Should I start cutting back this BRT?

[BRT_newbie]

Hi everybody,

I got a cutting from a previous BRT that's now started to grow very horizontally over the last few months. I planted the cutting in Aug 2020 so it's about 9 months old. Should I let it keep going horizontally or should I cut a few of those branches back? I'm very new to this and my last BRT was climbing much more vertically.

 

[Paradox]

I would leave it alone and let it grow.
If you want a tree with a thicker trunk, you need to let it grow

 

[Theo Smith]

Hi everybody,

I got a cutting from a previous BRT that's now started to grow very horizontally over the last few months. I planted the cutting in Aug 2020 so it's about 9 months old. Should I let it keep going horizontally or should I cut a few of those branches back? I'm very new to this and my last BRT was climbing much more vertically.

Hey BRT_newbie,
Let it grow and encourage horizontal growth. The secondary branching is key to get the trunk thickness where you want it, regarding BRT’s. They’re very much an apex dominant species and their growth habit tends to thicken/pull the trunk at points where branches originate from the trunk. I have one in training that’s currently 13” high from the soil and I’m growing a couple sacrifice branches to thicken the base for overall taper. This lower branch is coming up on 34”. Up to you ultimately but, keep the tree’s growth habit in mind when styling. Nice tree! Good luck

 

[Lumaca]

Hi everybody,

I got a cutting from a previous BRT that's now started to grow very horizontally over the last few months. I planted the cutting in Aug 2020 so it's about 9 months old. Should I let it keep going horizontally or should I cut a few of those branches back? I'm very new to this and my last BRT was climbing much more vertically.

Slightly off topic but I've had experience with a similar style of pot, with a taper at the top, and they are a pain to remove the tree from since the roots eventually grow wider than the opening.