I don't know what to do with forked maple.

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

So, I planted this maple about 6 years ago and I admit I have avoided dealing with this issue for far too long. After the first winter our cental leader died and the tree developed a fork on the right leader in the first two pictures below (just out of shot in the image). I pruned one back, but within a year, a second branch (the left leader in pictures one and two and the right in picture 3) began competing. Now the second leader is thicker than the original , but does not have any thick branches yet. How do I go about fixing this problem?

Also, judging on the diameter of the branch just below this fork, I could see this happening all over again with it, how do I prevent that from happening?

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

10 years ago

It is not imperative that maples develop a single leader and encouraging one may be counterproductive. They have a decurrent growth habit that obviates that requirement.

Having said that, it is important however to do some structural training while still young so that scaffolding branches - those that make up the spreading canopy - are well spaced and at an appropriate height.

The attached link may help. Be sure to read carefully the portion on training and pruning decurrent species. At least one of those forks should be removed.

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Comments (7)

Dexter Crabtree
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you for the fast response.

After reading the article you provided, I should chose one of the two forks a prune it back to the first good horizontal branch?

Thank you again for the information on decurrent growth trees. I had no idea about that.
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jalcon
10 years ago
That tree is fine...I'd leave it alone. Good grief..
Dexter Crabtree thanked jalcon
Mike McGarvey
10 years ago
I'm more worried about the sprayer and the little girl with no shoes on.

Mike
Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
10 years ago
4 branches coming off an area so small low on the trunk mildly annoys me. I wouod say remove one once the leaves are off and you can see the branching structure.

Oh, and don't let the small human walk in the round up barefoot. ;)
Dexter Crabtree
Original Author
10 years ago
No worries. We are a round-up free home. Spraying Neem Seed Oil on my plants to keep them disease free.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
10 years ago
If allowed to go on unchecked, that branch union will become structurally weak and could lead to problems with breakage and splitting down the road. When training young decurrent species, you want the leader/trunk to extend about 2/3 of the tree's mature height before cultivating/encouraging the scaffold branching. At least one of those forks should go. The lower branch is even a bit too low to begin scaffolding (as well as too close to the fork) but I might be inclined to leave that one.......at least the joint angle is much better.