Is it harmful to pull/stake a tree to retrain it?

Is it harmful to pull/stake a tree to retrain its growing crooked?

I have recently moved into a property that has a smallish Cornus florida that grew right up against the backside of a huge hickory tree. It has grown at an angle with all of its branches growing off of one side.
Last fall I had the hickory removed for other unrelated reasons and have since assumed the task of rehabilitating this little tree. It suffered greatly last year from the drought and looked very bad. Since receiving regular water and light this season, plus benefiting from some of the soybean/alfalfa meal I fertilize with it has perked up considerably, and I now feel it is healthy enough for us to try to straighten it up. I had planned to saturate the ground around it and stake it with a gentle pull that we would adjust every month or so, being very careful not to put too much strain on it of course..
Is this harmful?

Also as regards pruning- I mentioned that the only branches that this tree has are all on one side. It is putting out some new lateral sprouts on the bare side, but I still am fighting the urge to prune it just a tad to direct any new growth to a somewhat more aesthetically pleasing direction. Is a dogwood one that pruning helps, or is it best left completely alone? I know that some trees are stimulated by pruning and some are not, and I would likely wait until after next springs bloom time is over before I do anything. I would not be taking off much at all in terms of removing food producing leaves- but it is way out of balance and all of it's current foliage is hanging over my fence and I fear a neighbor cutting on it.

So- is gently pulling a tree upright harmful, and how do dogwoods handle pruning?
Thanks.

Photo of subject tree

My experience in this area has not shown any damage or harm to trees with gentle staking. The one thing I would say is don't tie the tie around the tree's trunk too tightly. The problem is that the tree's trunk girth expands faster than one might think (well, faster than I thought, anyway!) and suddenly I had a tree with a "waist" in its trunk because the tie was too tight. I use old nylons now, because they expand easily and allow for stretch and movement in the tree's trunk during wind, which helps to form a strong trunk. I have done this with numerous trees because it gets very windy in my part of Iowa and young trees sometimes grow up crooked! I haven't done it with a dogwood specifically but I believe it would respond well.

I am not sure about the pruning question for dogwoods - will leave that to the experts!
Claire

With the hickory removed new growth will begin to grow vertical on its own. Staking by pulling (not pushing) may help some, but the tree will always have a sweep or bend in the trunk. Over time as the tree grows larger it will become less noticacable. Too much pruning on a cornus will produce water shoots. Watch for a straight central leader to form or encourage one by nipping back any competing leader. Don't prune back the branched out side. This will only cause the tree to sprout more new growth on the pruned side. Look at this tree as having "character".

Don't know why you would need to ever tie anything completely around the trunk. Tie completely around the stake, so it doesn't fall down the stake, but only from the stake around and back for the tree trunk. Half of the trunk will be in contact with the rope, nylon, piece of hose, whatever.

To correct anything that has grown for that long, you will need to guy for probably 2 years. Saturating the soil prior to guying is good. Saturate after you have pulled back on the tree too. If you can, you will need to pull past the vertical, because the tree will return to its former position at least somewhat, no matter what.

I think I would prune of the entire lowest branch next season. It will help with it's vertical ascension. Pruning back branches, as Snapple says, will probably encourage more growth there - not what you want. Snapple is also correct that the tree will right itself somewhat all on its own, but never be to the vertical without help.

Thanks, everyone- this is exactly the type of information I was looking for.

It will always have character, as much for the trouble I have gone to in order to save it as the shape it eventually takes on. Thanks for the pruning info- I am a pretty good pruner as far as training and direction, but also know that different trees respond differently. I do not want broom branches!


I am going to use two fence posts and two ratcheting strapping tapes with a piece of garden hose around the tree part, not tied. I was afraid the nylon straps would hold too much moisture against the trunk over the long haul. I was also planning to scoot the hose part a tad each time I tightened the tree.


Is my plan of pulling gently and tightening periodically better than biting the bullet and straightening it all the way to vertical in one go? I am afraid of breaking it. It really has had a tough go if it and if it broke I would never forgive myself.


Thanks- I will take a look at it after blooming next spring and perhaps take off that lowest branch- especially if the dormant buds it has now really take off as I hope. It is leaning to the north, so with all the new light and care it is getting it should respond.

Again, thanks- just the one question is left as regards whether doing it all at once or incrementally is best?

Pulling gently and tightening periodically is certainly the way to go. How much you do at one time can only be gaged by you. Obviously, your first correction will be the largest, especially if you saturate the soil first.

I need to clarify what I meant by the entire lowest branch. Certainly the small (and actually the lowest) branch will be cut at some time, but I was talking about next one up that is fighting with the fence. Upon further reflection, I probably wouldn't cut it all off at once. After all, it is one third of the whole tree. But I would cut half of it off, knowing that the rest would be removed in the following year or two. Whether you decide to do this is up to you, as it has no bearing on the health of the tree - only its asthetics, IMO.

Oooh- thanks Leftwood- that's the very one I was wanting to trim.
I have plenty of time to keep odd shoots from developing and can see to it every day if I need to rub them off.
I don't know about ever taking it off entirely- I love the lowest layer of a Dogwood to remain and nearly sweep the ground. I'm just aiming for a bit more balance and a lot less leaning.

It's always going to have some "character" issues. :D It will be very interesting to see where the adventitious buds break next year.

branches nearly sweeping the ground

Yay !!! Someone else who likes that ! My 30ft wide (and 30ft tall) River birch does that. It has a characteristically open growth pattern, so you can still walk between the branches without to much bother.

Although I can't imagine how this will work with those branches that are already having close encounters with that fence. Nevertheless, good for you! (And the tree will like it better too because roots will be kept cooler.)