Remove a large branch on Scots pine?

[Mike Corazzi]

Musing on this pine. Thinking of removing the large branch on left that ...starts....from the branch immediately above but straight down.

Somehow it looks more balanced with that limb gone.

Agree or disagree?

 

[Adair M]

I’m not sure. I think this image looks better:

 

[0soyoung]

From the pix, I feel that I am looking at the back of the tree, or maybe I am. It confuses me as it looks like the tree slants away, but the left side comes back toward me, especially the bottom branch you are posting to remove.

So, one option is to remove branches on the right, like @Adair M suggests - maybe remove even more IMHO.

The other option is to see this from the opposite side. The right branches basically move the same way as the trunk - away in this view. From the other side it may be quite friendly (coming toward, embracing, the viewer). From the opposite side the low left branch would become a depth element and maybe the appropriate thing to do would be to remove the next higher left branch (as seen in the pix).

As is, the tree's gotta 'swirlie' and is very confusing, I think.

Are you trying to show off those crazy roots? Ar they your focal point of this tree?

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Yes on 2.
Show the crazy roots and the tree tilts back. It was a taller tree headed off into wherever and the other side just shows the hollow chop and doesn't work.
That proposed lop-off starts straight down off that large branch and then turns outward like a scoop.
Not doing anything but puzzling over it right now.
But the idea of turning the whole thing 90 degrees clockwise may be another choice.
I'll look again tomorrow. For sure it would need a big round pot.
I think.....

 

[0soyoung]

Okay.
So that lower branch on the left, turn the end of it toward the right so that it points to your feature. Mostly this is just changing the curvature of that branch, not really moving the foliage much. Then you adjust the next higher left branch a touch - maybe a little bend does it, but I expect it needs to be shortened. You may also need to trim a little of the foliage off the lower branch to 'make room'.

Then eliminate the big apical branch looping to the right, down and back. Adjust the apical foliage --> masterpiece! The basic point is that when your eye is in the foliage, it follows branch/foliage lines right back to the feature. You don't want strange gaps in the foliage or strange dense spots to capture attention, including a wad of foliage 'over there', away from your feature.

 

[sorce]

I like how that branch balances the root mass.

Sorce

 

[Mike Corazzi]

I like how that branch balances the root mass.

Sorce

Damn good point. Also @Osoyoung made a great critique on ...moving ..... that branch over to the root jumble. Gonna do that today!

Also heading out to "try" to get some more pix of the spiral labyrinth tree.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I think removing lower branches would be counter-productive. I like the trunk line, but I'd like to see it slightly obscured rather than The primer feature.
Pulling both sides down 30° sort of works. This is kind of hard in only two dimensions...

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Okay.... took pix.
Will keep them thumbnails out of consideration of the bored or fed up with this tree.

First, the whole tree. (with as good a background as I can get without taking it to a studio.



Progressing through various posts and suggestions, I'll turn it for your examination.
The side. Not really pleasing to me.



The hollowed out stump that will last forever. Presently (and probably always) on the back.

 

[penumbra]

I really love crazy root masses and I like the idea presented by Adair and supported by Forsooth. I also think sorce has a great point about balancing the weight of the root mass. You have some really great suggestions here. If it gets to be too much for you I will take it off your hands and I will assume all the worry.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Now to the innards.

This is the origin of that big right branch that is gonna go around front and point to the roots. Unfortunately directly DOWN.



And from the rear



The right branch. Doesn't really go down and back but looks like it from the front.



And...the pee-ess day ree-zis--TONCE... The poor ole apex.
An S shaped thing that just happened to be on the tippy top.



So there you have it.
Fire away.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

I really love crazy root masses and I like the idea presented by Adair and supported by Forsooth. I also think sorce has a great point about balancing the weight of the root mass. You have some really great suggestions here. If it gets to be too much for you I will take it off your hands and I will assume all the worry.

What's best shipping method?

Okay, here is the pullover. Only needed ONE wire. A ...big... one but tethered nicely.





Trunk now covered and looks better. to me... uh...

??????????

 

[Mike Corazzi]

As a plus, moving that branch over put it in better sun exposure from the limb above.

 

[0soyoung]

What's best shipping method?

Okay, here is the pullover. Only needed ONE wire. A ...big... one but tethered nicely.



View attachment 307585

Trunk now covered and looks better. to me... uh...

??????????

It looks better to me too, but all that stuff hanging out to the right is still eye catching (even with that background!) and still tends to take my attention away from the feature. It either needs to be cut back or lowered like @Forsoothe! suggested or some combination of these things to make it visually disappear or also direct your eye back to the feature.

Fiddle with it Mike.
Make it light on the right, Mike.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

See what you are saying. Could be beyond my pay grade.
That is one BITCH of a big, stiff branch.
And the tree is wiggling in the soil.
I don't want to cut til the roots are fed through the summer.
But ....maybe....
I could get the wigglier one down-ish.
But never as downy as Forsoothe's pic.

Not without a press.

 

[ihaveaspaceship]

I’m not sure. I think this image looks better:

View attachment 307502

This has the best balance to it, and imo visually looks most pleasing.
Makes it look powerful. You don't want to castrate it!

 

[Forsoothe!]

You can't take too seriously the machinations of a virtual by me. Remember, I can't see the third dimension or feel and hear that, "ceeeee.. rak"!

 

[Mike Corazzi]

You can't take too seriously the machinations of a virtual by me. Remember, I can't see the third dimension or feel and hear that, "ceeeee.. rak"!

NOW you tell me!
Anyone have the link to that thread about using pine mulch?
About 2 pounds of it....

 

[Mike Corazzi]

Okay, this is as got as got can get got.
I wired the tree into the pot like I should have done at the gitgo.
WITHOUT REMOVING IT FROM THE POT !!!! (got lucky helped by the entire bottom being fulla holes.)
There was even some stinkin gaps around the sides of the DIRT! So I tamped in some lava and akadammit and now that sumbidge ain't gonna move if I shoot it with a 30-06 !!!
Then began to wire shit on the right more down. If it ain't enough, tough feces.
My hands hurt, I have gout today, I would switch to stamp collecting for 3 dollars.
I take PayPal.



The exposure is crappy, the battery died and that's the damn picture.

 

[Adair M]

Okay, this is as got as got can get got.
I wired the tree into the pot like I should have done at the gitgo.
WITHOUT REMOVING IT FROM THE POT !!!! (got lucky helped by the entire bottom being fulla holes.)
There was even some stinkin gaps around the sides of the DIRT! So I tamped in some lava and akadammit and now that sumbidge ain't gonna move if I shoot it with a 30-06 !!!
Then began to wire shit on the right more down. If it ain't enough, tough feces.
My hands hurt, I have gout today, I would switch to stamp collecting for 3 dollars.
I take PayPal.

View attachment 307867

The exposure is crappy, the battery died and that's the damn picture.

You don’t want to pull the branch in front of the trunk. At least not to where it obscures it.Having a view of the trunk is essential. You can direct a small branch to hide a bit of the trunk, but you don’t want it completely blocked from view.