reduction of trunk

[tomc]

One way to build a tree in less than a lifetime is to grow your saplings for some years in the feild. I try to leave as many low growing branches as I can manage to leave on.

Once the base has enough bulk (and taper) I start to take out the crown of the tree, leaving at least some of those very low branches. That fall I cut most of the root ball free but leave it in the feild.

I take the stumpy tree out the following sping and trim the roots one more time and repot into a 2 to 4 gallon training pot.

I clean up the stumps of branches and let the now mush shorter tree grow for at least one year.

This spring I took 4 crab apples and should do a pear also. I may also cut back some antonovka trees I potted last year.

[tomc]

I took one Pear and lopped all but the lowest growing branches off most of the rest. I'll spade out a root ball over the summer on my amputees.