Mother Daughter/keep or cut?

[Coach]

First off pics suck, sorry.

I collected this Cedar Elm a few years ago. I had originally planned a Mother Daughter. I'm considering my next move.

Both the mother and daughter need lots of refinement either way. The daughter has come in nicely. Do I cut the mother loose and refine the daughter as a single tree or continue to develop both? Thanks for looking

 

[Vin]

Why would you even consider cutting the mother loose? Are there unsightly attributes we cannot see?

 

[iant]

Agree with Vin, if you were going to cut one I'd cut the daughter
Ian

 

[sorce]

Why would you even consider cutting the mother loose?

The mother living life like she wished she had aborted her child?

I'd layer mom off.

And get to building that tiny taper.

Sorce

 

[Djtommy]

use the daughter to fatten up the base a bit more before letting her go

 

[mattspinniken]

I would try planting it at a more upright angle and keeping both. I think you have a nice tree with what is there. Try a styling with both mother and daughter. Nice bark.

 

[Coach]

Why would you even consider cutting the mother loose? Are there unsightly attributes we cannot see?

Mother is fine...workable for sure. I've been developing taper and canopy bends in that portion of the tree from the start. I need the mother canopy to be much more compact though because the trunk is skinny. I can't help but see something "unatural" in the canopy???

Daughter just came in last Spring. I really like the natural look it has and I noticed yesterday that if I cut loose mom I would be left with a great jump start on a tapered/realistic looking small tree with compact bark. It would probably only take a few years for the young daughter branches to get barky and blend.

You're response (and those from others) has me thinking I might be crazy to let mom go though...hmmm

 

[JudyB]

I always have liked multi trunks and clumps, so I always try to work with all the trunks I have. If it doesn't pan out, you can always delete or air layer later.

 

[Vin]

Mother is fine...workable for sure. I've been developing taper and canopy bends in that portion of the tree from the start. I need the mother canopy to be much more compact though because the trunk is skinny. I can't help but see something "unatural" in the canopy???

Daughter just came in last Spring. I really like the natural look it has and I noticed yesterday that if I cut loose mom I would be left with a great jump start on a tapered/realistic looking small tree with compact bark. It would probably only take a few years for the young daughter branches to get barky and blend.

You're response (and those from others) has me thinking I might be crazy to let mom go though...hmmm

I don't know about crazy (except when talking about Sorce ) but it's your tree and it's not setting in front of us to see so you have to do what makes you happy. However, there seems to be quite a start on a nice tree with several options on what I would call the mature part of the tree. The bark is wonderful and there is movement and taper; it's just waiting for you to work it. The daughter (I would call it a sacrifice branch) needs a lot of developing. It's just a twig and nothing more at this point.

 

[Zach Smith]

First off pics suck, sorry.

I collected this Cedar Elm a few years ago. I had originally planned a Mother Daughter. I'm considering my next move.

Both the mother and daughter need lots of refinement either way. The daughter has come in nicely. Do I cut the mother loose and refine the daughter as a single tree or continue to develop both? Thanks for looking

If it was mine I'd cut the "daughter" off and then cut the main trunk about halfway up - it's way too long at present and needs to be brought back in.

You don't really have a mother-daughter with this specimen; the secondary trunk is just a low branch. Not to say you couldn't make something out of it down the road, but I don't think this one lends itself to the concept all that well.

For what it's worth.

And very nice material, by the way.

Zach

 

[sorce]

Your spread at the base looks good enough to call unchangeable.
Which means any attempt at making the "mother" "motherly", will kill that, and further, make it look contrived.

The wiggle at the low of the big is nice....especially barked up, but it is taperless.

I'd leave that unloving mother on to fatten the base, till your next "baby" segment is ready for chop.

There are a lot of + and -.....
But in the end....
Your baddest tree is in the baby.

That was a karma bud!

Sorce

 

[Cadillactaste]

I can't see getting rid of the age in the mother. (If you would call it mother / daughter not sure I classifying it as such.) I can see you developing the new branch as Judy suggested. But it needs some movement in what will be the main trunk of the branch.

 

[M. Frary]

I'd cut that lowest branch off then chop the large trunk just above the second bend in the large trunk.
Maybe an angle change too.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Keep both trunks. Main bark very nice.

 

[mattspinniken]

I'm considering my next move

I ran across this photo that reminded me of your tree and what I was thinking for you. Maybe?

 

[Tieball]

I'd keep them both for now. ...in agreement with what JudyB says.

 

[Coach]

I ran across this photo that reminded me of your tree and what I was thinking for you. Maybe?

I'm digging that...thank you for sharing!

 

[Coach]

I'd keep them both for now. ...in agreement with what JudyB says.

I am keeping both for now. Just need a little more time with this one...I'm thinking a slight canopy reduction, maturation from my baby daughter branch and a bonsai pot may help the image. Thank you for the advice

 

[sorce]

That little wiggle in mom is interesting, no doubt, however, it goes no farther than that.

It's Newbie eye interesting.

Even with a compact crown around that wiggle, it's still taperless.

The way I see it....
You can go layer an elm branch anywhere and have the mother instantly.

You don't always get a bud in the perfect spot to hide a chop, Start taper, and build a wicked bad little tree.

Please.....
Please.....

Cut mom in the future.

Sorce

 

[Eric Group]

Mother is fine...workable for sure. I've been developing taper and canopy bends in that portion of the tree from the start. I need the mother canopy to be much more compact though because the trunk is skinny. I can't help but see something "unatural" in the canopy???

Daughter just came in last Spring. I really like the natural look it has and I noticed yesterday that if I cut loose mom I would be left with a great jump start on a tapered/realistic looking small tree with compact bark. It would probably only take a few years for the young daughter branches to get barky and blend.

You're response (and those from others) has me thinking I might be crazy to let mom go though...hmmm

Nobody is calling you crazy, but I see it opposite... the smaller branch is arrow straight, with little or no interest, a flat fan unrealistic appearance while the main trunk has mature bark, movement and a decent start on so,e ramification. I would lol that lowest branch off without thinking about it. If you let it grow more, you wind up with an unnatural looking bulge at the bottom, not good taper... the movement and bark are what make this trunk interesting not the girth.