5yr Native Tree Challenge: Benjofen's Malus ioensis

Benjofen

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I just added the wire a few days ago, hope this isn't a problem. Previously it was the two trunks both extending straight up.

Malus isn't widely used it seems, so this is going to be an experiment.

Going to try and work with what I have and make a twin trunk. It's tricky because the shorter trunk is thicker, has better taper, better movement and more consistent branching.

My current plan is to let it grow for a year or two and then chop the left trunk back to the branch I just wired up as the new leader. With luck I'll get some lower branches along the way and can go from there. Otherwise, might morph into a single trunk!
 

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Darth Masiah

Chumono
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My current plan is to let it grow for a year or two and then chop the left trunk back to the branch I just wired up as the new leader. With luck I'll get some lower branches along the way and can go from there. Otherwise, might morph into a single trunk!
sounds like a good plan. all that foliage on the sacrifice branch should catch up the thickness with the right side.
 

Benjofen

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sounds like a good plan. all that foliage on the sacrifice branch should catch up the thickness with the right side.
The thing is, I'm torn because I'd actually prefer to keep one smaller than the other as it seems to be the traditional style for twin trunks. But they are both pretty skinny, so I'm not sure whether stunting one will also mean keeping the other from developing.
 

Benjofen

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Decided it was time to do a proper wiring. The guy wires weren't doing much except giving the skinnier trunk an unnatural looking s curve.

Still not sure to do with the skinny one. I'm thinking I might try air layering the top bit and trunk chopping the rest. It's simply far too long. I suppose once I remove the top and if I pinched out the remaining branch it might backbud nicely, but I'm thinking it just needs a tighter leader to begin with.
 

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Kanorin

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Cool, I'll be watching this thread! I picked up some M. Ioensis seeds from Sheffields this summer because I was curious if they might be decent for bonsai.

I like the double trunk! Most wild crabapples (if you can call urban/suburban parks wild) that I see have their main trunk split into 2-5 sub-trunks within the first 5 feet. Where yours splits looks very true to form proportionally to my eye! Nice start!
 

Benjofen

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Cool, I'll be watching this thread! I picked up some M. Ioensis seeds from Sheffields this summer because I was curious if they might be decent for bonsai.

I like the double trunk! Most wild crabapples (if you can call urban/suburban parks wild) that I see have their main trunk split into 2-5 sub-trunks within the first 5 feet. Where yours splits looks very true to form proportionally to my eye! Nice start!
They are everywhere in parks around here as well, and you're right - all kinds of multi-trunk trees.
 
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