Training new leaders for spruce

[Brian662]

I'm sure most of you have had some spruce or other young trees get damaged by wildlife or even weather. A nursery I bought some trees from had taught me that if the central leader is dead or damaged, you can cut it and train a new one. In this scenario I used an oak stake and an old rag to bend the nearest strong branch into an upward direction. In one year the new leader put on 12" of new growth and the tree looks like nothing ever happened to it. Nothing revolutionary here, just sharing some info because there are a few people who've mentioned planting trees for the first time.

Here you can see the cut off from the old leader


Here is one year's growth on the new leader.

 

[SD51555]

My woods is full of balsam firs that have had their leaders broken off by birds, and multiple new leaders have shot up. I've got one by the biff that has three leaders.

 

[Brian662]

Yeah, I think eventually the tree will do its own thing, but the upwards growth may speed up by training a new one. Ultimately the upwards growth gets the young tree's leader away from hungry mouths nearer to the ground.

 

[Badgers80]

Interesting. A little oddly proportioned with that change but I’m assuming the bottom will continue to grow as normal and the leader top just got a chance to shoot up with your magic.

Like SD said, I’ve heard of people intentionally topping the leader to try to have the tree create several leaders and get more bushy growth if that’s your desire (lower cover). Might try some of that when my trees are ready as an experiment.

 

[Brian662]

Interesting. A little oddly proportioned with that change but I’m assuming the bottom will continue to grow as normal and the leader top just got a chance to shoot up with your magic.

I think that could be a trait of Norway spruce as well, and how they can get such impressive growth rates. I have several norways that are 8' tall and 4' wide early in their life. The lower branch buds grow outwards 6-12" a year and the leader grows up 18-24".

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Thanks for the great info!

 

[Turkey Creek]

We take opposing branches on our Christmas trees when we lose a leader and tie them together with surveyors' ribbon. That way you don't need a stake for support.

 

[Badgers80]

I think that could be a trait of Norway spruce as well, and how they can get such impressive growth rates. I have several norways that are 8' tall and 4' wide early in their life. The lower branch buds grow outwards 6-12" a year and the leader grows up 18-24".

Interesting again! I guess I’m used to white spruce.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Interesting. A little oddly proportioned with that change but I’m assuming the bottom will continue to grow as normal and the leader top just got a chance to shoot up with your magic.

Like SD said, I’ve heard of people intentionally topping the leader to try to have the tree create several leaders and get more bushy growth if that’s your desire (lower cover). Might try some of that when my trees are ready as an experiment.

I've topped tall leaders on Norway spruce at camp to push more thick branching closer to the ground. Sometimes they sprout multiple leaders after topping - sometimes not. But the spruce definitely get thicker.

 

[Brian662]

Took a few more pics of one where the cage came off and got damaged by deer.

Before the repair


After the repair


Good as new but unfortunately lost 2' of growth.