carving pyracantha?

[will0911]

I have this pyracantha slant style and as I know it lacks taper and was wondering if anyone knew if they take well to carving? Or if there was anything I could do besides chopping it to help taper? I guess I could grow sacrifice branches. Anyway what would you do?

Thanks,

Will B.

 

[jk_lewis]

You pretty much have to grow taper on firethorn. Once you have a trunk like this, there is very little you can do to induce taper after the fact -- even if you allow the lower branches to grow to be 6 feet long.

It takes a ruthless series of trunk chops and a very long healing period for the chop scars to get even fair taper.

 

[will0911]

bummer...well good thing im 24 cause i guess its gonna need alot of time.