Crabapple advice please

[Joe.sab]

Hi guys
I bought this one about a week ago and tried to style it but I’m not satisfied with the results i was thinking to cut after the first brunch need your advice please, and can i repot now or late winter befor spring?

[treeman]

Hi joe

We don't ''style'' crab apples and hard wooded stiff trees like this.. We ''grow' them into a shape over the years. By that I mean cut hard to a bud or 2 as low as you can start from there.
The only crab apple type material we shape with wire are very long thin roots to use as future twisted trunks etc.
So, with your tree as an example, cut down to the first branch, cut that branch down to the first 2 buds (one if they are far apart) and replant on an angle with the small branch facing more or less up as the new leader. You can direct the new soft growth with a little wire in late spring and so on and so forth...

[tgward]

any grafted tree can have major design problems if the rootstock develops at a different rate than the graft above it.The graft union will probably need some special attention later on.

[Joe.sab]

Hi joe

We don't ''style'' crab apples and hard wooded stiff trees like this.. We ''grow' them into a shape over the years. By that I mean cut hard to a bud or 2 as low as you can start from there.
The only crab apple type material we shape with wire are very long thin roots to use as future twisted trunks etc.
So, with your tree as an example, cut down to the first branch, cut that branch down to the first 2 buds (one if they are far apart) and replant on an angle with the small branch facing more or less up as the new leader. You can direct the new soft growth with a little wire in late spring and so on and so forth...

Yes that’s what I thought cuz it’s just fells something wrong and the brunch’s are too hard so I had to ask here and I’ll do some research for it as well thanks mate.

[Joe.sab]

any grafted tree can have major design problems if the rootstock develops at a different rate than the graft above it.The graft union will probably need some special attention later on.

Hi mate do you mean that this one need root work before reporting? Sorry if it’s silly question but really I don’t have that info about thes so any help welcome

[tgward]

gday joe,--I was just saying that what looks to be a graft (that lumpy bit on the lower trunk)could mean below the lump may develop at a different rate than above it(the bark could also be obviously different at maturity) and be a design problem later on.I only mention it because I personally avoid grafted trees or air layer above the graft so the tree develops on its own roots.(there are pros and cons to both ideas)

[Akhi]

gday joe,--I was just saying that what looks to be a graft (that lumpy bit on the lower trunk)could mean below the lump may develop at a different rate than above it(the bark could also be obviously different at maturity) and be a design problem later on.I only mention it because I personally avoid grafted trees or air layer above the graft so the tree develops on its own roots.(there are pros and cons to both ideas)

Don’t mean to hijack this thread but I have a large apple tree that I am contemplating air layering above the graft more because of the length of the trunk to the first branch. You mentioned cons of growing on own roots. What are they? Before I air later mine.
Thanks


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[shibui]

Apple rootstocks have been developed to give pest and disease resistance and to influence the growth and size of the trees.
Some apple varieties are more susceptible to pests and diseases when growing on their own roots than when grafted onto resistant rootstock.
Varieties growing on their own roots may grow at different rates than when grafted.
Some varieties are more difficult to root and may be slow to or not air layer at all.