Pink Mimosa Splitting

[GeneralKayoss]

What's the best way to rectify this? Remove one of these trunks altogether? Get as much weight off it as possible? Probably a little late for trimming here in eastern NC, it just started budding.

 

[pdqdl]

You should tie the whole canopy into a supportive circle with permanently installed "dynamic cables". I would recommend some of the synthetic rope used to make that kind of tree brace.

https://sherrilltree.com/cobra-2t-single-system-package/

Put them in at about the height that you have been close-trimming all the branches.

With some upper canopy support installed, a through-bolt or two through the split might keep it together a bit longer and healthier than otherwise expected. With a bit of luck, it will even fuse back on the cambium and look viable again.

Then, when an ice storm breaks it all down in one big pile, just chainsaw the whole tree off at the ground level. Those little trees are infamous for growing back from the stump. You might consider saving yourself the trouble of waiting, and just cut it off now. Perhaps after the flowering period this Spring is done with?

I don't think I've ever removed a mimosa that didn't come right back to life with a plethora of suckers if it wasn't additionally killed by stump grinding and herbicides. Train just one of the emerging suckers into a new tree, as they tend to merge into a weakened mess, not much different than the tree you currently have.

Mimosa are weak, messy trees, but they are difficult to kill with a chainsaw.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

What's the best way to rectify this? Remove one of these trunks altogether? Get as much weight off it as possible? Probably a little late for trimming here in eastern NC, it just started budding

I have one just like that in my yard... it grew back after it and two others were cut down by the power company, and the stumps ground out.
Mine had ants get in under the bark and every year it looks worse and worse... but it's still standing and it puts out blooms that the bees love.
Yours has a very nice-looking canopy, definitely worth trying to save, imo.

 

[pdqdl]

Did I forget to mention they die off easily?
The tops become sick and die, with dead branches that need to be pruned out.

Then they resprout somewhere else in the yard. I'll admit that might be the best-looking mimosa I've seen for a long time. I believe the most common cause of failure is related to winter hardiness and cold weather. My experiences are possibly a bit more negative than is good advice for someone further south.
But then again, maybe not;
https://www.southernliving.com/garden/grumpy-gardener/mimosa-tree

 

[GeneralKayoss]

Did I forget to mention they die off easily?
The tops become sick and die, with dead branches that need to be pruned out.

Then they resprout somewhere else in the yard. I'll admit that might be the best-looking mimosa I've seen for a long time. I believe the most common cause of failure is related to winter hardiness and cold weather. My experiences are possibly a bit more negative than is good advice for someone further south.
But then again, maybe not;
https://www.southernliving.com/garden/grumpy-gardener/mimosa-tree

If you think that ones something, I've got an even bigger healthier one in the front yard! I'll snap a pic of it tomorrow if I remember. It's probably 26-27 years old.

I ended up trimming a couple limbs on the split side to reduce the weight a bit for when it starts greening up. Cranked a rachet strap around the top of the split to help give it some kind of support. I may run a bolt through there, or I may just cut that entire side off where the split is being these things are so resilient. It doesn't really provide any useful shade being at the edge of the yard like that anyway.

 

[pdqdl]

Cranked a rachet strap around the top of the split to help give it some kind of support. I may run a bolt through there, or I may just cut that entire side off where the split is being these things are so resilient

Ok for temporary. That ratchet strap is only good for a temporary structural solution. Long term, it will cut into the cambium, restrict translocation of fluids, and kill the branch above it.

 

[GeneralKayoss]

Ok for temporary. That ratchet strap is only good for a temporary structural solution. Long term, it will cut into the cambium, restrict translocation of fluids, and kill the branch above it.

Yeah I'll do something permanent with it this fall/winter. Keep an eye on it this summer. Here's the one in the front. It really is a beautiful tree when its green and flowered!