Swamp cypress- Looking for advice

[Bougy Fan]

It is your tree to learn from - Ray probably gave you the best advice but it may be a bit drastic for a newbie. If you keep the top certainly pare down the scar - you can use a big pair of branch cutters or even a Stanley knife to shape the transition. Down the track if you decide to do a big chop you could air layer the top off and make 2 from one.

[Graeme]

One of the truly great things about swampies is their ability to heal large scars in a fairly quick time span, so if you decide to par down the thick section of trunk and you grow the tree on quickly (lots of fertilizer) the scar will become almost undecernable in a short time.

I also, however, agree with Ray's suggestion and would go for the big chop. By the end of next growing season the bit you chopped off should pretty well be replaced - again if you grow the tree on strongly and you will have magic taper starting to happen. But in the end it's your tree, your decision.