Top of Blue Spruce Broken Off

emma0828

Hi,

During a bad storm, the top (crown) branch of my Blue Spruce broke off. Will this kill the tree or will another branch of the Blue Spruce take over as the crown?

Some people have told me that this will kill the Blue Spruce and others have told me that another branch will take over and become the new crown. Which is true and can I do anything to help the tree?

Thanks!

Michele
emma0828@sbcglobal.net

Dan0

I have an 11-foot blue spruce and I can see where the crown was broken off earlier and now another branch has taken over as the crown. See post on crooked blue spruce. I will post some pics tonight.

If I prune off the now offending smaller limb it will be almost undetectable that the crown was ever broken.

How big is your tree add how much was broken off?

Garry Brockley

come on guys

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emma0828

Actually, I just went outslde and measured the tree...The tree is actually about 18 feet tall.

I will take a pic and post it.

emma0828

OK, here's the tree. I had to take the pic with my phone.... hope you can view it okay....

Attached Files

tree.pdf (635.2 KB, 154 views)

Eric Frei

Have some-one go up and reduce properly to a lateral branch and remove those sprouts.

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newguy18

i agree with ekka,get an arborist to reduce it properly.

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old schooler

treeseer

I agree to clean cut the wound but why cut off sprouts now? They are there for good purposes; food and shade among them. Thin them to one leader plus laterals Over Time.

Right now a crown cleaning of dead and dying wood b good.

newguy18

,if an arborist is up there clean cutting the wound,might as well reduce to a proper lateral and thin off non target laterals.

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old schooler

Knotahippie

You can make this tree beautiful and safe with a pole pruner, no need to climb.

No reason to thin.

Takes about 10 min.

Attached Thumbnails

 

newguy18

i fail to see any benifit to the tree in your diagram.

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old schooler

Knotahippie

Leverage reduction.

newguy18

Maybe,i still think regular reducing to a suitable lead and thinning the others is the way to go.

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old schooler

Knotahippie

Why thin?

newguy18

to reduce wind load and to make sureit is pruned to the best lateral.

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old schooler

Knotahippie

Thinning can also introduce decay into stem. Makes stem more thin, more likely to break.

newguy18

yes it can introduce decay if done improperly,but now is the best time to do it while the tree is young and vigorous,wait to long and it won't heal as fast.this is basic stuff here.

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old schooler

Knotahippie

That tree is thin/damaged enough, it may have broken because of pruning...

emma0828

No. That part of the tree hasn't been pruned b4. It broke during a really bad storm.

Knotahippie

Cool, Seen alot of trees/branches fail due to poor taper from pruning/thinning.

newguy18

See,thats why it needs thinned.

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old schooler

pcarborist

One needs to retrain a new leader and subordinate laterals to restore apical dominance. Sooner is better because leaders on blue spruce are capable of growing 12" or more per year.

Garry Brockley

My next door neighbour has a larch that he planted a few years ago it was good nusery stock but after three months he drove over it; it survived he staked it; but now it's top grows at a severe angle, im thinking this may have befallen a similar fate at a young ageas the kink is high in the tree (even stepping on them can cause damage) or that support line is too tight. just a thought.

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Eric Frei

So it's easier to paint of course, that's what you do isn't it?

Oh, maybe put a weather cap on it too, sorry, forgot about that one.



Errr, the above answers are purely for entertainment value and my attempt at satire/humour.

Michele,

Painting of wounds, weather caps etc are all old school snake oil treatments. I even had a person tell me to get the silicon gun out once and silicon the wounds up.

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Garry Brockley

this was meant for for another thread sorry don't know how it got here.

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emma0828

Thanks! I was confused
I didn't understand what you were talking about...
I was thinking "Did I say something about there being a kink in the tree"..... hmmmm.... Thank you for pointing this out NOW I understand that this had nothing to do with me!

newguy18

Ekka's plan on the tree is the way to go,you need to find a certified arborist in your area,you can find one here,
International Society of Arboriculturedon't let any use wound paint on the tree.

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old schooler

treeseer

Better not quit your day job; as a comedian you are more of a commodian.