How to make a tree start a new branch?

[Chris]

I've cleared a lot of buckthorn from my lot and adjacent land (working on a new section each year). When I got each area cleared, what remained (whatever wasn't buckthorn) varied quite a bit, but the buckthorn had done a lot of damage by shading out everything below a certain height-- killing smaller trees, forcing others to extend long unwieldy limbs to seek light (that's what the crabapples did). But another response was for taller trees to abandon lower limbs and do all their growing at the top. These trees now look spindly and misshapen. If I were the kind of person who talks to trees, I'd say "Hey-- you have space now. Try growing branches from the middle of the trunk." Is there another way to get this message through? Maybe there's a way to poke something into the bark that provokes a branch to start. Suggestions appreciated.

[zxcvbob]

You're close. Generally speaking, if you make a little cut in the trunk above a dormant bud, so that bud can't see any auxin from the terminal buds, it should sprout. The trick is finding the dormant buds; it's not easy if the trunk already has thick rough bark.

Bob

[Chris]

[sherwindu]

Hi Chris, Yes, there is a way called bud grafting. It's a bit involved, so I suggest you research it on the web or at your local library. Basically, at the right time of the year, you cut a bud from the top of the tree. You then can do something like a T-bud graft by cutting a pocket in the lower part of the trunk, insert the bud and wrap it up. I have only done this technique on fruit trees, but I see no reason why this should not work on other types of trees.

Sherwin D.

Chris wrote:

[Scooter the Mighty]

I think the easiest kind of graft is a thread graft.

What you do is drill a hole through the tree, then bend a higher branch down and poke it through the hole. When it's grown enough so the branch is thicker on the end where it exits the trunk, cut the branch off on the other side.

Of course, this only works if the trees are thin enough to drill through and you have a branch you can bend around to where you want it.

[Scooter the Mighty]

Another kind of relatively easy graft is to get a sapling of the same kind of tree and graft it on as a branch. Cut a groove in the tree and bind the sapling to it with grafters tape. Leave the sappling roots in a light pot. It might take a year or so to really fuse well.

[Chris]

I inquired about how to get branches to grow from a trunk. Thanks for the various responses. I almost thought Scooter's first suggestions was a joke (since I'm obviously a novice) but I guess not. The idea of bending a branch back around won't work with the tree I'm most interested in because the living branches on it are too far from the part that needs branches. Anyway, I'll look into all the suggestions offered.

[Scooter the Mighty]

Yeah, that's the trouble with thread grafts, it's usually too hard to find a branch to use.

[zxcvbob]

What about planting azealas around the trees to fill in the space?

Bob