Will this Katsura straighten out?

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by Suze415, Oct 18, 2017.

  1. Suze415

    Suze415 Active Member

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    Someone has gifted me a 10' Cercidiphyllum magnificum - see pic. These are hard to find! It does not seem to be in the best shape with sort of uneven branching, leaning over and with a kink in the trunk. I was thinking to plant this in our front yard as a focal point, but is that a bad idea with this tree? I'm wondering whether all it's current flaws will disappear down the road?
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  2. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

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    The tree won't straighten out on it own, but you can shape it any way you want with judicious pruning and shaping. You can straighten any portion of the tree that is still flexible by banding that portion to a stiff pole. The tree is rather spindly at present, probably from insufficient root space. It will probably fill in substantially after being planted in the ground. However, if you leave all of the top growth when transplanting, the tree will be very top-heavy and need lots of support for a number of years. It would be simpler to just cut off the bent over part of the main trunk and let it develop a new central leader; this would also balance the size of the tree to the size of the main trunk.
     
  3. Suze415

    Suze415 Active Member

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    Thank you so much Vitog! Such valuable information for a novice like me. So it sounds like I'd need to cut off about 3.5-4 feet. Now my 10' tree is a 6' tree. I wish I knew how fast it would grow. Nobody seems to have this variety around here (Seattle) but maybe I could order one for Spring time. Winter it will do nothing, right? I mean in terms of growth, it should look exactly as-is 5-6 months from now?
     
  4. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

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    Yes, the tree has already lost its leaves; so it is dormant already, which means that it can be transplanted anytime between now and when the new growth starts next spring. The roots will grow during the dormant season; so fall planting is better than spring.
     
  5. Suze415

    Suze415 Active Member

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    Do you think this can grow up and look like a normal Magnificum some day? This is going to be a focal point tree in front of our house. Trying to figure out whether to give it a chance or not. Saw some beautiful Japanese Maples today and that would be instant gratification. But a beautiful Katsura is really dreamy to me.
     
  6. Keke

    Keke Active Member 10 Years

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    Just some ideas for care beyond the question you asked... Our builder put in a Cercidiphyllum (probably a japonica) in front of our townhouse when our complex was built almost five years ago. We have found it grows quite fast if you keep it watered, and it will drop all its leaves if you don't -- the hot, dry conditions the last few summers have shown us that looping a soaker hose at the drip line and running it for an hour once a week is the right thing to do. We will probably not have to do it next year unless we get super drought conditions. It grew more than six feet this summer. Comparatively, the one the same builder put in at the front of the next complex has had no water or very little the last three years. It is really struggling and has grown very little.
     
  7. Suze415

    Suze415 Active Member

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    Very helpful info. Thank you Keke!

    Ok, I'm realizing it is going to be very difficult or impossible to get kink/curve out of the bottom. Has anyone done this successfully? I don't think simply tying up to a stake is going to help that kink at the bottom.
     
  8. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

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    If the trunk in the section with the curve is still flexible, it can be straightened by placing a stiff pole on the inside of the curve and tightly wrapping some banding around the pole and the trunk. If it is inflexible, there is nothing you can do, short of cutting off the curved section and starting a new trunk.

    Personally, I don't think that the curve in the trunk is going to have much impact on the appearance of the mature tree, especially if you allow lots of low level side branches to develop.
     
  9. Suze415

    Suze415 Active Member

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    Ok, this triggered another question in my mind. Will new branches grow on the bottom part of the trunk? I think the guy I got this from removed branches, thus it starts branching quite high. If I leave it alone, will it grow more? The uneven branching is also something I'm concerned about, aestetically. I do want to keep a single stem look tho.

    When you say "flexible", can you describe that better? I mean, it's a fairly thin trunk at this point, but it's pretty solid.
     
  10. Keke

    Keke Active Member 10 Years

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    Our japonica did not grow any new branches from the trunk below the main set of branches. It suckered a bit from the ground but we removed those to give more energy to top growth (snapped off, not cut) and they haven't returned. That said, the tree was quite lopsided when we moved in: one side had a big gap in the branches about halfway up, so it looked like the tree had a giant bite taken out of it on one side. Four years on the "bite" has filled in well with new branches growing out of the main stem. I believe one of my friends has a magnificum and it has a very similar growth habit, just bigger leaves, and a lovely purplish tinge to new growth.

    I guess the point I'd make here is that, just like people, trees aren't all the same, nor are they aesthetically perfect when young. That doesn't mean any given person or tree can't be magnificent later. I'd enjoy the tree for what it is and bless your friend for the gift.
     
  11. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

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    New branches will grow out of the trunk for sure if you cut off all of the upper branches. If you leave some upper branches, then most of the growth will go into those branches; and new lower branches are possible, but not certain. If you keep pruning the upper branches back for a few years, then the growth of lower branches is quite likely.

    If you can bend the lower trunk with your hands, then it should be flexible enough to straighten out. If you can get a piece of 2x4 or 2x3 lumber long enough to span the curved part of the trunk on the concave side, then you can test how much pressure is required to close the gap between the straight board and the curve in the tree trunk. If you can push the board and the trunk together with your hands and arms, then you can do the same with some strong banding material. It might require a second person to keep everything aligned when trying this.
     
  12. Suze415

    Suze415 Active Member

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    Sorry, been out of town. Thank you Vitog and Keke. The info about how it will branch out is helpful info to know. I decided to keep the tree as an experiment, but not as the focal tree for the front of our house. I will baby it in a container and see how it goes, cutting off the top where it bends, and perhaps staking it. I also have a tiny 2-3' tree (same species) I can watch in a container as well. I picked up a regular katsura japonica for the front. I was worried it would get too big, but the nursery people convinced me it would be manageable with periodic trimming. And it's already about 12' and looking good. So I'll start with that one and if the magnificums start showing promise, I could always switch one of them in later.

    Separate newbie question, if you don't mind. The new tree has some bendy branches. I wonder if the tying up and trip home did that because I didn't notice them at the nursery. I'm *thinking* just cut them at the bend and the new growth will be straight?
     

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  13. Keke

    Keke Active Member 10 Years

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    Ours looked like that when we first moved in. As the tree has grown, those droopy twigs have straightened out as they got thicker.
     

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