Lilac trunk chop for beginner

g33kgrrl93

Advertisement

Joanie

Rachel, personally I would chop below where the tree divides. You would then have just one trunk, instead of three equal trunks. Or else choose one, and take the other two off. But that would leave a lot of scarring.

When you chop, it will give you a burst of new growth, and lilac should bud all up and down the trunk. (But wait to make sure, see if someone who has one can tell you that's right.... I don't have a lilac)

Choose from the new growth, which ones you want to keep. They will soon catch up with the trunk and look natural.

Just my opinion... others will be coming soon no doubt. It's always quiet here on the weekends.

Joanie

__________________

g33kgrrl93

Joannie,

Thank you! Do you have any advise on the angle to cut at? I have read to do it at an angle, but then I read somewhere else that you should do it straight across. Also, I raed that you should wrap it just below the chop with grafting tape to keep it from swelling too much as it heals, but that was in an article on formal uprights, which is not what I intend to do with this tree.

There is so much to learn! If I ask too many questions at once, please forgive me, I am really excited about this and sometimes it seems that some of the articles I've read various places contradict each other and I'd like to learn as much as I can.

Rachel

rockm

Forget the angle, forget the wrapping.

Initial chops are done ABOVE the level where you want a new leader to begin.

The chop, as Joanie points out, should produce alot of new shoots lower down on the trunk. Alot of those can become the new leader. An angle cut greatly reduces the chance of getting one to pop in a decent position. Also chops can produce some dieback on the trunk. Cut about six inches higher from the point where you think the new leader should emerge. This give you more options at the start.

Allow all the new shoots to grow this year. Select one next year that looks like a good one to continue the trunk line. Pull it up gently and wire it into position--next year. Another chop at an angle can be done once the new leader has been growing for a couple of years..