Big Forsythia Yamadori

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Here's a forsythia I dug up late autumn last year.
It was a twin trunk but only one of them had good movement so the other was removed after the leaves fell.

The roots where checked last weekend as I still had to remove one of the huge tap roots. I didn't have enough time when I initially dug it up so I left it buried in the pot for about 3 months before going back to it.
It had grown about a hand full of roots I can use just above the cut I had to make for the tap root. A lot of roots grew on the back of the tree where I had it covered over with the pot/tub buried in the ground.
I wont be able to use them with them being too high up and probably wont mulch as much next time.

What I was wondering is when do you think the best time to cut back to the live wood and clean all the rotted parts away would be or should I just leave it to rot naturally? You can see the lines of bark where the water flowed down the trunk.
I don't think it will be a problem in the long run, as the back of the tree is still healthy wood. I just don't want to put too much stress on the tree since I had to dig it up again.

I have also seen a lot of people use lime sulphur on forsythia, most of the dead wood is still soft on this tree though and putting that on the live bits of wood i've chopped back at the top would probably kill the trunk right?

Also what do you think of the height of the tree? the nebari is decent I think.

I'll add a few pictures of what it was like last year when I had to stop a wasp from digging down into the trunk.
 

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rockm

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LEAVE IT ALONE for crying out loud. A good time to start doing anything, much less futzing with newly grown roots, would be NEXT YEAR. You are on a path that will probably result in the death of this tree, or it having significant dieback on the trunk...
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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that is quite the "beast" - huge trunk compared to Forsythia we see in the Chicago area. Enough has been done in the last couple months, this huge stump, with lots of potential needs to be left alone for a minimum of 12 months. Do nothing for a year or two.

If next year, there has only been a little bit of growth, then do nothing for a second year. If it has exploded with growth, multiples of new branches, more than 12 new branches. Then you can start work spring 2021. Otherwise give it time to recover.

Lime sulfur on live wood is very likely to kill the live wood. Do not treat live or dead wood this year. The soonest you would treat wood would be 2021 or 2022. Right now the health of the tree is too fragile to risk exposure to lime sulfur.
 
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LEAVE IT ALONE for crying out loud. A good time to start doing anything, much less futzing with newly grown roots, would be NEXT YEAR. You are on a path that will probably result in the death of this tree, or it having significant dieback on the trunk...

You're right, i'm not doing any more work on it now. I didn't want to start a growing season and developing roots knowing that it might all be a waste if they grow too far down the tap root. I made sure to be careful with the roots.
It seems like I've removed a lot of wood from the trunk but most of it had rotted and i've not removed right to the edge of the live wood on most of it.

Thank for the advice @Leo in N E Illinois
 

rockm

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You're right, i'm not doing any more work on it now. I didn't want to start a growing season and developing roots knowing that it might all be a waste if they grow too far down the tap root. I made sure to be careful with the roots.
It seems like I've removed a lot of wood from the trunk but most of it had rotted and i've not removed right to the edge of the live wood on most of it.

Thank for the advice @Leo in N E Illinois
The work you've already done can have lasting, negative impact on the tree. forsythia are notorious for trunk dieback. Removing ANY roots is a very very bad thing at this point in its recovery. The plant is expending its remaining resources trying remain living. IT knows best how to recover and will grow accordingly. The esthetics of the root mass are exactly LAST on the list of things to correct. The more roots, the less trunk you will lose--and FWIW, removing rotting wood at this point in the process is futile. The trunk could continue to die back for another year or two as the plant recovers. Removing roots, ANY ROOTS, will hasten that die back.
 

sorce

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With a couple years top growth it's likely to have more roots than you want to deal with.

Sorce
 
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Buds finally pushing!
I can see two buds at the top at the cut I made, not so much die back.
 

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Update.2

The growth looks really compact on the thicker branch here, it's actually curling the branch on it's own
 

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Update.3

Apex growth is looking pretty weak compared to the rest of the tree now.

Is there anyway id be able to force apex growth?
 

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Wires_Guy_wires

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I honestly don't know. I only redirect energy like that during a growing season, but winter can set in fast of course.
I don't know how much growing time your tree has left.

If you do nothing now, you can always try this approach in spring. But I would give it protection from frost just to be sure.
 

leatherback

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If you do nothing now, you can always try this approach in spring. But I would give it protection from frost just to be sure.
It might have dropped it in spring.

Maybe not remove all, but half of each lower branch?

I am a little surprised at how litte growth you have gotten on this tree this year. Did you fertilizer well?
 
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It might have dropped it in spring.

Maybe not remove all, but half of each lower branch?

I am a little surprised at how litte growth you have gotten on this tree this year. Did you fertilizer well?

I didnt fertilise, I was told to hold off on fertilizing for a year after collecting. D:
If I use it now should I go for 15,3,3 on a weekly schedule?

The winters have been pretty mild here, I think theres enough time left to force a bit more growth to the apex.
 

leatherback

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I was told to hold off on fertilizing for a year after collecting.
really? I find forsythia hungry bastards. I think I added fertilizer pallets in the substrate when I dug mine. Traded it for tools a few months later as I could not keep up with the tree.
 
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Yes well I was told to halt any work or fertlizing with every yamadori, I should of probably asked around more about the needs of different collected species.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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It might have dropped it in spring.

Maybe not remove all, but half of each lower branch?

I am a little surprised at how litte growth you have gotten on this tree this year. Did you fertilizer well?

That's very well possible. However, what if this tree is digging into its last resources? Cutting off the only parts that return investments could be deadly.
I'd go with the half-cuts.

And some fertilization.
 

Potawatomi13

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Yes well I was told to halt any work or fertlizing with every yamadori, I should of probably asked around more about the needs of different collected species.

It's NOT Yamadori! Its a cultivated plant. Personally fertilize any new plant soon after potting up. As long as taking up H20 will use fertilizer as well. Whoever said not to was a moron. Roots still growing feed it.
 

BobbyLane

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Update.3

Apex growth is looking pretty weak compared to the rest of the tree now.

Is there anyway id be able to force apex growth?

the right side is probably still adjusting, as there is a lot of dead areas on that side. i wouldnt prune anything off this tree. needs all the energy it can get. miracle gro and some chicken pellets might have helped along with fish n sea weed. btw it isnt yamadori its just a garden/landscape plant
 
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