and what do you think my first answer would be??? .... lol ...

then you said: I ended up having to move the tree to another part of the yard.

crikey ... lol ... do you think you can leave it alone for a couple years??? ....

and then you said: and wow, that flat branch has straightened up and has assumed the role of main leader!

and then you said: So it's all down hill from here

i dont understand.. why.. if it releadered ... why is it all down hill ...

gary gee .. a great tree man.. mentioned in that broom hunter post... once said .. ALL TREES RELEADER ... and that was the end of that conversation ....

sooooo .. grasshopper.... and is my first and base answer????

ken

ps: hindsight .... and with your learning curve.. dont you think if you had gone about half the size ... every aspect of the project would have been easier ... on some level.. you started all the problems.. by going a bit instant gratification.. by multiplying all the variables.. because you went so big ... with all the setbacks ... the smaller one.. would have probably recovered.. and outgrown this one .... in ..... ???????

Hi ken!

Always good to hear from you.

I really have nothing to say other than I had hoped many would find this series of events quite interesting.

Why would a Mastersahn, like you, have trouble understanding that ? lol

"All downhill from here" in my neck of the woods is a positive outlook akin to bike riding, downhill is easier. First definition Cambridge dictionary.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/be-all-downhill

Big tree, Small tree, I've done them all! :-)

"All downhill from here" in my neck of the woods is a positive outlook akin to bike riding,

==>>> GET OUT ... in my version of reality .. my vernacular .... it means its dying.. or my patience is running out.. and i am on the verge of killing it ... to put it out of my misery .. one might say ....

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=vernacular&t=ffcm&ia=about

glad to hear your not getting rid of it.. because it is on the mend.. imo ....

you moved it twice in one season ... IN TREE TIME ... all it will take.. is time ... tree time ...

i am surprised you missed that.. as you have added that answer to many other posts .... lol ... ;)....

ken

I haven't missed anything, unless my recent konk to the head is affecting me. lol

What I've learned from you people on this forum as made it easier to make good decisions on what to do and what not to do.

Every tree I've brought in since I've moved here has done really well, more so this season. I'm attributing that, not only to my expert gardening skills (wink) but to this season and last, getting sufficient rainfall in July and (hopefully August this year too).

And this good progress has all happened in 'Tree Time'.

So son't get me wrong, I'm on board with how you people do things with trees but I'm not a professional so what I type might not convey exactly what I'm thinking? If that makes sense?

Anyways, this was just supposed to be an 'update' on this beguiled tree that will look really nice after next season I'm sure.

But thanks again!

Patience, young Jedi.....

and im still trying to figure out what the sports talk guys mean.. when they talk about a running back.. running downhill ... whats that all about ...

i remember when i was a kid.. running downhill.. and though it was an absolute joy ... i dont really think of it as being under control and having any objective other than getting down the hill ... lol

ken

OMG .. this is why the web is ridiculous ... lol .. but it shows what i mean ... who knew a rolling cheese was the reason ... now what does that have to do with running backs??? ... is there a cheese in the end zone ???? .. so many questions.. so little time ... and whats the deal with the dude in a thong ... crikey.. seems apropos ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tHzjunE438

ha ha! You guys crack me up.

Should've had video of me falling off that ladder, would've went viral. :-))

Thanks again!

You can always take a small piece of bamboo and tie up one of the top side branches if no new straight leader were to develop. Should be done before the new growth finishes turning to wood. I have had to do this to avoid hitches/elbows forming in the trunks of some trees. (Pine are worse than spruce at this.) You just have to make sure you don't make the ties too tight so as to choke out/stunt the new leader. And then remove the bamboo the next year.

Anyways, looks like your tree is already doing a good job on its own.

I have had great success with making new leaders on spruce so I don't know why it hasn't worked well for you, Ken. Pine trees are trickier though. While I haven't had newly made pine leaders die out, I have had upward-bending side branches overtake the straightened, "fixed" leader. I wish more people in the commercial landscape world had your relaxed view of "don't worry, the tree will fix itself." :-)

My spruce species often lose their leaders to borers and they all quickly releader themselves ... gggrrr, to again soon lose their leaders to those damned borers.