attached, and allow nothing to grow from the stub, it is only there to provide a temporary anchor point.By next fall, the new leader will be set and you can remove the stub. There will be no branch collar because of the disparity in diameter between the new and old leader, so leaving a short stub is fine. When the new leader adds secondary growth (thickens), you'll eventually be able to identify a branch collar you can use as a pruning guide.
Too, it looks like the primary branch below where the 4 branches converge has a secondary branch very close to the trunk that looks like it is almost vertical. That near vertical branch could also be manipulated to serve as a new leader, unless the camera is playing tricks with reality. It might just be another primary branch on the opposite side of the tree. I can't tell.
Al
Christy Fitzgerald thanked tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)BillMN-z-2-3-4
last yearAnd just to add another method (which I was going to do with my maple picture above).
I've used a wooden dowel to direct a new leader (branch) into a vertical position.I don't have pictures anymore but here's an image from the U of Mn.
I used plastic garden tape in several places along the trunk and new leader.
With this method, you could use one of existing leaders at the top for the new leader.Remember to remove the tape or fabric connections after the first year so they don't begin to constrict the trunk, which they will eventually do.
Christy Fitzgerald thanked BillMN-z-2-3-4Christy Fitzgerald
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klem1