Epicormic branching

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escambiaguy Atmore, AL(Zone 8b) Nov 10, 2006

I have an area of my property that is almost all oaks and have been thinning these out over the last few years. I have been saving the ones with the best form and central leader, and have been girdling the ones with double leaders. Now I am having the problem with epicormic branching. I usually clip them off but they keep coming back. Does anyone know how long they will keep doing this?

Post #2901031
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kman_blue (Zone 6b) Nov 10, 2006

This tends to be a juvenile characteristic or a reaction to a sudden change in the light conditions of the trees. Thinning their neighbors out would allow more sunlight to reach farther down on the trees and spur this kind of growth. The harder you thin these trees, the more epicormic growth you'll get on the remaining trees. Perhaps you should slow down the thinning routine or just live with the epicormic growth? Eventually, if left untouched, the growth will be reduced and some branches will probably start to grow out more normally. I think that if you clip off these epicormic branches it will take many years before they stop being produced, probably not until the crowns of the remaining trees fills in enough to produce more shade on the trunks.

Post #2901938
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escambiaguy Atmore, AL(Zone 8b) Nov 10, 2006

Yeah, maybe as the crowns fill out it will cut the light getting to them. It is one of things that I just have to mess with, I guess it's my "OCD" kicking in.

Post #2902171
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ViburnumValley Scott County, KY(Zone 5b) Nov 10, 2006

Take a gander at the pruning book from the professor from Florida; he gives quite the presentation on how to change a poorly structured tree into a better form, carefully and sustainably, instead of one whack at removing a double leader.

If I hadn't had the stress of dealing with Scott today, I'd remember the fellow's name.

Post #2902596
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malusman Peoria, IL Nov 10, 2006

Ed Gilman

Post #2902624
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escambiaguy Atmore, AL(Zone 8b) Nov 11, 2006

I should have stated that another reason for thinning the trees is to get more room for diversity. The back section of my property is dominated by Quercus nigra, almost a pure stand. I did find the website http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/pruning/index.htm

Post #2903078
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