I Want Back-Budding On My KH! Advise?

Forsoothe!

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Telephone pole with leaves that grows very slowly. Regrettable move. If you think it was difficult waiting for it to fill in the old top, that'll seem like Disneyland compared to filling in a telephone pole... It used to be just an esoteric form that needed work, next it'll be chopped to a couple inches and evolve some scraggly twigs and become the arch-type potato with leaves. Or, it can be air layered and become two potatoes with leaves!

Greenhorns take heed: advice needs to taken with a grain of salt; good, bad and indifferent.
 

BobbyLane

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hornbeams generally are fast, vigorous growers....whether in a container or in the ground...
on a healthy hornbeam with a good root system, this is what can be achieved in one season of unrestricted growth albeit in a grow bed
20190520_131755.jpg
 

just.wing.it

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hornbeams generally are fast, vigorous growers....whether in a container or in the ground...
on a healthy hornbeam with a good root system, this is what can be achieved in one season of unrestricted growth albeit in a grow bed
View attachment 243042
Thats a nice leader there!
Wow.
 

BobbyLane

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one season in a pot, a different tree, but one can see that new leader go, this one was transferred to the ground a few weeks ago, its growing very strongly, it will be chopped again end of season20190520_132744.jpg
 

BobbyLane

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tbh i dont even know what a potato is, some of my favourite stumps have exceptional taper, a definitive trunk line, a visible leader...
but i do love variety and have a bit of everything in my collection, sorry if going off topic, ill walk away now?20190520_134911.jpg
 

cbroad

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@just.wing.it
My first thought after the pruning was "damn, that was a lot taken off," but go hard or go home.

I've been there before, just staring at trees and scratching my head wondering how to proceed. I think you did the right thing, whether it was healthy to or not. You've had it a few years and this is probably what you/it needed for a new lease on life. This will be the kick start to it's future development.

I have plenty of trees I need to do this to..
 

just.wing.it

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@just.wing.it
My first thought after the pruning was "damn, that was a lot taken off," but go hard or go home.

I've been there before, just staring at trees and scratching my head wondering how to proceed. I think you did the right thing, whether it was healthy to or not. You've had it a few years and this is probably what you/it needed for a new lease on life. This will be the kick start to it's future development.

I have plenty of trees I need to do this to..
Thanks!
Thats what I think too....
And it is healthy, but just no buds from the trunk....
Its had those main branches for a long time, this tree grown by clip and grow over a 36 year period, when I got it in early spring '16....and it seems like it just would not bud from the trunk.
I hope it responds well.....I'll keep you all posted, life or death.
 

just.wing.it

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20190908_163554.jpg20190908_163612.jpg20190908_163634.jpg20190908_163647.jpg

I see this as good news and bad....

The good news is that the lower branches exploded as intended.

The bad news is quite obvious.

I will cut back and wire when the leaves drop this fall, and begin building a smaller tree.
I think I'll cut off the top of the trunk next spring.
 

cbroad

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Damn, no growth between the top and bottom? I'm kind of surprised.

You did say it had major root work done in spring of '18, maybe that had something to do with it.

Now you know where your future tree is :cool:
 

_#1_

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As a newbie though, I do wonder if the pot is way way too small. Maybe it's not growing as strong as could be because there's not enough room for more roots. I don't know if AH grow similarly to KH but my AH went from almost no roots to filling whole pot (shallow) in a season. Then I up potted and it has grown alot more and quite healthy.

This one going in the ground or larger pot next season?
 

Forrestford

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The tree had other plans... I say get rid of all the growth except for the new stuff on the tip top, clean up all the little branches you left and the knobs will look pretty cool imo
 

BunjaeKorea

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hornbeams generally are fast, vigorous growers....whether in a container or in the ground...
on a healthy hornbeam with a good root system, this is what can be achieved in one season of unrestricted growth albeit in a grow bed
View attachment 243042
That bark looks like American Hornbeam..... which is an entirely different kettle of fish.
 

JudyB

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Do you have anywhere to throw this in the ground for a couple years? It may be your answer if you want to keep the whole tree. And just let it run with lots of food, see what happens.
 
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