Freeman maple: please grow straight! (or is it hopeless?)

Andrew Smith

10 years ago

Hi everyone

This is my new maple, planted a month ago. It looks good from this side:

But it's actually bent starting from about half way up the trunk, which you can clearly see from some angles:

I think it was bent like that when it arrived. My mind could be playing tricks on me, but it seems like it's bent in a slightly different direction every time I look at it, but generally towards south west.

Reading about steaking and straightening it seems that just doesn't work. Does that mean there's nothing I can do, and just wait to see how it ends up growing?

Perhaps I can train a new main trunk? This is what it looks like near the top. Could I snip one or two of these to encourage a vertical trunk?

I have an irrational dislike of trees that grow at an angle, I have another maple in the same yard growing at 10-15 degrees sideways and it annoys me every time I look at it :)

Thanks!

Featured Answer

privatejapanesemaplesanctuary

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Guys,Is this really a Spirit Level Issue ?

"As The Twig Is Bent,The Tree Is Inclined"

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Comments (7)

cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
10 years ago
It will level out as it ages- relax and allow it to find itself.

But many trees will grow toward the sun and there's nothing you can do about it. Nature isn't about straight lines and perfect angles.

In other words, it's not the trees attitude that needs adjusting :)
Andrew Smith
Original Author
10 years ago
Yeah I know but it's not nature in this case, it was me that planted the damned thing :) And I wonder if it's going to get even more weird I should just get rid of it and plant another. If it bothers me that much?

I'll probably give it a couple of years and then decide...
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Pecci
10 years ago
Nearly all young maple trees are awkward in youth. In a couple of years it will begin to look as advertised. I have even purchased perfect looking one's that became awkward after the 1st year in the ground and remained so for a couple of years after that. Don't sweat it.
Photo Synthesis
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
I have an elderly neighbor that wanted a couple of trees planted for him. I planted one of them. Before I filled in the soil around it, I moved it around, repositioning it as needed until it looked just right.

As for the second tree, a mutual neighbor ended up planting it for him. The only problem was that it was leaning heavily to one side and didn't look right. So he asked me if I could straighten it out for him. Rather than digging it up and starting all over again, I worked the shovel down into the soil on the side that the tree was leaning towards. I pushed back on the handle, lifting that side up further until it was straightened out. From there, I just filled in the gap with more soil. Now you can't even tell that it ever leaned before. Perhaps you can do this with your tree? Getting someone to help you out, if needed. It doesn't look like it would take much to level it out.

Maples aren't necessarily the fastest growing trees out there. Even after one month in the ground, it hasn't had sufficient time to establish itself just yet and take hold. So lifting up one side of it and filling it in with extra soil shouldn't disturb it too much.
Pecci
10 years ago
The problem with that will be that the lower part of the tree trunk, will have to be crooked in order to compensate with the top of the tree,

The tree will straighten and form according to the species & varieties genetic make-up.
Mike McGarvey
10 years ago
It's going for the street where the light is.

No changing that.

Mike