5yr Native Tree Challenge #6 Forsoothe! Eastern Redcedar #1

[Forsoothe!]

Here we go, Kiddies, ill advised, but got too big this year and time for a decision. As collected 09/21/20...


A volunteer left to grow and trimmed each of the last 4 or 5 years. Bolted this year so it had to come out now rather than next spring. The roots were wide spread and not very deep in this flower bed with good soil...

Roots were solidly married with Periwinkle, so not much I could do except separate the two and pot it up.

Cleaned up nicely with lots of candidate branches left in-place. This is the side that abutted the porch, so essentially bare this side.

Close-up view of twin trunk created when I trimmed the top in the ~3rd? year.

I like twin trunks and this will work if it lives.

The rear was the sunny side opposite the porch so it is very full and provides more than enough branches, if it lives. Tomorrow I will wire new leaders in place vertically against the trunk.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

You’re not going to let it rest for a year?
Or a season at least?

 

[Forsoothe!]

No. The roots are not in balance with the canopy and I have to remove some of the foliage to attempt that balance. I'm removing whole branches and what I leave are whole branches. I will shorten keeper branches to the first pair & wire next fall.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Here's the last of the starting pics...

Hose clamps hold vinyl tubing over base of branches held upright as new leaders.

More than one prospective leader branch is included in the bundle clamped in both places. If the best choice dies, I will still have the other leader in-place and vertical next spring.



The flat front is a product of the tree growing within inches of the porch base where it appeared as a volunteer 5 or 6 years ago. In retrospect, I should have wired a chosen new leader up on the rear side of the top which was obviously going to be the eventual front because the leader that developed is not covering the chop. It only has a 50-50 chance of living due to small root mass, but I'll give it as much winter protection as possible in dappled shade. I need some luck.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Abandoned, dead.