New Katsura project.

M.B.

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Hi all, I love projects. Not seedling projects so much but something I think can eventually become something of a decent tree without having to wait 20 years. I came across this Katsura tree at a landscape nursery last week. You should have seen the look on the guys face when I told him to get the loppers and take 5-6 feet off. I learned that these are similar to a trident maple so should be able to reduce it quite a bit this winter. I really liked the big ding in the main trunk and the low branches. very unusual for a nursery tree. I'm thinking this may be my first hollow trunk design. What are your thoughts? Also does anyone have any do's or dont's with this type of tree?
Mary B.
 

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grouper52

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I'll also be curious to see if anyone else has any input! :) Nice tree, BTW, now that I can see the photos.

Will
 

M.B.

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Thanks Will, I was starting to think if the trees isn't a literati table lamp, I wasn't going to get a comment or help. I'm dying to take the clippers to this thing. Especially that down low crossing branch. Should I leave a stub or get out the knob cutters and indent the cut? Do they die back much? I'll leave the main chops for winter/spring but would like to thin it and maybe start some inner backbudding if possible. Also, should I lime sulfur the section missing bark now or leave it alone?
Mary B.
 

grouper52

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Thanks Will, I was starting to think if the trees isn't a literati table lamp, I wasn't going to get a comment or help. I'm dying to take the clippers to this thing. Especially that down low crossing branch. Should I leave a stub or get out the knob cutters and indent the cut? Do they die back much? I'll leave the main chops for winter/spring but would like to thin it and maybe start some inner backbudding if possible. Also, should I lime sulfur the section missing bark now or leave it alone?
Mary B.

With the photos, I can't see the whole lay of the land, but I think I see what's going on, and what you'd like to do with/to it. This bad boy AIN'T gonna be your formal upright, so you might as well have fun with it, IMO. :D They don't die back much; it looks pretty healthy; I'd have at it!

My fantasy would be to cut off that crossing branch, leaving either a jin or shari or maybe even a saba maki that then ran down and back into the larger deadwood behind. That huge root off to the left front should keep the low, secondary trunk alive for now after you do the deed, (although eventually that root will have to go, IMO). These trees seem very resilient to me, so somewhat drastic work like that, even this time of year, will probably be OK, though you might just chop the branch now and wait for winter to extend the deadwood: Your climate is probably a bit harder on trees during summer than mine is, where I can reasonably expect to get away with some pretty severe stuff.

The large deadwood on the main trunk can certainly be treated with lime sulfur, although the wood is not so soft that it will rot that much in the near term. You will probably want to deepen/carve that area more before it reaches its final form anyway, probably this winter when it's bare. When you do have it the way you want it, I'd use some Miniwax epoxy resin wood hardener for longer term preservation. In the meantime the lime sulfur will at least keep fungus at bay and allow the wood to desiccate a bit.

Hope that helps, Mary. It's gonna be a great tree in a few years!

Will
 
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