If you ever have the choice for stump cuts, don’t shy away. Stump cuts, or cuttings trimmed on both sides can become beautiful, well balanced trees. I got a bunch when I was practicing rooting and they are now on their way to becoming full size trees. The stumps are usually beefier, lower parts of branches; they root readily and grow vigorously. I was told by many growers that stumps produce ugly, lopsided trees...not true. Just plant the right side.

The stump will branch from the upper leaf nodes, and start to fork out from there. So the canopy will be off the ground a bit..but grows evenly. Here’s an example of one stump cut that was sealed with latex:

The white latex ‘disc’ has been ejected off the old top scar^

Here the disc removed, the scar visible^

Full tree shot, prob close to 7ft tall now.^

What do you think of stump cuts? do you have stump cut stories?

-s