Perhaps there’s something you wish you knew back in the day. Something that could have saved a lot of time, money or heartache. For instance, I wish someone had told me not to pound wedges into a tree when felling it against its lean. Instead, “throw” the hammer or axe, so that your elbow isn’t taking the pounding. Years of that will catch up and cause some fierce irritation. Or when I was a teenager and trying on hiking boots. The lady was fitting me and when she got to the tying part, I figured there shouldn’t be anything new there. She made 2 or 3 wraps before making the bow in order to create a tighter cinch; So simple, but useful. Even something as simple as starting a fire in the woodstove can be novel. I always assumed burning wood begins with kindling. Nope. If you have dry firewood, just take newspaper, fold it end-to-end and make a granny knot; Do it 4 or 5 times and use that for kindling. I’ve never used anything else since. Amazing.

The above examples, though seemingly unimportant, have been extremely satisfying. Just some new knowledge put into practice, making something easier. Over time, it may add up to lots of time saved or perhaps an injury prevented. It’s no different from trees. All too often, I see landowners going through the effort of planting them. As you may realize, trees are about patience. I find it fun to watch them grow, but for many, trees are planted to realize specific benefits. Perhaps it’s to grow fruit or nuts, or provide a privacy screen, flowers, or fall foliage. Some just like the shape of a particular tree or perhaps to shade their house in summer. Most of these benefits take time, lots of time.

After 20, 30, 40 or more years, the tree has finally grown to meet some of these patiently awaited benefits. Unfortunately, just as the tree has reached maturity, a windstorm often comes along and knocks out a huge section of it. Most may see this as an “act of God” but really could have been easily prevented with a simple snip or pruning cut when it was young.

Structural Defects

Trees that are planted where they have access to plenty of sunlight will often grow fast and healthy. Sunlight is food for them since they use it along with water and carbon dioxide to make carbohydrates. Most trees will do far better in full sunlight compared to deep shade. The only aspect to watch out for is structural issues, especially with broadleaf trees. In the forest, trees normally have decent structure that includes a central leader, since they are competing with nearby trees for sunlight. A central leader includes one single trunk or leader.

Codominant leaders are less likely to occur when sunlight is limited since branches that stray too far from the trunk are outcompeted for sunlight or simply don’t pay their way by bringing in enough carbohydrates. In open grown conditions, there might be more than one leader competing for dominance. Trees may have a double-leader or perhaps multiple leaders. The problem arises when these double-leaders create “v-crotches.” V-crotches are far more likely to fail or break apart over time during windstorms. They also are places where moisture gathers over time, leading to decay and rot. The demise of many old sugar maples, for instance, is not from dieback in the crown, but often from the tree tearing itself apart due to structural defects.

It is a shame to watch a 150-year-old tree break apart when it could have been easily fixed while a mere sapling with simple hand-pruners, or pole-saw. When planting a young tree, try to prune it to a central leader and maintain that central leader for at least 30 feet. You will greatly increase the life expectancy of that tree or forego expensive future tree work.

Once a tree has matured, pruning is more expensive, since it will then have to be climbed using a rope, harness, and chainsaw. Corrective pruning on larger trees is not only more expensive but leads to larger wounding. Mature trees that have a double-leader might not be possible to prune back to a central-leader. Instead, the two leaders may have to be cabled to each other to reduce the chances of splitting. Cabling can be expensive too since tree climbers must install a cable about 2/3 above the v-crotch for better leverage. Again, something that could have been easily prevented with just one cut, when it was a sapling.

Tree Selection Matters

Some trees are just more prone to poor form when open grown than others. Trees that have opposite twig-pattern seem to be the worst – maple and ash are good examples. Silver maple is notorious for coming undone over time, dropping huge leaders or defective branches. Of course, maples can be planted, but just need a little bit more attention in the beginning. Most conifers are better than broadleaf trees since they normally exhibit a pyramidal shape with one central leader. Examples include spruce and fir.

However, there are some broadleaf trees that do normally exhibit a naturally occurring central leader. Examples are yellow poplar, pin oak, black gum, and sycamore. Yellow poplar and sycamore are excellent trees that are usually good-to-go if you should forget to prune; They just need plenty of space to grow. Yellow poplar has large beautiful flowers and dark green tulip-shaped leaves, while sycamore has attractive camouflage, exfoliating bark. Yellow poplar isn’t the poplar you might be thinking of either. It’s in the Magnolia family, can grow 100 feet tall, and is cold hardy.

In any case, creating a central leader isn’t for all trees. Some might want to have multi-leaders like dogwoods, magnolia, or serviceberry trees. But, for many long-lived “legacy” trees, a central leader is often more desirable and will hold up over the decades to Nature’s elements. If you’re unsure, ask a local arborist, watch a short tutorial online on creating a central leader, or contact Catskill Forest Association. This is something simple that can easily be implemented, leaving you wondering why it doesn’t happen more, potentially saving thousands of dollars in the future, or even a large old tree from coming apart. www.catskillforest.org