Replying to Avatar Maria2000

Ok, question for you tree experts. I've planted lots of trees in my lifetime, and mostly I know what I'm doing. But a couple years ago, I noticed that one of my young mexican white oaks was looking very top heavy, so I started trimming a few branches on top. Well, I accidentally cut the leader branch off. I cussed and fretted for a good while. So now the poor little tree looks squatty and is growing out laterally, but doesnt seem to be growing taller. Will it ever grow a new leader branch and start growing upward, or will it just be a short, wide tree forever? #grownostr #trees #permaculture #permies #gardening
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mleku 2y ago

i made an answer before but i will just summarise it:

when you pinch out leaders, you have multiple competing leaders instead.

to resume more upright growth, pinch out the competing leaders. i mean, prune them off, all but one.

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Maria2000 2y ago

Ok, sounds like a strategy. I'll start working on that. Thanks😊

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mleku 2y ago

it should work. most plants that try to have one leader can be made to grow more squat by cutting it off, and the nearest next several leaders will become a little council of leaders. logically, if you remove the competitors one will get all that leader juice and return to vertical.