Willow Oak urban Yamadori..

[JesusFreak]

I’ve had my eye on this tree for a year now and just thought about texting the pastor to see if I could dig it up and he gave me the go ahead. This tree intimidates me bc of its potential. When’s the best time to put it in the back yard?! Any suggestions at all are very helpful.

 

[Forsoothe!]

What is it?

 

[sorce]

O scale telephone pole lumber.

Sorce

 

[JesusFreak]

Willow oak. Will def need to do some chopping

 

[sorce]

chopping

I think letting it grow may be the fastest way to excellence.

I think the size is perfect now, you just need to work on taper, canopy taper.

Sorce

 

[Forsoothe!]

Go there, sit on your butt and trim superfluous stuff out so you can see the tree. Take pictures of all sides from 4 or 5 feet away and go home and study them to decide upon a design and plan for getting there. Once you have that go back, trim it to your plan and dig it up. Willows are notorious for being survivors. Use this rule to decide which of two branches to remove: Keep the smaller branch in a fork, remove the bigger branch in a fork. [There may be a wiser choice at the first junction (near your hand) where the bigger fork would give you more believable taper.] This is going to be a very tall tree unless you elect to chop it lower than there are branches now. If you do that kind of chop it will be 10 to 15 years before this becomes something of beauty or interest, the bark being the most interesting feature now and would be mostly removed in a low chop. If you go for the reduction in size at each fork the tree will be tall, but will have taper in the upper section and will be pleasing in 5 years. Don't make the choice just based upon time, choose what you want in the end.

 

[JesusFreak]

Where can I send my money to lol ? I owe you and @Leo in N E Illinois a ton!

Go there, sit on your butt and trim superfluous stuff out so you can see the tree. Take pictures of all sides from 4 or 5 feet away and go home and study them to decide upon a design and plan for getting there. Once you have that go back, trim it to your plan and dig it up. Willows are notorious for being survivors. Use this rule to decide which of two branches to remove: Keep the smaller branch in a fork, remove the bigger branch in a fork. [There may be a wiser choice at the first junction (near your hand) where the bigger fork would give you more believable taper.] This is going to be a very tall tree unless you elect to chop it lower than there are branches now. If you do that kind of chop it will be 10 to 15 years before this becomes something of beauty or interest, the bark being the most interesting feature now and would be mostly removed in a low chop. If you go for the reduction in size at each fork the tree will be tall, but will have taper in the upper section and will be pleasing in 5 years. Don't make the choice just based upon time, choose what you want in the end.

 

[JesusFreak]

 

[sorce]

I'd skin the top part to kill it, but have it to guy wire those trunks up to.

Them 4 be that new broom. Better 3 or 5.

Sorce

 

[JesusFreak]

I personally would like to start over. But I’m no expert. Been doing this less than a year

 

[sorce]

That just means your plan of attack will be better next time!

Still digging it soon? I hope not.

Sorce

 

[JesusFreak]

No I haven’t dug it up yet. But I also don’t wanna lose the bark if I do chop it off low like soothe said

 

[Forsoothe!]

You have lots of options, don't make too many irreversible decisions too early. Sorce is right except I wouldn't shorten it until after it has lived for a while as potted up. Also, you need practice on chopping this particular bark to see how much die-back you get at the interface. You want to be able to predict exactly how much shrinkage you are going to get after you chop, and then after you carve. You need to eventually chop near the tops of the remaining branches and carve a valley between the branches so that as the branches grow out that valley will look like the natural crotch between branches. It won't be covered with bark for some years, but you need to carve the crotch in the shape that will look good when it is grown over with bark.