Young tulip tree - branch twisting round trunk to get the light....

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Pete M

ArboristSite Operative
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Jun 1, 2008
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Brighton UK
Dear all. I wonder if perhaps I could have some advice. I have a young tulip tree that I planted at bottom of my garden 2 years ago. It is alongside a couple of acers - well spaced - as part of a screening row of trees. Just behind the tulip tree is a coniferous hedge and a taller coniferous tree. The top of the tulip tree is above the height of the top of the hedge - parhaps 3 feet higher, with the tulip tree being about 16ft and the hedge about 13ft..

But I have a bit of a problem. The afternoon shade provided by the conifer has caused a branch on the right hand side of the trunk to bend round to the front of the trunk in its search for more light. I'm going to cut back more of the conifer to let more light through, but wonder what I should do about the bent branch on the tulip tree. Should I leave it, or whip it off? It's one of the lower branches. I can't do photos at the moment as camera is on strike.

Thanks in advance.

Pete
 
Blinkin' 'ell....that was quick :) You've just confirmed what I suspected would be the best thing to do. I had a feeling that it's the sort of branch that would lead to problems later on, so better for it to go sooner.

thanks very much.

Pete
 
I've just had another look at the tree. The branch that is bent right round is the lowest branch on the tree. The problem is that there is a stem coming off it in the opposite direction which is providing balance. It's also a very leafy branch at the moment and if I remove now will make the tree look sad! I'll wait until the tree has dropped its leaves and look again then when I reduce some of a codominant leader.
 
I'll give this a shot......

how tall is the tree? taller than a two story building?
if it is taller the bottum limb it should not be providing much balance.
if it is shorter the bottum limb may need to be subordinated(cut back to a lateral limb 1/3 the size of the actual limb).

are you saying the tree has a limb on the opposite side of the tree that is the same size and height as this one?

what is the diameter of the limb? the Diameter Breast Height of the tree? how high is/are the first limb/s?
 
It's dark here now so I'll sort a couple of pictures out after work tomorrow. I guess it's hard to visualise without seeing properly, but it's like this....the bottom limb (about 1/3 diameter of trunk) leave the trunk by departing to the right. It then turns forward and back on itself crossing over the trunk and pointing to the left. At the point where it carries out its 180 degree bend there is a lateral limb that leave the bent limb and goes to the right (kind of where this bottom limb should have gone). The lateral limb that goes to the right balances the remainder of the limb that goes to the left. In absence of photograph, here's a quick sketch.....offending limb in red!

The problem at the mo is that this limb contains a very large amount of foliage....and I'm unsure how wise it would be to cut now. It's probably only about 1/6 of total foliage on the tree though.
 
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wow thats quite a limb you got there. it sounds quite unique, and could possibly be kept for aesthetics??? definently wait until late fall to winter before pruning that much off your tree.

get them pics up and we'll take a look
 
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