Informal Upright or Clump?

Yandrosxx

I originally collected this Amur Maple with the notion of eventually training it as an informal upright until someone suggested it might make a better clump. That got me thinking that maybe they are right. I was wondering what other folks thought before I cut the trunks down anymore.

The first photo is of the tree as planted in its training box and the second photo shows the original informal upright trunk line I intended to use. I would most likely cut the farthest right branch/trunk shorter and remove the back two trunks if I go this way.

The third photo presents what I believe offers the best view for a clump style.

The fourth photo is of the nebari as viewed from this side.

Attached Images

	Clump-Front2.jpg (67.8 KB, 38 views)
	Amur-Front.jpg (69.8 KB, 29 views)
	Amur-Clump-Front.jpg (67.4 KB, 41 views)
	Amur-Front-Nebari.jpg (68.9 KB, 20 views)

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eeiko321

i never liked clumps

informal upright or slanting style is the way to go for me

JohnGr

I think you could get a very dynamic clump out of this - clump is my vote.

jeremy_norbury

Clump.

Nice material, by the way...

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RedPine

I vote for keeping the trunks, live or dead(carved) in the design.

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ficusfanatic

geez. style is so subjective.... you have a stump right now. let it grow and see what it wants to look like.

Yandrosxx

Can't really do that. Either design is a multi year project. If I wait even two years growing it as a clump, I'll spend two years making decisions about branch placement that will not work for an informal upright and if I decide on informal upright, well then, I'll no longer have the other stumps. Either way, I'll be wasting considerable time trying to see what it'll become.

Better to pick now and stay the course.

Vonsgardens

I think this is the third thread on this tree. I would suggest leaving it alone and seeing if it pops back alive on all the trunks. If it were a trident I would say most likely yes. It will never be a convincing clump unless you reduce it more to allow it to gain taper. See if all of it lives, then start planning.

Cheers,
John

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onlyrey

I think informal upright; leave only one trunk. For a clump it is maybe better if all trunks have more independence, which in this case they don't much.

Attached Images

hackaway_amurmaple.jpg (57.4 KB, 28 views)

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