Yoh
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Sycamore Cut to Half its Size - Can it Grow Tall Again?

Hello everyone and thank you for your time reading this, I appreciate it!

1 year ago someone cut my sycamore to about half its size saying it would help it grow even bigger but instead it stopped growing bigger and started growing more seeds.

Is there any way I can make it grow big again ? If you need a photo of it to advise me please let me know

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webmaster
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Location: Amherst, MA USDA Zone 5a

As I understand it, if you cut a tree from the top the branches on the bottom will start to bush out in an effort to capture more sun to feed itself.

Yoh
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That's what happened! I am sorry for having limited English and therefor not being able to fully describe the situation.

As you correctly described my tree has stirred to become for like a bush the an tree, so is there any way I can help it become a tree again ? Put it into a more sunny spot ? cut it again ? Any products I can buy that would help it ?

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Location: Amherst, MA USDA Zone 5a

How tall is your tree?

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rainbowgardener
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A couple pictures would help and letting us know where you are located.

We call what was done to your tree "topping" when the top of the tree is just cut off.

"While removing most of the buds that would form a normal branch system, topping often stimulates the regrowth of dense, unattractive, upright branches (water sprouts) just below the pruning cut. Water sprout regrowth is vigorous. A topped tree will rapidly return to its original height, but will lack its original form."

The water sprouts are usually thin, weak, and growing vertically, giving a broom like appearance.

"A professional arborist can improve the condition of a tree, even after it's been severely topped and shows heavy water sprout regrowth. As the water sprouts begin to gain caliper, they can be selectively "thinned out" using properly placed branch collar cuts. New growth can be directed outward to expand and round out the crown. This process will need repeating for a few years. The scars, both physical and visual, will never completely disappear." https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-458/430-458.html

"Topping, or reshaping, usually involves the complete removal of a tree's foliage. This has adverse effects on the trees longevity, health, and sustainability as it invites pests and diseases into the trees newly opened wounds. Topping causes weak and poorly attached stems to grow at the base of the heading cuts, hollowing of the trees core will occur within a short period of time, and at least 50% of topped trees will die within the growing season. " https://www.weknowtrees.com/tree-topping.html

How to fix it: With deciduous trees, select and reestablish one vigorous leader. Keep this adage in mind: "Leaders lead and are the highest up." Prune out any competing leaders or overly aggressive lower branches so that the remaining branch becomes dominant.
https://www.finegardening.com/five-commo ... z3iYxpVtTr



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