Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Training Young Trees, 4 by Muddy1

Muddy1 wrote:
Here are photos of my Red Maple 'Red Sunset' that, while not as useful as photos before it leafed out would have been, show my main pruning question: do I need to prune some of the very top branches to maintain a good leader?

The first 4 photos show NE, S, S and NW sides of the tree. The tree is about 12' tall, and the lowest branch is 54" from the ground.

The last photo shows the very top of the tree, where the center leader is surrounded by about 5 branches that are at least as tall as it is. The point where the strong center leader splits into 5-6 branches is 9 feet from the ground.

When I took these, I saw that there is a wayward branch I need to prune (bottom right of photos 2 and 3), but I'm most concerned about maintaining a strong leader.

Also, does anyone know what caused the mottled bark? An insect bored into one of the lower branches all the way to the trunk and, after cutting it off and squirting insecticide in the hole, I poured Bayer's systemic insecticide at its base, so I hope it's okay.






This message was edited May 26, 2014 8:29 PM