Hackberry #1, TP

[thumblessprimate1]

One of my first collected ones from late winter of 2014. All the branches grew from 2015. I plan to do a repot and root work in 2017. This year I might just shorten the branches. Not worried about a front until the nebari has formed. It was just a stump with a few lateral roots when it came home. I didn't seal the chop at the time. I'll definitely seal for a bigger tree though.
@JudyB when do you recommend cutting back branches? All are welcome to comment.

 

[sorce]

Thanks for spanking my hankering for hackberry again!

If you're not gonna repot for a year....
I'd let it go mad wild this year, pump it up for that root growth.

The one I used to have was very obedient, not too much to keep in check.
It shouldn't get out of hand.

And any juice to get the bark going....

Nice.

Sorce

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Yeah. You're probably right about letting it grow strong another year without any insults. I'm very sleepy about now so my head isn't all right.
About the bark, this type seems to have smoother grey bark. It may get a little warty with age. I've started to look for more rough barked types, but I'll never pass up on a nice trunk if I see one.

 

[garywood]

One of my first collected ones from late winter of 2014. All the branches grew from 2015. I plan to do a repot and root work in 2017. This year I might just shorten the branches. Not worried about a front until the nebari has formed. It was just a stump with a few lateral roots when it came home. I didn't seal the chop at the time. I'll definitely seal for a bigger tree though.
@JudyB when do you recommend cutting back branches? All are welcome to comment.

View attachment 91085

TP, I'm with the Sorcerer on this one with a caveat. If you want movement do it while you can. Keep an eye on the upper branches for proportion. Let that be you guide for when to cut, When you cut, CUT, and grow out again, wire, grow, cut for the next several years.

 

[sorce]

Mine had that young skin too.
Then you got that one Grovekeeper has with the warts.....
And dude posted that one full grown Texas one with flaky bark.

I feel like it's transitional. With a pinch of climate\type difference.

PPB!
@garywood you're talking about using those branches?
I wasn't even thinking of that yet.
But I like it!

Thumbless....how far down till that spread? And why does it look ripe for an a/l there at the bulge, the picture?

Sorce

 

[JudyB]

One of my first collected ones from late winter of 2014. All the branches grew from 2015. I plan to do a repot and root work in 2017. This year I might just shorten the branches. Not worried about a front until the nebari has formed. It was just a stump with a few lateral roots when it came home. I didn't seal the chop at the time. I'll definitely seal for a bigger tree though.
@JudyB when do you recommend cutting back branches? All are welcome to comment.

View attachment 91085

I never cut branches back until winter is really over. They break bud relatively late in the pack, and they are prone to dieback from the cold winter. So wait till most of the real cold weather is gone.
And what Gwood said...+1

 

[thumblessprimate1]

@garywood would you mean for me to wire some general movement, not necessarily styling?

@sorce the root spread about two or three inches under the surface. I took it out from the pot days ago. Roots grew all the way down and abundantly. I replaced into the pot but i had the soil surface lowered and removed a couple of lateral roots where you see the bulges.

 

[garywood]

@garywood would you mean for me to wire some general movement, not necessarily styling?

@sorce the root spread about two or three inches under the surface. I took it out from the pot days ago. Roots grew all the way down and abundantly. I replaced into the pot but i had the soil surface lowered and removed a couple of lateral roots where you see the bulges.

TP, not style, just set the first few inches of any branch that might be usable. No need to wire all the way out but far enough to get the branch headed where you want it. The tree branches will be cut back for taper and new shoots will grow, repeat the process for a few years.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Not necessarily replicating this, but this an example of the direction I might take it if possible.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

More pics around. Not much going on yet, but I'll put on some wire.

 

[Tieball]

On my Hackberry trees I remove double branching and close-together branching to a single branch only ..... If the desire is to keep that branch growing. I've cut everything off and seen lots of new bud then branch development everywhere on the trees. Usually new growth is multiple branches at one connection point....I eliminate all but one branch/bud at a point once growth begins. my trees, ground growing yet, are Hackberry (Celtis Sinensis).

 

[sorce]

two or three inches under the surface.

I Only ask cuz that's why I wasn't thinking about those branches yet, Cuz they seem a little high.

Hell with it for now anyway, I've seen these grow "power leaves" here, so I'll bet if you haven't gotten any yet, this next year might do it...

For me, I think these will grow just as strong as an elm.....but the roots are slower.
That said....of you wait to cut til spring 2017, I reckon you get a lot of options going.

Cheers! I'm watching!

Sorce

 

[Bunjeh]

Thanks for spanking my hankering,..

ROTFLMAO

 

[Anthony]

I don't know how you guys view it, even with a fridge, only the matchstick / toothpick thick branches survive the
2 month artificial winter. All the finer stuff turns brown. This thin -------------------- dies.

Anyone found an answer or is this genetic ?

Ground growing gives the best trunk size / root result. Big pots not so good.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[thumblessprimate1]

I don't know how you guys view it, even with a fridge, only the matchstick / toothpick thick branches survive the
2 month artificial winter. All the finer stuff turns brown. This thin -------------------- dies.

Anyone found an answer or is this genetic ?

Ground growing gives the best trunk size / root result. Big pots not so good.
Good Day
Anthony

I've observed what you described about the thin branches dying. Perhaps it's just a trait. As for ground growing, I mostly agree with you. When 2017 comes, I may plant it into the ground instead of another pot, but that will depend on how the roots look then. Looking forward to good roots, because I think how the roots end up looking are going to be the start of how the tree will be designed too.

 

[JudyB]

I have had much less thin branch dieback if I do not prune past mid July or so. Maybe it is anecdotal but seems to work for me.

 

[Anthony]

Thank you Judy and thank you Thumbless.

Here's another one for you two, if a hackberry were planted in a 6" deep x 10' long by 3' wide container, do you think that
the shape would simulate ground growing ?

Have grown them in deep pots 3' by 18" wide , not much happening, and in the growing trough, which is as the above but some 14" deep.
They thicken trunks and grow tall rapidly. slowing around November.
We have a few that are being tested for no winter, too soon to talk about.

Mind you this Lafayette, Louisiana stock, and then from root, grown in the tropics.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[GroveKeeper]

From what I've seen in nature, some fine branches tend to die back even in south Florida.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Same here.

 

[GroveKeeper]

As for the bark thing, I haven't seen any rhyme of reason to it. I see some hacks with warty brown bark, others with smooth gray-white bark and other with the same bark as your tree. It happens on both species, so maybe it's just variation.