Autumn Blaze - Co-dominant Leader? Acceptable Attachment?

[obsessive]

Hello, all.

I'd appreciate some advice on our tree. It's been planted in our yard for about four years (it was pretty good sized when we purchased it), and while it's first year saw apple-head borers attack it - it is healing well and I have it treated every year with a soak.

The tree has a rather 'lopsided' appearance from straight on (looks perfect driving up or down the street) which has become more apparent as the tree grows. I looked around on the web, and I'm wondering if there is a co-dominant leader that should be taken care of, or if it's characteristic of the type of tree. The tree has no dieback.

Should I consider having this pruned out? It would accentuate the odd shape, but if in the long term it's better and will fill on, then that's fine by me. See below for the attachment. FYI - the bark is dark in areas because it's been sprinkling on and off here. Also, the weather isn't nearly as bad as it looks to be - not sure why the pictures came out that way (such dark looking clouds).

I did find the following link somewhat helpful as it shows the different attachments. I do see that my bark turns outwards not inwards - which is good???

http://www.redbuttegarden.org/pruning_101

Thanks in advance.

E

 

[Raintree]

I would leave it alone, the maple is still young. The crown will fill out & become symmetrical in time. With no branch collar it would be detrimental to make that leader cut. My experience in trying to subordinate one side in a hybrid maple of this size in order to develop a dominate central leader. Has ended in a suckering nightmare from all the heading cuts.
Also you may not need to continue the flat-head apple tree borer treatments now that your maple has been established.

 

[ropensaddle]

Let it grow its just a baby, might be a candidate later for cable and brace but that will be several years away.

 

[BC WetCoast]

I would subordinate the weaker side, through drop crotch pruning and thinning. In a few years, when the stronger side has increased in size and the subordinated side has become about 1/2 the size of the larger one, I would remove it.

If you leave it, you already have some included bark establishing, you run the risk of it splitting. I've seen them split after a rain when they are in full leave, due to the weight of the water on the foliage.

If you do proper pruning cuts back to laterals, you will end up with some watersprouts, but they are easily dealt with.

 

[treeseer]

Gradually reduce it, starting with removing growth that crowds the dominant stem.