Hornbeam Chop

[BuckeyeOne]

Which is better straight or angled?
I'm getting a few wild Hornbeams prepared for harvesting in spring and a few have recommended to chop now.
Is there a preferred method?

 

[Zach Smith]

Which is better straight or angled?
I'm getting a few wild Hornbeams prepared for harvesting in spring and a few have recommended to chop now.
Is there a preferred method?

Don't chop now, there's no point in it and it might do harm. Chop straight across and lift in late winter, all at the same time. You can make your angled cut in year two once the tree had decided where it's going to bud and you're able to figure out the best new leader. Oh, be sure to seal the chop.

 

[johng]

Zach is totally correct...do not chop now. You want to time your chop so that budding can happen immediately. Hornbeams tend to die back even when chopped at the ideal time...doing it out of season is a bad idea!

 

[BuckeyeOne]

Zach is totally correct...do not chop now. You want to time your chop so that budding can happen immediately. Hornbeams tend to die back even when chopped at the ideal time...doing it out of season is a bad idea!

Thanks. I had asked previously about timing for the chop and several advised now would be good to go.
I'll wait 'til when I dig.

 

[Zach Smith]

I've never seen a good argument for chopping a tree in the wild and then coming back to collect it, versus chopping and lifting at the same time. I've collected hundreds of hornbeams over the past 30 years (typical survival rate 80%), so I'd say chop and lift works well.

 

[Rivian]

I dug up and chopped mine heavily a week ago, I guess we will see if it survives

 

[johng]

Thanks. I had asked previously about timing for the chop and several advised now would be good to go.
I'll wait 'til when I dig.

That is the problem with online advise...

 

[Rivian]

I was adviced the same thing hence why I did it

 

[Zach Smith]

Here's the problem with an angled chop: unless you are very certain there's a dormant bud at the base of that angle cut, and that bud is going to survive and grow out, you run a high risk of having dieback down the trunk starting at the base of the angle chop. With a horizontal chop, you can mostly eliminate this risk. Most trees will bud well enough to allow a good selection of an opposite side shoot below the new leader that protects the trunk on that side. This is critical to building a nice tapering transition into the new leader you're building, while keeping the trunk intact and not having to come back and deal with dieback.